Velimir “Bata” Živojinović was born on June 5, 1933, and died on May 22, 2016.

He was a Serbian actor and politician.

He was born in the village of Koraćica under the Kosmaj mountain, near Mladenovac.

When he graduated from acting schools in Niš and Novi Sad, he enrolled at the Drama Academy in Belgrade.

He preferred to act in the theatres to acting on screen.

Bata made his screen debut in 1955 film Pesma sa Kumbare was the beginning of a prolific film career.

Živojinović’s was so talented, he played both heroes and villains and switched between leading and supporting roles.

His peak of popularity came with WW2-themed action films in the 1970s.

Bata’s best-known films from that period is Valter brani Sarajevo (Walter Defends Sarajevo), which gained major success in China.

Also known for his close friendship with the Croatian actor Boris Dvornik.

During 1991 Živojinović and Boris Dvornik quit each other in a series of open letters, which was a gesture often seen as symbolic of the breakup of Yugoslavia.

The rumors were that the two men tried to reconcile, in 2004

Although the two men publicly reconciled on TV via a video link between Split and Belgrade, in 2006.

Reportedly the actor said that “In the last few years there hasn’t been hatred between us”, and Dvornik completed the sentence “only a misunderstanding”.

During 1990 Bata was elected for the Serbian Parliament, He was a candidate in the September-October 2002 presidential election, receiving 3.27% of the popular vote.

He was awarded Golden Arena for Best Actor at the Pula Film Festival, the most prestigious film award in the SFR Yugoslavia, three times: in 1965, 1967 and 1972.

Bata Živojinović won the award for Best Actor at the 11th Moscow International Film Festival in 1979 for his role in Moment.

During 1981, Bata was a member of the jury at the 12th Moscow International Film Festival.

He became seriously ill after a heart attack in October 2006 and suffered from gangrene in his right foot for about three years afterwards which was cured by Doctor Montekin in Cuba.

Then on July 4, 2012, Bata Živojinović suffered a severe stroke, which took awhile to recover from.

He died in 2016 after he had an emergency surgery.

Bata Živojinović passed away at 82 yrs old.