The 1932 born Udupi Rajagopacharya Ananthamurthy — who won the sixth Jnanpith award to Karnataka in 1994 — died in Bangalore on Friday. Dr UR Ananthamurthy wrote extensively in Kannada  and was the great literary face of the State. He participated in many socio-political movements. His novels like Samskara, Bharathipura and other literary works have evoked strong reaction in the literary world. He was always at  the forefront of agitations in the State and never hesitated to express his views.

His comments on Modi recently faced the wrath of the BJP which asked him to leave the country. URA had said that if Modi becomes PM he would leave this country and BJP asked him to Pakistan. later URA said his comments on Modi were misinterpreted by a few vested interests. The 82-year-old titan of Kannada literature, admitted to Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, was suffering from multi-organ failure.

URA who started as an English lecturer in Mysore University rose to become VC of Gandhi University in Kottayam.  His socially relevant novels always critical of the system has been very well acclaimed across the world.  Great intellectual, always a rebel URA gave new dimension to Kannada literature.

His wife Esther Ananthamurthy, and daughter Anuradha Ananthamurthy were seen at the hospital.

A fearless critic, Ananthamurthy was always against the system and never hesitated to criticise the political system. URA a close friend of Shantaveri Gopala Gowda steered the socialist movement in Karnataka along with George Fernandes and JH Patel.

Born on December 21, 1932 in Melige, a tiny hamlet near Thirthahalli Taluk of Shimoga district, Udupi,  Ananthamurthy was the sixth of the eight Jnanpith awardees from Karnataka. He was presented with the award in 1994, in recognition of the body of his work.

A Padma Bhushan award winner, Ananthamurthy was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize in 2013. He hit the limelight with his novel, Samskara, which he wrote in 1965. The modernist novel was made into an eponymous movie that set a new trend in avant garde cinema in the country.

His other works include Ghatashraddha, Bharatipura, Avasthe and Bhava. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other literary personalities have condoled the death of this literary giant, who always fought for social justice.