BANGALORE, April 12: Rajkumar, an icon of south Indian cinema and star of more than 200 films, died on Wednesday, sparking widespread violence as distraught fans torched buses and ripped hoardings in Bangalore.

The revered actor, who gained nationwide fame in 2000 when he was kidnapped by notorious forest bandit Veerappan, died at his home in Bangalore after a heart attack. He was 77.

His death effectively closed down much of the city, witnesses said, with major businesses — including cinema houses — downing shutters out of respect but also in fear of violent mobs that swept through the city as news of the actor’s passing spread.

A Microsoft research institute in the city centre was stoned, the company said, and many of India’s leading technology companies concerned over safety sent workers home early.

Huge crowds laid siege to an ambulance bearing the actor’s body and tried to climb in through the vehicle’s smashed windows.—Reuters