Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

The Fall and Rise of a Lake

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An artist collaborates with a snake rescuer, a farmer-artiste, a new media artiste, a man who loves aquariums and a ‘sparrow man’ to document the transformation of Jakkur lake with an exhibition, Lake Tales, that opens today

 

From left: Deepak R, Kushal Kumar, Deepak D L, Surekha, Chaitra Puthran and Naganagouda Patil

With more than 200 years of history shaping the life of an entire community and eco-system, Jakkur Lake has been dubbed as a ‘birds’ paradise’. In fact, it can be called the North Star of Bangalore.

Located about 15 km from the city’s centre, it is closer to Yelahanka with a township, Jakkur, to its west and a village, Sampigehalli, to its east. Currently undergoing a transformation and restructuring from a natural lake to an artificial one, the water body is in the throes of a larger scheme of things called ‘City Beautification’ and ‘Lake Development Project’, conducted by Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) as part of the urban development project of Bruhat Bengaluru.

Surekha, an artist, decided to record the happenings in and around the lake through photographs and videos after she heard of the Lake Development Authority (LDA) project. “I have pictures of the lake dating back more than 15 years (her husband is from Jakkur). But in 2009, when I heard of the project, I started interviewing the locals, BDA officials, contractors and, apart from taking pictures, shot extensive video footage of the lake,” says Surekha.
‘Jakkur-Lake’ Project
Surekha’s artistic documentation of the history of the lake is construed through photographic images, video interviews and archives, collecting oral recordings of anecdotes by local dwellers (farmers/activists), environmentalists, ornithologists as well as BDA contractors. Surekha’s fervent hope is that the lake regains its healthy environment along with its flora and fauna.

She says, “This project has been a fantastic learning process for me. In the beginning, I didn’t know much about it, but today I am deeply involved with its progress. Contractors or BDA officials call me when there is something interesting taking place. They alerted me when they had drained the water. I have walked on the lake bed. The feelings are too deep to express. I have seen the authorities taking painstaking steps to develop the lake properly by taking inputs from environmentalists and wildlife experts. I have seen dead fish recovered from the lake. I have seen birds going to other lakes nearby because this one was not ready. I now know how lakes are formed and how there is a chain formation of other lakes nearby. This project is not a commitment for a year or two, but for a lifetime. The lake and its impact on the community are too intense to be taken lightly. In fact, without a water body or a lake, there is no life in the vicinity.”

Surekha tied up with five young artistes who were not the ‘typical artistes but had an ecological connection’. The artists — a snake rescuer, a farmer-artiste, a new media artiste, an aquarium hobbyist and a ‘sparrow man’ — have given an interesting perspective to an urban bane.
SNAKE RESCUER
Chaitra Puthran was once afraid of snakes, but is now called to rescue snakes. In fact, her complaint is that there are fewer calls now than before. “I just hope that people rescue snakes rather than kill them. Except cobras, there is no mercy shown to any other snakes, however harmless they are,” she says. The first snake that she rescued was a rat snake. Since then, she has done intense research on snakes. “Without knowledge of snakes you can’t handle a snake,” she says. “My contribution to the project will be to present the factors causing changes in the snake’s population with respect to the changing face of the lake. There will be a handwritten diary, drawings, illustrations and pictures of snakes. I will be glad to answer any queries about snakes during the course of the exhibition.”
NEW MEDIA ARTISTE
Deepak D L has worked on natural sounds in and around the lake. A keen interest in the environment led to him pairing up with Surekha for the project. He says, “I have collected sound footage from in and around the lake and manipulated it to make a new sound. I have archived the project in sound and made an audio library in a digital format of all sounds related to the project.”
AQUARIUM JUNKIE
In addition to the environment and birds, Deepak R is passionate about fishes and aquariums. A childhood passion for creating ecosystems for fish has led him to create micro-ecosystems with aquatic plants. The largest tank he has created measures 7’ X 4’ X 2’. According to him, after the lake is filled, the ecosystem will get better than before as ‘plenty of work and thought has gone into it’. “I am going to talk to the local authorities and research the types of local fish that can be released into the lake,” he says. He wishes that people won’t release species like the Jalebi fish, Catfish or the American Turtle Red Ear Slider into lakes as these upset the local ecosystem because they breed fast and consume a lot of food.
“I became involved with the project after Surekha told me about the dead fish during the dewatering process. My role is to recreate an ecosystem similar, but not identical to Jakkur lake’s. The tank that I have come up with, which is about 2’ X 2’ X 15”, has an island as well.”


LOVE FOR SPARROWS
Kushal Kumar has been working on the migratory tendencies of sparrows keeping the background of the lake in mind. He finds sparrows in his native Doddaballapur but very few in Bangalore, which has more wireless towers and pollution. “Along with these two factors, global warming has caused sparrows to migrate elsewhere. From about a hundred birds four years ago, the population has halved,” he says. For the lake project, he will display a gigantic 3’ X 4′ nest with a huge mobile phone that will have a monitor to play a seven-minute video on sparrows. “I have used the mobile phone as a symbol to show its impact on the birds,” he says.
FARMER-CUM-ARTISTE
Naganagouda Patil is not from Jakkur, which is why his land is intact. “I have seen the land around the lake. It is very fertile and good for cultivation,” he says. “In my childhood, I used a soft thermocol-like material sourced from the maize stem to make farm equipment similar to what my father and uncles used. We used to play with them. Today, traditional hand-made equipment are vanishing just like the land around the lake. For this project, I have created farm equipment that are slowly becoming obsolete using the same material that I used as a child.”

The Lake – Past, Present and Future
PAST: Until recently, the lake was surrounded by a lush green belt. The livelihood of the villagers and the farming community were dependent on the lake. “A 90-year-old farmer told me how, in the olden days, a girl’s family would give their daughter in marriage to a boy only if his village had a lake,” says Surekha. Birds flocked to the lake. From October to April, migratory birds came from Australia and European countries. A thriving ecosystem made Jakkur lake a paradise for both birds and its watchers. The community around the lake used the water for domestic purposes and farming.

PRESENT: The announcement of the Akravathy Layout changed the lives of an entire community with sites being formed at the edge of the lake. Farmers protested at the poor compensation and took the government to court. With their farmland now under dispute and no other means of support, farmers have now become potters and bricklayers. The natural access to the lake has been fenced. This is to keep encroachers at bay, but is a hindrance to the local community too. During the dewatering process, the entire lake looked like a battlefield with trucks and other vehicles marking the lake from within. The desilting process was monitored by the BDA. Nagarajappa, a farmer-activist from Jakkur, rued the loss of livelihood for a generation of farmers. BDA is engaged in transformation rather than preservation. A sewage treatment plant has been built to treat water coming from Yelahanka before it is released into the lake. Wetlands have been created.

FUTURE: It is a wait-and-watch process. Three years after the resurrection of the lake began, only one-tenth of the water has returned. The local and migratory birds are punctual in their arrival though ornithologist Harish R Bhat says that 30 per cent of the birds have left. But, Deepak R says, “I am sure that in about three years, we will see a better ecosystem with plenty of fish and birds in the area.”
EXHIBITION
Lake Tales: Focusing the urban rural margins – Jakkur lake
Dates: June 5-15
Venue: Bar1, 69/3, Mission Road

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Special / by Jayanthi Madhukar / Saturday Jun 04th, 2011

The World of the Kannadiga

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Roopa Iyer has taken on the job of representing the state at the World Kannada Conference in London in August this year. Will this be another contentious event?

Yet another Kannada conference at yet another venue. Coming up in London on August 27 and 28 is the World Kannada Conference 2011 — Europe. It is being organised by Sangama, an association of NRIs living in Europe. As Karnataka representative for the conference Roopa Iyer, classical dancer, actor and filmmaker, will decide on participating artists and the culture extravaganza.The sammelana has listed some serious aims too. It will explore how non-resident Kannadigas of Europe can contribute to the economic growth of Karnataka. It will raise funds to build Kannada Bhavana in UK and support Kannada schools at Karnataka. So far, Puneeth Rajkumar and Ramya have been roped in as brand ambassadors. We spoke to Roopa on being part of the event.

There have been many Kannada sammelanas — small and big — of late. How will this be different?
This will be the first of its kind in Europe. And we have good causes —the Kannada Bhavana will act as a centre for spreading Kannada art and culture and also house a library of Kannada books. We will give a boost to Kannada schools in the state. Also, we will target youngsters as it’s the younger generation which carries forward a legacy.

Showcasing Karnataka’s art and culture effectively is a tough job.
We are bringing together the State’s senior-most artistes in films, literature, sports, dance and music — people who are truly responsible for building the current-day culture of Kannada. We are not going to project only young celebrities.

Often such conferences are fraught with rivalry and bickerings. There is also criticism that accomplished artists who are not aggressive about self-promotion tend to lose out in the race for representation.
Proper planning, time-management and taking care that each guest gets due respect, sufficient time and a proper platform will avoid such problems. As for artists, we are looking out for genuine achievers, grassroots workers and unselfish personalities who have contributed to the richness of Kannada culture.

Many Indian cultural events held abroad (this one’s in London) are viewed as an excuse for a foreign jaunt rather than serious promotion of art.
I agree, this happens. We can’t question such people if they come as part of the audience. But our guests — people whom we will invite and take with us — will be genuine achievers. We will invite about 400 persons. Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and his son Raghavendra have already agreed to support and attend the sammelana.

source: http://bangaloremirror.com / by Aruna Chandaraju / Wednesday Mar 23rd, 2011

The hyphen in Indo-American

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A K Ramanujan strode both the English and Kannada worlds of literature with equal ease. Coming up is a collection of his works in Kannada

 

Is it more than that or is it only my love of words/when his photos move and words cry/ and the coffee house acts as the centre stage where folks make love eating apple pie/and his absent presence defines silence that speaks.

This is one of the poems I wrote while trying to come to terms with A K Ramanujan’s sudden, shocking death on 13 July 1993. His ‘absent presence’ continues to define silence. And he taught me to listen when  silence speaks.

Thirteen years later, Manohara Granthamala has brought out his Collected Works in Kannada (686 pages, Rs 500).

That’s almost 10 years after his Collected Works and Unpublished Works was released in English. In 2003, poet and close friend of AKR, Aravind Krishna Mehrotra, explored Looking for A K Ramanujan in the book A History of Indian Literature in English.

I remember sharing with Mehrotra that with AKR, there is NO language divide; his poems, writings, translations in English and Kannada are one continuous thread and some ideas first taking birth in one language, then take form in another language. Just as some thoughts stayed with him through time and one can see him pondering over it, again and again, and finally coming to a totally different conclusion.  In fact, it gives me a sense of freedom to pick up a thought from my Kannada poem and present it in a totally different dimension in English.

Never a translation
When they ask me at poets’ meets to name the ‘original’ Kannada poem whose translation I am reading, I feel at a loss because it is not a ‘straight’ translation of the Kannada poem but something totally new. AKR’s poems are like that. For instance, if he is talking about a Jain monk in a Kannada poem, in English he would present it in a different manner. It can never be termed a translation.

Hence, the Collected Works of A K Ramanujan should include English and Kannada works, where they speak to one another, reflect, support or start a dialogue of sorts. That is how he wanted a collection to be. He had once told me to “arrange the poems in a collection where the poems engage in a dialogue and each page is a continuation of the previous one even though they carried different poems. The different poems are nothing but pauses in a conversation.”

We wrote letters to each other in poems. Those were the pre-internet, pre-satellite phone era and after writing a letter and posting it, one had to wait for seven days for it to reach and another seven days to get a reply. If he was travelling, it would take another couple of weeks more. The pauses were longer than the conversations. But they were definitely intense.

Way ahead
Reading AKR now would make many a younger poet feel he was way ahead of his time in terms of thought, style, structure and use of language.  That is precisely why the Collected Works is much needed. His collections were sold out so quickly that even in those days, one had to look for a copy and came away disappointed many times. There was nothing flashy about his books. They were just like him – simple and elegant.  His Hokkulalli Hoovilla (No Flower in the Lotus), Mattu itara kategalu (And Other Poems),  Kuntobille (Hopscotch) and a novella Mattobbana Atma Charitre (Someone Else’s Autobiography) were not bulky in size but massive in content.

They called him ‘the hyphen in the phrase Indo-American.’ His colleague Walter Hauser described AKR as ‘a man of rare gentleness, of a deep and sensitive humanity.’  It is just one accurate description. There are several others.  Professor U R Ananthamurthy always refers to AKR as his ‘Guru’.  AKR invited Chandrashekhar Kambar to Chicago.

Right start
Once he read a poem of mine which was published in a Deepavali special edition,  much appreciated by others, and pointing his finger somewhere after 10 lines, he said, “Your poem starts here!”

In his last letter, he had written a poem about death. He wondered “who knew the electricity would go just as we were beginning to look into each other’s faces.”  We are still grouping in the dark.

Collected Works : A K Ramanujan will be launched in the first week of July in Bangalore by Manohara Granthamala

 

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / by Prathibha Nandakumar / Lounge / Fri Jun 24th, 2011

 

A Prestigious Fellowship for her Skills

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A photo of an Asian Open-bill Stork by Nikitha. 

A photo of an Asian Open-bill Stork by Nikitha.

The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) of London has picked N.V. Nikitha from Mysore for a fellowship for her skills in the nature category.

The honour is doubly special for Nikitha because her father, N.T. Vijayakumar, a forest official, who is the Deputy Director of the Chamarajendra Zoological Garden (Mysore zoo), got an RPS fellowship a year ago.

“I would never have become a photographer, but for my father’s encouragement,” Nikitha, who has finished her final B.Com examination, told The Hindu.

More than 15 pictures of birds shot by her were sent to the RPS by an agency of the RPS in Bangalore in January 2011. And, on March 23, 2011, she was informed that she had been chosen for the honour.

The distinction that young Nikitha has got is laudable also because only 11 persons in the world are chosen by RPS for it.

This year, of the 11, four from Karnataka have got the RPS honour, and Nikitha is one of them. The other three are Siddarth Malik, Ramu Mastaiah and Hanumantha Ramakrishnaiah.

Mr. Vijayakumar said that Nikitha was only the third woman photographer from the country in the nature category to have won the RPS honour. The others were Devi in the late 1970s and Asha Jaykumar in 2000.

Nikitha attributes her passion for nature photography to her father. When Mr. Vijayakumar was the Assistant Conservator of Forests at Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary in 2003, Nikitha started watching birds.

Then in 2005, she followed it up with bird photography.

There was no stopping her afterwards as she went on a photography spree from 2005 to 2010 touring Hesaraghatta in Bangalore, Attiveri Bird Sanctuary in Haveri district, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary near here, various parts of Kodagu and the Karanja Nature Park here.

About the international recognition for her photography skills, she says, “It is again my father who coaxed me to apply for the international recognition.”

Nikitha has taken the pictures of Asian Open-bill Stork, Black Kite, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Spoonbill, Great Cormorant, Kestrel, Great Thick-knee, Little Egret, Paddyfield Pipit, Little Grebe, Pied Kingfisher, Purple Swamphen, River Tern, Spot-billed Duck and Spot-billed Pelican.

Nikitha, besides pursuing her passion for photography, also wants to take up MBA.

Her father got the Royal Photographic Society fellowship a year ago

source: http://thehindu.com / by Jeevan Chinnappa /National / Karnataka / Mysore / Jun 08th,2011

A Lake and its Many Legends

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A lake, in the vicinity of a temple built for the Pandavas and Draupadi in Sullia taluk, is surrounded by many legends, dating back to episodes from the Mahabharatha. The area also makes for a great getaway, reports Ronald Anil Fernandes
Epic connotations: The 31 forms of the serpent god found near the serene ‘Yaksha Sarovara’. Photos by the authorTemples for gods and demi-gods dot the districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. The coastal region has umpteen structures dedicated to a plethora of gods and goddesses. 

Apart from many temples dedicated to a variety of gods (devasthanas), the region is well-known for temples dedicated to demi-gods (daivasthana). The region has a temple dedicated to Koti-Chennaiah (also known as garadis), a temple for the sun god and one for Mahatma Gandhi too.

A unique daivasthana is the temple where the Pancha Pandavas and Draupadi are worshipped. Idols of the five Pandavas (Yudhishtira, Bheema, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva) and Draupadi are worshipped at the temple.

All the six idols, a satya kallu (the stone of truth), yaksha peeta (the seat of yaksha) and 31 nagana kallu (various forms of the serpent god carved in stones) were found in the same area just a few years ago.

Localites chanced on the idols when they were working in an arecanut plantation. They found three stones dedicated to the serpent god. When they dug up the place, they found a total of 31 stones pertaining to the serpent god, two stones pertaining to the yaksha peeta, the stone of truth and six idols. Then they decided to hold an ashtamangala prashne following which a daivasthana was constructed in 2008.

‘Yaksha kere’

Though the Sri Krishna Yaksha Pandava Nagabrahma Kshethra at Keddotte (‘kedu’ means tank and ‘oate’ means a kind of bamboo) in Kunthoor village (believed to be the village where Kunthi lived), about eight kms from Alankar on Uppinangady-Subrahmanya road, was constructed in 2008, a lake located next to the Kshethra has a long history.

The lake, which once measured 60 acres, has today been reduced to 11 acres, because of silt accumulation. Localites Vishwanath and Shivaprasad point out that here is a belief that those who are suffering from skin diseases will be cured if they use the water.

Legend has it that when the Pandavas lived in the forest adjacent to the lake, a deer took away the stick used to make fire from a sage’s home (also in the forest) with its antlers. Then, he requested the Pandavas to trace the deer and get back the stick. The Pandavas followed the hoof marks of the deer throughout the day and strayed deep into the forest.

Yudhishtira , the eldest of the Pandavas, wanted to drink some water before carrying on the chase any further. Sahadeva, the youngest brother volunteered to fetch the water.

He spotted a lake nearby. When he approached the lake, he heard a voice (of a Yaksha) which told him that he would die if he drank water without answering his questions.

However, Sahadeva did not bother and drank the water from the lake and died. The other brothers too are said to have died in a similar manner. On seeing that all his four brothers were missing, Yudhishtira went in search of his brothers, to find them all dead.

However, as he answered all the questions that the Yaksha posed to him, he is believed to have brought back all his four brothers alive. Hence the name ‘Yaksha Sarovara’ (also known as Visha Sarovara).

There are other stories too pertaining to this lake, and according to one such story, there is a treasure in the lake and the snakes guard it.

Though the State government has promised Rs one crore to de-silt the lake and spruce up the area around it, villagers feel that it may require around Rs five crore to safeguard the lake and retain its historical significance.

Fear of submergence

Till not so long ago, Kurumbi Anekattu Parisaravadigala Horata Samithi President Padmanabha Gowda and the rest of the villagers were worried that the lake may be lost if the proposal to construct a dam across River Kumaradhara is implemented. Following the recent High Court order against hydel power projects in Western Ghats, their fears have been allayed.

The river, Kumaradhara, flows about one kilometre away from this lake and the region is filled with huge rocks. There is a long black mark on one of the rocks and villagers believe that it was an impression made by Draupadi’s saree when she dried her saree there.

Perabe Gram Panchayat’s Vasanth Gowda said that a lot of fish (kari meen) are found in the lake at certain times of the year. Apart from the many legends around the lake, the surroundings of the ‘Yaksha Sarovara’ (Visha Sarovara, Keddotte) as well as the banks of River Kumaradhara, make for a great place to unwind. You can lose yourself in the backdrop of the lake and the chirping of birds and the sounds of the breeze.

The region once ruled by Ballals and later occupied by Malekudiyas is today peopled by local Gowdas. There are 14 houses in the vicinity and all the families are related to each other.

How to get there

Travel via Uppinangady (60 kms from Mangalore and 300 kms from Bangalore) and take a turn towards Subrahmanya. You will reach Alankar, a small town, about seven kms from the highway (NH-48). Continue on the same road for about four kms till you get a small board that indicates the way to Keddotte. If you travel for four kms on the bumpy, mud road in the dense forest, you will arrive at a fork.

The path to the left takes you to the Yaksha Sarovara and the daivasthana while the one on the right takes you to River Kumaradhara. Take the help of local people, or chances are you might get lost in the forest.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / by Ronald Arun Fernandes / supplements / Spectrum / Travel /

Two Children from Kolar Set to Create a Record

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KOLAR :

Youngest to perform ‘arangetram’

Two children from Kolar are all set to create a record in the world of cultural field. Five-year-old M. Chitrashree and six-year-old R.V. Lehanya will perform “arangetram” at a function at the T. Chennaiah Ranga Mandira here on Friday.

It is said that they are the youngest dancers in the world to perform conventional “arangetram” in Bharatanatyam, the ancient performing art form of India.

The present feat is held by a Bangalore girl who performed “arangetram” at the age of eight.

Both Chitrashree and Lehanya are students of Sri Jayanatya Kala Academy founded by Kolar Ramesh. While Chitrashree was just admitted to standard one, Lehanya is a class two student.

Keen in dance and music, both these child prodigies, with unstinted support from their parents, got lessons in Carnatic classical music from C. Narayanaswamy. Chitrashree was initially trained in dance by Arunakumari.

Though it is the traditional “arangetram” for these child artistes, both of them have given stage performances at several places, including one at ADA Ranga Mandira in Bangalore, to exhibit their dancing talent. The “arangetram” is slated to be held at 4 p.m. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G. Parameshwara will inaugurate the programme.

Ramesh Chadaga (singing), Nagaraju (mridanga), Natarajmurthy (violin), Narasimhamurthy (flute) will join hands with Ramesh (natuvanga) in the “arangetram”.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / Jun 09th, 2011

Lingadevaru Halemane

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MYSORE / BANGALORE:

Lingadevaru Halemane is dead

His contribution to theatre, literature and linguistics was immense

Linguist and Director of Nataka Karnataka Rangayana Lingadevaru Halemane passed away at his residence early on Wednesday following a massive heart attack. He was 62. He is survived by wife and two daughters.

Prof. Halemane’s body was kept on the Rangayana premises for about an hour to allow his admirers,friends and the public to pay their last respects.

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah, Minister in-charge of Mysore district S.A. Ramdas, former Minister H.C. Mahadevappa, A.H. Vishwanath, MP, G.K. Govinda Rao, writer, theatre personality Srinivasa Kappanna, and several theatre artistes paid their respects.

The body was later taken to his birthplace of Alagona village in Chikkanayakanahalli taluk of Tumkur district for the last rites. Prof. Halemane’s contribution in the fields of theatre, literature and linguistics was significant, and he was a consistent opponent of communal and divisive forces. Born in 1949, Prof. Halemane did his MA in Kannada at the University of Mysore. Later, he did his MA in Linguistics from Annamalai University, and joined the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) here in 1973. He also worked as Director of the State Resource Centre (SRC).

Prof. Halemane was instrumental in organising the Kannada play Tayi, based on a novel by Maxim Gorky, and directed by Prasanna, in Mysore. When workers of a major hotel in Mysore were retrenched, he wrote his first play,Koneganada Horata, based on their plight. As a result of the play, negotiations with the management commenced and the workers were reinstated.

When Samudaya organised the ‘Raithanatta Jatha’ in 1978, he played a major role in organising workers from Kodagu, Mangalore and Mysore.

His Chikkadevabhoopa, depicting the uprising of the peasantry against the ruler Chikkaveeraraya, was a major success. His close associate Ramesh, coordinator of Parivarthana Theatre Troupe, says: “He was fascinated by the history of Mysore and its monarchy.”

Prof. Halemane’s Neralillada Manushyaru, a translation of Jean Paul Sartre’sMen Without Shadows was another success.

His major plays are Hyder, Antembara Ganda, Taskara, Shapa, Matash Raja, Mother Courage and Dr. Bethune. Vanaprastha was the last play that was staged.

Prof. Halemane also wrote poetry. He wrote songs for the plays Kusumabaleand Devanuru Kathegalu by Devanuru Mahadeva.

Basha Mandakini, his documentation of the cultural history of Kannada during his days at the CIIL is considered an important contribution to the cultural history of Karnataka.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / Karnataka Bureau / Jun 09th, 2011

 

Mangalore : A tete-a-tete with Suniel Shetty

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Uncategorized

MANGALORE:

“I will support India at Mohali tomorrow” says Suniel Shetty 

Mangalore has produced many celebrities in the world of visual arts and among them the most visible have been our film stars; and when they come from the glamorous world of Bollywood, they bring with them an aura of star appeal that is by and large irresistible to the general public.

One of the most vibrant communities in Mangalore – the Bunt Community, has perhaps contributed the maximum number of film stars to Bollywood and Mangalore is especially proud of them.  Suniel Shetty is one such star who despite having spent nearly 20 years in the film industry remains to date a humble son of the soil.

Born on August 11, 1961, in Mulki near Mangalore, Suniel Shetty initially did Bollywood films that stereotyped him as an action hero.  Over the years, he has given his share of hits as well as flops but more recently he has been showing his acting prowess in an entirely different category; that of comedy.  Undoubtedly he has grown as an actor and today dons many roles in real life – that of an actor, businessman, family man and loyal friend to many.  Affectionately known as ‘Anna’ or elder brother he is exactly that to all his ardent admirers, many of them fellow Mangaloreans.

On the morning of March 29th, Suniel Shetty spoke exclusively to mangalorean.com and answered a few of our questions.  He said it was imperative that he left for Mumbai today as he had full plans of being there at Mohali to cheer the Indian Cricket Team tomorrow.  However, despite his hectic travel schedule he was in his usual charming self and answered all our questions very patiently.

You are going to complete 50 yrs in August this year. But you don’t look like you’re about to hit a half century. How do you manage to maintain your physique? Do you have a strict physical fitness routine?

Suniel:  Yes, physical fitness means a lot to me.  I believe that feeling physically fit and having control of our own body will improve our mental health.  Whatever I am today is because I maintain a strict physical fitness regime.  I am very strict with my food habits and I exercise a lot to keep myself fit.

You are popularly known as ‘Anna’ meaning elder brother. How did you get this name?

Suniel: It is because of my relationships within the film industry. Sanjay Dutt and I are in very good terms and I have received all the love and affection from him. In the film Industry Sunjay Dutt is called as Baba, Salman Khan as Bhai, Jackie Shroff as Dada and Suniel Shetty is called as Anna.  I like to be named as Anna because most of the people from film Industry call me “Anna” because they think of me as an elder brother.

What made you to join the film industry?

Suniel: I was practicing Karate and tried my best to be good in action oriented roles. When the opportunity came to me I grabbed it with both hands.

Can you tell us a little about your family? Your roots in Mangalore?

Suniel: I am from Mulky Padumane. I was brought up in Mumbai but I spent my entire childhood holidays in Mulky and Bappanadu was my playground. Bappanadu Temple is still my prayer place. My parents are from Mulky and I was born in Mulky.

You are both a businessman and an actor. Which profession is closer to your heart? Do you prefer to be known as Suniel the businessman or Suniel the actor?

Suniel: Suniel the actor made Suniel the business man. I am not doing more movies now. In twenty years of acting I have acted in 125 movies. My next film ‘Thank You’, (a comedy and romance) movie will be released on 8th April 2011. I would love to continue as an actor, but my business interests will always remain.

What are your business interests in your hometown Mangalore? We know you own a hotel and a clothing line here? Can you tell us more about it?

Suniel: The Clothing line ‘Mischief’ and Hotel in Mangalore are no longer mine.   I wanted to do something in my hometown Mangalore and so I have invested in the Mega Malls.  Right now I am involved only with the Mega Malls.

We have heard that you have a black belt in Kick Boxing. Where did you learn this?

Suniel: Yes, I learnt kick boxing in Mumbai and I have a black belt in it. It not only helps me to keep fit but it’s also useful when I do my action scenes.

You have done all kinds of roles in Bollywood films – Drama, Action, and Patriotic. You have been a soldier, villain, action hero, romantic hero etc – what kind of role do you feel most comfortable in?

Suniel: Yes, I am happy that I have done all kinds of roles in Bollywood films.  It has been a wonderful experience to work as an action hero, romantic hero, soldier and even a villain, but I like to work best in patriotic films.  This is where I feel I am playing a real life hero, one that is closest to reality.  This is why I like J P Dutta films.

You have given one of your biggest hits ‘Dhadkan’ with fellow Mangalorean Shilpa Shetty. We had heard talk of two films with another Mangalorean Aishwarya Rai. Except for a guest appearance in ‘Kyon Ho Gaya Na’ the other films didn’t happen?

Suniel: Yes, both the films with Aishwarya had problems; the director and the producers had issues within themselves. Because of the misunderstanding between the producer and director the films did not work out.  I regret this as both Aishwarya and Shilpa, being fellow bunts are my favourite persons in the industry.

Who is your all time favorite heroine?

Suniel: My favourite heroines are not one but many.   My all time favourites are Nargis, Kajol, Shilpa Shetty and Aishwarya Rai.  They have all done a very good job in the film industry.

Your favourite male co-star?

Suniel: Sunjay Dutt is my all time favourite male co-star.

Like all other Indians I’m sure you too are a big fan of Cricket. Any comments on the forthcoming India/Pakistan match?

Suniel: Yes, I am leaving to Mohali tomorrow to watch the cricket match between India and Pakistan and I am hoping against hope that India will definitely win this match.  Let’s hope for the best.

How often do you travel to Mangalore? What is it about Mangalore that you like the best? What is it about Mangalore you would like to change for the better?

Suniel: I like Mangalore a lot not only because I come from Mangalore but because Mangalore has so many things to like.  I love the food and the lovely people who are so hardworking.  I love the fantastic beaches, the number of temples here and the hospitality that comes so naturally to everyone.  There is always scope for improvement and I think Mangalore should improve in some fields like continuous electricity, infrastructure and more connectivity.

source: http://www.mangalorean.com / By Violet Pereira / Mangalore / Mar 29th, 2011

 

Creating Beautiful Strokes with Knife

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Caption: 1) Artist Satyanarayan at work. 2) Knife painting tools. 3) Knife painting of a temple. 4) Portraits of former Mayor Sandesh Swamy by Satyanarayan.

 

 

 


The art exhibition will be inaugurated on June 2 at 5 pm by Dr. S.C. Patil, Dean, Department of Sculpture and Paintings, Hampi Kannada University. Dr. D.A. Upadhya, Dean, Allamma Prabhu Academy of Fine Arts and former Mayor Sandesh Swamy will be the chief guests. The expo will be open till June 5 between 11 am and 7 pm at Mysore Art Gallery, 12th cross, Ramanuja Road in city. Contact Satyanarayan on Mob: 9480477044.


With a number of art exhibitions being organised in the recent days in city, its citizens have been introduced to almost all types of paintings, ranging from abstract to traditional, contemporary to tribal and folk, etc. Each artist brings along a fresh style, a different theme and something new to share with the people. City artist Satyanarayan is also organising an exhibition of his work consisting of a very unique style of painting involving knife work.

Speaking to SOM about his style, Satyanarayan said “The purpose of an artist’s work is that his work should not be reproduced in any other medium by others. This is expected from every artist. Hence I selected knife painting as it is almost impossible to replicate the work. The patterns you get with knife painting are very different from paint brush. With brushes you get a very smooth and soft finish. It’s not the same with knife. Also such strokes cannot be done using computer and software. If you observe the paintings it is not easy to copy the shades and strokes done using knife. It has various colour dimensions. My paintings consist of just 30% brush work and 70% is done using knife and takes around two days to complete one painting.”

Born on 4th Oct, 1959, Satyanarayan started working full-time at Ratnam Arts in city when he was in 5th std. While he was working there many senior artists from CAVA and other institutions would visit the place. They constantly advised him to concentrate on painting academically also. When he was 14-years-old, Satyanarayan shifted to Bangalore and joined CM Ram Arts. He would make cinema banners and cut-outs and worked as an assistant to senior artists like C.V. Ambaji, Ramchandran, Narasimhan and others. It was they who introduced him to knife work. He has also worked at Mumbai, Kerala and Chennai and returned to Mysore in 2000.

A resident of Vidyaranyapuram in city, Satyanarayan has participated in many group shows in Bangalore and conducted classes and demos for students there. Also, in one of his exhibitions held in city in 2002, he introduced a new form called digital art.

Speaking about his upcoming expo, Satyanarayan said “In this exhibition I am concentrating on our culture and tradition. The paintings depict temples and our everyday chores, rural life and our customs.”

Presently working at Art Media in Nazarbad in city, Satyanarayan has painted two life-like portraits of former Mayor Sandesh Swamy which look no less than an actual photograph. Apart from this, he has also painted portraits of poets which now adorn the walls in Kalamandira and an 8-ft portrait of Swami Vivekananda at Sadvidya Patashala way back in 1991.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com/ by M S Apuurva / Jun 01st, 2011


Dr. Sinduvalli Ananthamurthy Memorial Theatre Fest from ‘Morrow

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Mysore

Dr. Sinduvalli Ananthamurthy Memorial Theatre Festival, organised by Rangayana, will be inaugurated by Prof. H.S. Shivaprakash, theatrist, poet and Director of Rabindranath Tagore Chair in Berlin, Germany, on June 5 at Bhoomigeetha at 6 pm.


Senior theatre artist Dr. N. Ratna will be the chief guest. Vijaya Sinduvalli of Kalasuruchi will be present. Rangayana Director Lingadevaru Halemane will preside.


Earlier at 10.30 am on the same day, there will be an interaction with Prof. Shivaprakash in which Linagdevaru Halemane, Prof. O.L. Nagabhushanaswamy and Prof. S.R. Ramesh will participate.


The plays being staged as part of the festival are: June 5- Dr. Siddalingaiah’s play ‘Ooru-Keri’ by Janamanadaata troupe from Heggodu; June 12- Dr. Srishaila Huddara’s play ‘Buddha-Prabuddha’ by Samudaya from Hubli-Dharwad; June 19- Lakshmi Chandrashekar’s play ‘Kittalemane Kaveri’ by Creative Theatre from Bangalore; June 26- Dr. Bhadrappa Henli’s play ‘Andhagandhaara’ by Kalasuruchi from Mysore. All the plays will be staged at Bhoomigeetha at 6.30 pm. There will also be a photo exhibition on the theatre journey of Dr. Sinduvalli Ananthamurthy from June 6 to 26.

 

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / June 04th, 2011