Kannada Actor, Presenter Aparna Vastarey Dies

Aparna Vastarey, a cherished Kannada actress and the familiar voice behind Namma Metro’s announcements, has passed away at the age of 57. She succumbed to lung cancer on July 11, with her husband breaking the news to her fans via social media. He disclosed that Aparna was in the advanced fourth stage of cancer at the time of her death.

Who was Aparna Vastarey?

Aparna Vastarey (1966 or 1967) known mononymously as Aparna, was an Indian actress, television presenter, and radio jockey. A popular face in Kannada television, she was known for her work as a presenter of various shows that aired on DD Chandana in the 1990s.

Started off her career

Aparna Vastarey started off her career as an actress, making her film debut in 1984 with Puttanna Kanagal’s final movie, ‘Masanada Hoovu’, which featured a stellar cast including Jayanthi and Ambareesh. Following this, she appeared in a variety of Kannada films such as ‘Sangrama’, ‘Nammoora Raja’, ‘Sahasa Veera’, ‘Mathru Vathsalya’, ‘Olavina Asare’, ‘Inspector Vikram’, ‘Ondaagi Balu’, and ‘Doctor Krishna’. She also worked in hit TV shows like ‘Moodala Mane’ and ‘Mukta’.

Transitioned to a successful career

In 1990, Aparna transitioned to a successful career as a television presenter on DD Chandana, becoming a prominent figure in the industry until 2000. She also set a remarkable record in 1998 by hosting an eight-hour Diwali special broadcast.

First presenter for AIR FM Rainbow

Aparna also ventured into radio broadcasting in 1993 with All India Radio, where she became the first presenter for AIR FM Rainbow. Her distinctive voice and dynamic presentation skills led to her selection as the voice for Bengaluru Metro announcements. In 2013, she participated in the inaugural season of the Kannada reality TV show ‘Bigg Boss’ on ETV Kannada, and her role as ‘Varalakshmi’ in the popular comedy series ‘Majaa Talkies’ was well-received by audiences.