Veteran Kannada filmmaker Joe Simon dies of heart attack at 80
Bengaluru (PTI): Veteran Kannada film director and actor Joe Simon passed away on Friday following a heart attack, industry sources said. He was 80 years old.
Simon suffered a cardiac arrest at the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce in Bengaluru, where he had attended a meeting this afternoon. He was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead at around 4.30 pm, sources added.
The filmmaker had directed several popular Kannada films, including 'Sahasa Simha', 'Snehada Kadalalli', 'Simha Jodi', and 'Mr Vasu'.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar described Simon’s death as an "irreparable loss" to the Kannada film industry.
"Joe Simon, who hailed from Mandya, was active in Kannada cinema for decades. He had worked as an actor, director, and lyricist in more than 100 films," Shivakumar wrote on 'X'.
Expressing grief over his passing, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka recalled Simon’s contribution as an actor, director, and dialogue writer, highlighting his successful films, including Vishnuvardhan’s 'Sahasa Simha'.
Simon had also served as the Vice President of the Kannada Film Directors Association, Ashoka added on 'X'.
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New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to filmmaker Vikram Bhatt's wife Shwetambari Bhatt in a multi-crore rupees cheating case.
The top court also sought responses of Rajasthan Police and complainant Ajay Murdia, founder of Indira IVF and Fertility Centre and a resident of Udaipur, by February 18 and said it may consider a day after the bail plea of filmmaker Vikram Bhatt.
Murdia alleged in his complaint that Bhatt and his wife induced him to invest over Rs 30 crore in a biopic of his late wife, promising high returns.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions of senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Bhatts, and ordered forthwith release of Shwetambari Bhatt from Udaipur jail.
The bench asked the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Udaipur to pass the bail order delineating the terms and conditions for her release.
The top court also issued notices to complainant Ajay Murdia, the founder of Indira IVF and Fertility Centre and a resident of Udaipur, and the Rajasthan government for February 19.
Rohatgi said the director and his wife and others have been put behind bars.
"It is not so simple... Rs 30 crore fraud," the counsel for the state government said.
"But, you cannot use these cases to recover money," the bench said, adding that the complainant be also made a party to the petition.
"Unfortunately, they (petitioners) have not sought quashing of the FIR… How Rajasthan has been chosen? Very unfortunate," the bench said.
On January 31, the Rajasthan High Court rejected their bail applications in the cheating case.
The two have been in jail since December 7, 2025, when they were arrested in Mumbai and brought to Udaipur.
While rejecting their bail, the high court observed that granting bail to the accused at this stage would not be appropriate.
Vikram Bhatt was arrested after Murdia filed a complaint of cheating and criminal breach of trust against the filmmaker, his wife Shwetambari Bhatt and others, alleging that funds taken in the name of a film project were misappropriated.
The complaint has alleged that funds to the tune of Rs 30 crore were misappropriated. The complaint alleged that the Bhatts prepared fake bills under various names and got money transferred from the complainant.
The money was supposed to be for making films for the complainant, but was allegedly deposited into the accused's own accounts and used by them.
Apart from Vikram and his wife, Udaipur-based Dinesh Kataria and Bhatt's manager, Mehboob Ansari, were also arrested by Rajasthan Police on December 7, 2025.
