DHAKA: Jnanpith awardee and renowned Kannada writer UR Ananthamurthy died on Friday at a hospital in Bangalore of India, where he was undergoing treatment for kidney failure.

The 82-year-old was said to be in critical condition and was on multi-monitor support. He was hospitalized for infection and fever 10 days ago, reports NDTV.

"....Anantha Murthy has been unwell for a while, he had multiple problems including kidney disease for which he had been on dialysis for the last few years......," Manipal Hospital Medical Director & Chairman - Medical Advisory Board H Sudarshan Ballal told reporters.

Ananthamurthy was a new voice in Kannada literature. His novel Samskara questioned established caste conventions and caused controversy when it was published in the 1960s.

BDST: 1934 HRS, AUG 21, 2014