Karnataka theatre artist collapses mid-play, dies of heart attack

An artist died of a heart attack in the middle of a play in the Bandur village of Malavalli taluk of Mandya district. The deceased has been identified as Nanjaiah (46) who was performing a play at the Basavana Temple in the village, when he suddenly suffered a heart attack and collapsed on the stage. He was immediately rushed to the Malavalli Town Taluk Hospital for treatment but was declared dead on arrival. A video of his last moments on the play stage was captured on a camera and is going viral. Nanjaiah was playing the role of 'Sarthaki' in the play titled 'Krishna Sandhana' of the Kurukshetra when the heart stroke hit him. After the incident, the co-artists halted the program in the middle and rushed him to a hospital for treatment. Artists from different villages of Malavalli taluka had organized the mythological play.