**Lokesh** (born Madapura Subbaiah Naidu Lokanatha Naidu, May 19, 1947, in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India; died October 14, 2004, in Bengaluru) was a celebrated Indian stage and film actor, director, and producer who worked predominantly in Kannada cinema. Widely regarded as one of the finest performers of the Kannada parallel and mainstream cinema movements, he was acclaimed for his naturalistic acting style and powerful dramatic range. Born into an artistic family, he was the son of theater pioneer and actor M. V. Subbaiah Naidu. Lokesh first appeared on screen as a child artist playing the titular role in *Bhakta Prahlada* (1958) before honing his craft extensively on the professional Kannada stage. He made his adult breakthrough in Girish Karnad's acclaimed parallel cinema classic *Kaadu* (1974), followed immediately by his iconic lead performance as Ayyu in Siddalingaiah's *Bhootayyana Maga Ayyu* (1974), which earned him his first Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor and Filmfare Award. Over the next three decades, he delivered landmark performances in films such as *Kakana Kote* (1977), *Parasangada Gendethimma* (1978), *Ellindalo Bandavaru* (1980), *Banker Margayya* (1983), and *Sangeetha Sagara Ganayogi Panchakshara Gavai* (1995), winning the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor three times in total. Alongside his lead roles in art-house and literary adaptations, Lokesh was a prominent presence in commercial cinema, appearing in major hits like *Premaloka* (1987), *Ranadheera* (1988), *Kindari Jogi* (1989), *Ramachaari* (1991), and *Putnanja* (1995). He also ventured into direction with the historical biographical drama *Bhujangayyana Dashavathara* (1991), winning the Filmfare Award for Best Director. He was married to actress and director Girija Lokesh, and their children, Srujan Lokesh and Pooja Lokesh, also established careers in the entertainment industry.
