2 days agoAuthor: Kavita Rajput
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Of. Shivramu. Full name Shivaramu Kempaiah. Today the story is about them in Ansuni Dastanen. He is the first actor of Indian cinema who was an IAS. Yes, his name is recorded in history because he was the first person to crack UPSC in Kannada language.
Usually people leave their studies to enter films, but Shivaramu was very intelligent in studies since childhood. His dream was to become an IAS which he also fulfilled.
After this, when he was fed up with bureaucracy, he turned to acting, but due to controversy over this, he stopped working in films.
When he retired from the post of Regional Commissioner of Bengaluru in 2013, he entered politics and played a long innings.
Let’s take a look at the interesting story of IAS turned hero Shivramu…
I wanted to become an IAS since childhood
6 April, 1953, place Urgalli, Karnataka. Renowned drama master S. A son was born to Kempaiah, who was named Shivaramu Kempaiah. People used to fondly call him Shivram. Later he was Shivramu also started being called.
Shivaramu was smart in studies since childhood and had no interest in films. Father used to teach drama to people, but Shivramu’s mind was only focused on studies. He was clear since childhood as to what he wanted to do in life.
While studying in school, he had told his father that he wanted to become an IAS in future. The family members were very happy with Shivramu’s dedication and hard work, hence he received their full support along with love and affection.
The family members left no stone unturned to ensure that Shivramu got a good education and after completing his primary education in the village, his father sent Shivramu to Bangalore, where he studied high school from Malleshwaram Government School.
Shivaramu in photo taken during his IAS tenure.
Shivramu used to work during the day and go to college in the evening.
Soon after passing high school in 1972, Shivaramu learned English and Kannada typing and got selected in a government job. Even after getting a government job, Shivaramu did not rest peacefully and in May 1973, he joined the Crime Investigation Department as a police reporter.
Despite getting a job, Shivaramu completed his college studies. While in job, he took BA degree from VV Puram Evening College of Arts and Commerce. He used to work in the morning and attend classes in the evening.
Around 1982, he also did MA in History from the Open University of Mysore while working during the day and studying in the evening. Along with this he also kept preparing for civil services. Shivaramu’s hard work bore fruit when he cleared the Karnataka Administrative Service Exam in 1985. After clearing the exam, he became Deputy Superintendent of Police.
Was the first person to crack UPSC in Kannada
Shivaramu kept climbing the stairs of success one after another. In 1986, he secured first rank in the Karnataka Administrative Service Examination from the Scheduled Caste category and was elected Assistant Commissioner of Police.
After this, during his training at Karnataka Police Academy, he got selected in UPSC and became IAS. Shivaramu had a dream since childhood to become an IAS and he did so. With this, Shivaramu’s name got recorded in history, because he was the first person to crack UPSC in Kannada language.
After becoming an IAS, in his long career in bureaucracy, Shivaramu worked in places like Bijapur, Bengaluru, Mysore, Koppal and Davangere. During this period, he held positions like Mass Education Commissioner, Food Commissioner and MD of Mysore Sales International Limited.
Become an actor if you have a mind full of bureaucracy
The special thing about Shivaramu’s life was that from childhood till old age, he always insisted on learning something new. Don’t stop at one place. Achieved an achievement and then set out to create a bigger benchmark. This is the reason why when he was fed up with bureaucracy, he thought of making a place in films. As an IAS, his popularity was no less than that of a star.
Even in personality, he looked no less than any South Star. This was the reason why he tried his luck in the Kannada film industry. Here too, luck supported him and he got the offer for his first film. His first film ‘Ba Nalle Madhuchandrake’ was released in 1993. Shivaramu was seen as a hero for the first time in this film. His work in the film was liked and the film proved to be a hit.
Shivaramu started getting accepted in the Kannada film industry. He worked in films like ‘Vasant Kavya’, ‘Sangliyana Part-3’, ‘Pratibhatane’, ‘Khalnayak’, ‘Yarige Beda Duddu’, ‘Game for Love’, ‘Naga’, ‘O Prema Devathe’.
Controversy over acting
There was controversy over Shivaramu acting while working in bureaucracy. In fact, in the year 2004, the Karnataka government had issued an order that bureaucrats or government employees cannot act in films.
Shivaramu had filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court, terming this decision of the state government as a violation of his constitutional rights. However, the court rejected his petition and said that it was wrong to work in films while in service. A government official cannot earn money by directly or indirectly participating in any business venture.
The result of this decision was that Shivramu could not pursue his film career even though he wanted to. He just completed the films he was shooting and then stopped working in films and returned to bureaucracy.
Ups and downs career in politics
After retiring from the post of Bengaluru Regional Commissioner in 2013, he entered politics and joined Congress. Shivaramu’s career in politics was full of ups and downs.
Within a year, he left Congress and joined Janata Dal (Secular) and contested the Lok Sabha elections from Bijapur, although he lost the election.
Shivaramu was a member of Karnataka State Community Executive in BJP.
Shivaramu could not tolerate the defeat, so he again changed the party and joined Congress again. He remained associated with Congress from 2014 to 2016, but after this he once again left the party and this time joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
After this he started working as a member of Karnataka State Community Executive. In his spare time he was very fond of reading books, horse riding and travelling.
Shivaramu received many awards as an IAS.
‘Tiger’ was the last film
In 2017, he also returned to films after 10 years and was seen in the film ‘Tiger’. He was greatly liked in the role of Shivram Nayak in this film. This film was made by his son-in-law Pradeep Bogadi.
Shivaramu was a bureaucrat, actor and politician whose personal life was never a topic of discussion. He was married to a woman named Vani, who is a housewife. Both of them had a daughter named Inchara Shivram. She was married to Kannada actor Pradeep.
Shivramu with wife Vani.
Died in 2024
K. Shivaramu was surrounded by many diseases with time. From 2023 his health started deteriorating. He finally died of a heart attack on 29 February 2024 at the age of 70.
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