Vishnu wished to relocate to Mysore

Earlier, he wanted to buy back the house near Nanjumalige on Narayan Shastri Road, where he was born and brought up. An octogenarian in the neighbourhood, requesting anonymity, said that Vishnu was ready to purchase the house for whatsoever price, but it did not materialise.

Vishnuvardhan’s grandfather Lakshminarasimhaiah, a retired police inspector had moved into this house after he purchased it. Lakshminarasimhaiah’s son Narayan Rao (Vishnu’s father) was a writer. Vishnuvardhan grew up in the locality until the age of 15. The family sold the house and shifted to Bangalore in 1965. The actor had his early education in Gopalaswamy Shishuvihara near Double Park in Lakshmipuram. It was also the first kindergarten in the State founded by Dr M V Gopalaswamy, father of radio in Mysore.

The present headmistress N Padmavathamma (84) of Shishuvihara Lakshmamma told Deccan Herald that he was admitted to first standard when he was nine-year old, on June 3, 1959. According to the records he studied here up to May 27, 1963. He rejoined the school after a break of one year, she added. His fans’ association had offered help to install a borewell for drinking water for the students of Shishuvihara, she added.

Padmavathamma recalled that as a fourth standard student, he played the role of Alexander in a play winning a prize for individual best performance, besides bringing laurels to the school.

A year ago Vishnuvardhan and Bharati had felicitated Padmavathamma at a function organised by the actor’s fans in Kalamandira in the City. “I still cherish the memories of the time he spent with me during that function. He addressed me as ‘amma’ and took my address promising to visit me, which will ever remain a promise,” Padmavathamma said.