Theatre activist, film actor and prominently make up artist of repute B.N.Narayan (74) died of massive heart attack at a travel office on Thursday morning in Bangalore. Decked in pure white costume on Thursday morning Nani left for his Travel office and after  signing daily register he collapsed of severe heart pain and thus he had completed his travel on this earth. A day before on Wednesday night he met his close friends in Abhinaya Tharanga in Hanumanthnagar on the occasion of H.G.Somasekhara Rao turning 70 years and spent an usual evening.
Nani’s body was kept at Ravindra Kalakshetra for a few hours and later the entire body of Nani was donated to St. John’s hospital in Bangalore. After the death the eyes of Nani were given to Eye Bank in Bangalore. Girish Karnad and prominent personalities had the last glimpse of Nani on Thursday evening.
Make up Nani hailing from the family of artists leaves behind his wife a prominent supporting actress Bhargavi Narayan, son Prakash Belawadi a theatre activist and director of English film ‘Stumble’ and popular television serial ‘Garva’, Sujatha, Sudha and Pradeep of his family besides leaving huge family and friends.
Born on November 3, 1929 (to a doctor father Nanjundaiah) in his young age Nani evinced interest in freedom movement when he joined the National High School. He was moved by Mahatma Gandhi’s when he visited to the school. He took part in Arcot Boycott in 1947 and because of his activity he had to give up intermediate examinations. Dr.H.Narasimhaiah invited him to National College in 1947 and this is where his theatre activity began. He donned the woman’s role for a play. Consequently Nani showed his interest in back stage and this time his engineering studies was affected.
Nani joined Ravi Artistes as a back stage administrator and this group got selected for a play in New Delhi. He later compiled bibliography of Kannada play before taking up a job of draughtsman on a daily wage of Rs.2 and twenty five paisa. The family life Nani began after he married the Bhargavi for whom he pasted moustache in one of the plays. After a few years British Council invited Nani to visit UK and study the theatre. He attended a full time course in non professional drama conducted by the British Drama League in London and worked with well known West End theatre and ballet groups such as Alswych, Phoenix and Sadler’s Wells. It was after his return the ‘Bangalore Little Theatre’ took birth and Nani was instrumental in Suchitra Film Society coming up in Bangalore. He knew the trick of the trade and created wonders from chewing gum and tooth paste and sponge to alter the face of the people in his profession.
Nani acted in films like Abachurina Post office with Bhargavi, Vamshavruksha, Muyyi and others.