When C Ashwath passed away, I felt bad. His distinctive voice and shock of white hair is unforgettable. Also, the fact that I am related to him (in a convoluted way — he wouldn’t have known me from Adam, or is it Eve), and have seen him up close at a family gathering, somehow made the loss rather personal.

When Vishnuvardhan passed away, I could not believe it. There was something so solid, so reliable about him that I found it hard to believe that he was actually gone. I loved his eyes, and liked the way he was able to carry off so many different types of roles with style.

This morning, when I opened the papers and found that K S Ashwath was gone, tears actually filled my eyes. There was something so inherently good about this man that it shone through on the screen. I remember every nuance of his expressive face — the mischievous twinkle, the shocked look, the sad drooping face, the controlled anger. He was practically in every movie I saw during my childhood, and he felt like a beloved uncle to me.

All of you will be much missed. RIP.