Category Archives: Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

Varsha Bollamma: I feel incomplete if I don’t dub

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg
Varsha Bollamma   | Photo Credit: By Special Arrangement

Varsha Bollamma on her new Telugu film ‘Middle Class Melodies’ and why she’s happy with performance-oriented, girl-next-door characters

Think Varsha Bollamma and the top recall would be the characters she played in the Tamil films 96, Bigil, and Jaanu (remake of 96) and Choosi Choodangaane in Telugu. In her new Telugu film Middle Class Melodies (MCM), which will stream on Amazon Prime Video on November 20, she portrays a young woman named Sandhya, struggling to assert herself. “I think I get these girl-next-door characters because of the films I’ve done so far and because of the way I look,” she says with a laugh, during the interview. “I am happy that there’s scope to perform and people appreciate my work,” she adds.

Directed by Vinod Anantoju and written by Janardhan Pasumarthi, Middle Class Melodies stars Anand Deverakonda as someone who aspires to open a tiffin centre in Guntur and Varsha wanting to make her own life decisions: “We would have come across many girls like Sandhya. She struggles to stand up for herself; it’s almost like there’s an invisible wall between her and her dreams. I liked that I had to emote without relying on many dialogues,” says Varsha.

MCM was initially planned to be filmed in sync sound and the director wanted a leading lady who can speak Telugu fluently. Though the film was offered to Varsha, at that point, she was hesitant. The Coorg-born and Bengaluru-bred Varsha is well versed in Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam and has learnt to speak Telugu fairly well. “But sync sound is a huge responsibility. Only when they decided not to go for sync sound, did I agree to do the film. I can learn the dialogues and dub them myself,” she explains.

Her ease with languages have come in handy: “I feel incomplete as an actor if I don’t dub for myself. The dubbing artiste might do a great job but I like to do it myself, and do it well. I’ve dubbed in Tamil, Kannada and Telugu for Choosi Choodangaane. I developed cold feet for my Malayalam films,” she says.

Anand Deverakonda and Varsha Bollamma in the film   | Photo Credit: By Special Arrangement

MCM is set in the Guntur region of Andhra Pradesh. The script reading sessions, recalls Varsha, helped her learn the native dialect: “Director Vinod is from Guntur and he ensured that we learnt the diction. He would send us voice notes to learn the stresses and pauses. I used to speak to my driver, make-up person and everyone on set in Telugu to get comfortable with the language and the dialect.”

She credits the film’s editor Raviteja Girijala, who also edited Choosi Choodangaane, for suggesting her name: “Middle Class Melodies is much more than the story of the protagonists. The supporting characters also get to shine.”

Next up, she has a few Tamil and Telugu films and has been listening to scripts: “In the first two months of lockdown, nothing much happened. I learnt to play the guitar and pretty much did what everyone did — make Dalgona coffee, paani puri, etc. Then I brought home a pup — Hachiko and our lives began to revolve around him.”

A microbiology student from Mount Carmel, Bengaluru, Varsha remembers wanting to be an actor since age five! “I just wanted to be seen on television. My mom suggested that I study engineering. I told her I would rather be a good actor than become a bad engineer. I liked studying biological sciences but acting was my priority.”

Her bio on her Instagram page leads to Aasra, a suicide prevention and counselling centre: “I put this up on the day Sushanth Singh Rajput passed away. There could be many with mental health issues and not knowing whom to call for help. I wanted to do something even if it benefits a few people,” says Varsha.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Movies / by Sangeetha Devi Dundoo / Hyderabad – November 18th, 2020

Collection of poems released in Madikeri

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Records, All
‘Kalpaneya Kannadi’, a collection of poems by Kayapanda C Devaiah, was released at Patrika Bhavan in Madikeri on Tuesday.

‘Kalpaneya Kannadi’, a collection of poems which speaks on Kodava culture, tradition and achievers from Kodagu, penned by Kayapanda C Devaiah and published by Kodava Makkada Koota was released during a programme held at Patrika Bhavan in Madikeri on Tuesday.

Writer Bacharaniyanda P Appanna released the collection of poems and said that new writers are emerging in Kannada language, which is a positive sign.

The work ‘Kalpaneya Kannadi’ has elements which will be liked by people of all age groups, he said.

Author Kayapanda C Devaiah said that he has been writing poems and stories from the past several years and the work of converting the feelings into letters is bringing him satisfaction.

Kodava Makkada Koota President Bollajira B Ayyappa said that the Koota has been publishing books in Kannada, English, Hindi and Kodava language, about the achievers of Kodavas.

Four more books will be released by Kodava Makkada Koota on November 22, he added.

Ayyappa meanwhile said that he has been the president of Kodava Makkada Koota from the past eight years. The programmes implemented by the Koota have been fulfilling. One of them is the installation of the statue of Squadron Leader Ajjamada Devaiah.

He added that he aspires to get into politics. He will be resigning from the post of the president of Kodava Makkada Koota and will be handing over the charge to the new president if young and energetic persons come forward.

Kodava Makkada Koota honorary secretary Puttarira Karun Kalaiah, social worker Patrapanda P Somanna and leader Ballachanda A Ganapathy were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru /by DHNS, Madikeri / November 13th, 2020

From Kodagu to New York and Paris: The jewellery designer who featured in fashion week

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, World Opinion

For Poonam Thimmaiah, jewellery designing began as a means to cope with personal tragedy and turned into a passion project and finally a full-time career.

Following the devastating tragedy of losing her baby, Kodagu’s Poonam Thimmaiah, now a New Yorker, embarked on a personal journey of change, which led her to pursue her keen interest in jewellery designing and sustainable art. Poonam, who started her own brand of jewellery – Maalicious – had her work featured in the New York and Paris fashion weeks this year, just a year after she established the company. Her journey of overcoming tragedy to embracing art and making it big is an inspirational one.

In 2017, Poonam, who was working at JP Morgan in New York, had a miscarriage. Her journey into jewellery designing started as an escape from the tragedy. She returned to India to be with her family in Mysuru during this difficult time and it was here that she decided to pursue her passion.

NY Fashion week. Maalicious earrings in collaboration with Lola Elan clothing and Ochini Milinery headpiece.

When Poonam visited her Alma Mater, JC Engineering College in Mysuru, she learned of a jewelry designing course for the children with physical disabilities. Poonam, who has always made her own jewelry in the past, worked with these kids on her first collection. Together, they made earrings using sustainable materials like clay, wood and thread. “That’s when I discovered that this is what I should be doing. Along with these students, I learned a lot about the art of jewelry designing,” Poonam says.

Poonam Thimmaiah at her outlet in New York

She taught the group of 10 children in the programme how to sculpt, draw and paint. In the process, she says, she rediscovered the talent she had for designing jewellery. A few months later, Poonam went back to New York and quit her job. She decided to start designing jewellery and felt sure that she wanted to bring back the touch of handicraft to her work.

It was later in 2017 that Poonam contacted an acquaintance, Sruthi Mascarenas, a sculptor working with clay in Goa, and commissioned her to make the earrings that she had designed. Poonam says that she wanted every piece of jewellery she designed to tell a story – one of historical relevance to India. In her first piece, she envisioned a clay plate with a painting of Queen Victoria meeting her namesake – a young woman from Kodagu.

“The piece is called Victoria Repeated. It’s a picture of Victoria from Kodagu meeting Queen Victoria and both of them are wearing a lot of jewellery. These earrings were made of clay and hand-painted. It was featured in Flying Solo’s (a fashion retail space in New York) collection in the Paris Fashion Week,” Poonam adds.

In 2019, Poonam established Maalicious officially and in the year running up to it, she decided to commission her work to women in the business of making handicrafts in India. She contracts her metal and stone work to a group of 25 women in Jaipur. Anything to do with tassels, she commissions it to an artist in Mumbai, and jewellery made of polymer clay is commissioned to an artist in Chennai.

Amrita Shergill earrings. Amrita Sher-Gil, the most famous Indian painter. Today, she is known as India’s Frida Kahlo. The earrings are made by Shruti Mascarehnas.

“With Maalicious, I want to rejuvenate traditional art and workmanship with Indian charm and a touch of urban flair. I have earrings that have Amrita Sher-Gil on it. A lot of people know about Frida Kahlo and not many in other countries are aware that we have someone of our own – Amrita Sher-Gil. I also wanted to use sustainable materials like clay, wood, silk and thread. We’ve started customising our earrings so anyone can get any picture they want painted on their earrings,” Poonam says.

Celebrity endorsement: Divya khosla Kumar in Drokpa earrings, made by artisan Soniya.

Malicious began retailing with Flying Solo’s retail unit in New York and became an instant hit. With celebrity stylists visiting the store, her pieces began selling out. In 2020, Poonam carried out various social media campaigns. “We did a lot of virtual pop-ups and this summer was really good. We had a lot of celebrity endorsements on social media. Actor Divya Khosla Kumar wore our jewellery, Raadi Shetty, American influencer who is big here, endorsed our jewellery. We had a lot of Instagram influencers endorse us,” she says.

This year, Flying Solo selected Poonam’s jewellery designs to be featured for their show in the New York and Paris fashion weeks. Fourteen of her pieces were featured in the New York Fashion Week and eight in the Paris Fashion Week. Flying Solo had curated its show by collaborating with 63 designers from 14 countries. Poonam says her work was chosen as each of her designed pieces are made by hand and use sustainable materials.

“I felt like I’ve created something, where I was spoken of as a designer. People at the fashion week asked me what my inspiration was. It went from a passion project when I was pregnant and became something big during the fashion week. It’s really nice to have the appreciation. It gives me confidence,” Poonam says. 

source: http://www.thenewsminute.com / The News Minute / Home> Features> Fashion / by Theja Ram / November 12th, 2020

Rohan Bopanna: ‘Iyengar Yoga made a difference to my knees in lockdown’

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports

Since he resumed touring this year in August, Rohan Bopanna says he has undergone the coronavirus test “30-40” times.

India’s highest-ranked doubles player, ranked World No. 39, Rohan Bopanna, 40, reached the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters last week, with his partner, Austrian player Oliver Marach, before they lost 6-0, 7-6. Since he resumed touring this year in August, the 2017 French Open Mixed Doubles champion says he has undergone the coronavirus  test “30-40” times.

What precautions are you taking given the coronavirus?

While travelling for tournaments the most important precaution was getting tested, almost every four days. The organisers asked us not to high-five or fist-bump that often, and do the racquet tap instead. As doubles players, we have been asked to not talk about strategy holding the ball in front of the mouth (players do that to ensure the other side can’t read their lips)… Most of the time we follow these precautions. But sometimes, on the spur of the moment, you just instinctively do the fist-bump. It’s a habit… we have been doing it for
15-20 years.

Also, now, we carry several sanitiser bottles in our bags. Wearing a mask has become normal. There have been times when I have entered a hotel room, and only realised after 10 minutes that I still have the mask on… We have become so used to them. The only time I take off the mask is when I’m playing or eating. Before a short flight too, I try and eat beforehand so that I don’t have to in the flight. That way I avoid taking off the mask.

Have you got yourself tested for Covid-19?

From starting the tour in August to returning to Bangalore recently, I have been tested at least 35-40 times. The day you land at a new venue and enter the hotel, you have to go in for testing. Then you have to be in the room and quarantine till the result comes. Then, in 48 hours, there’s another test, and then a test every fourth day.

What was your routine like in self-isolation?

The first two-and-a-half months of the lockdown, I was in Coorg (in Karnataka) with my family. There was enough space for my daughter to play around. And it may have been 25 years since I managed to spend that much time with family.

I went for morning walks with my daughter. I enjoyed home food and being at home.

I also started Iyengar Yoga, which was suggested by a cousin because of the condition of my knees — I don’t have cartilage any more in either patella (knee cap). It has completely worn off over the years. The couple staying next door conduct the yoga classes and I have been attending them since then. It has made a tremendous difference to my knees. I also experimented with cooking.

What kind of gloves and mask do you use?

I don’t use gloves much. But I use masks (the regular ones). There were some made of organic material that my wife bought online. I use those along with the light-blue ones when I travel.

While interacting with people at work, how do you ensure safety?

I don’t think I have greeted anyone with a hug (since the tour resumed). It is either an elbow tap or a ‘Hi’. Even at restaurants (during the tour), everyone kept a good enough distance from each other. In locker rooms too, everybody is wearing masks.

How long did you go without seeing your family?

I was with my family during the lockdown. When the tour resumed, I didn’t travel with anyone. So I was away from them for around two months.

While travelling, what precautions do you take?

I carry sanitisers and masks. When I board a flight, I use alcohol wipes to clean the hand rests, seat belt and tray because those are the things that are normally touched by everyone. And I make sure not to touch my face with my hands. I also sanitise my hands all the time.

How much time do you spend in front of a screen?

It varies. During the indoor season, when there are not many courts to play or practise on, one is either watching the game from the stands or in the room. So the screen time is a lot more. But, in general, before the pandemic, I would spend around a couple of hours in a day on screens. Now, this is easily around five or six hours.

How do you keep your mind off the pandemic?

Things that I cannot control don’t worry me. I just take precautions.

What is the first thing you want to do in a Covid-free world?

Explore cities. We keep going to so many cities for tournaments, and I always enjoy exploring places when I have some free time. I like to go for walks, do something a little different. So that’s the thing I’d like to do.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Sports> Tennis / by Shahid Judge / November 15th, 2020

Dove-Eyed Beauty Looking Towards Deverakonda’s Movie

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

Varsha Bollamma stole many hearts with her dove eyes though her two releases in Telugu were not successful. Now, her third Telugu film ‘Middle Class Melodies’ is going to stream on Amazon Prime video from 20th November onwards.

Varsha’s debut movie ‘Choosi Chudangaane’ and her second movie ‘Jaanu’ didn’t give her the break in Telugu though the original movie of the latter ’96’ was a blockbuster in Tamil. So, she is said to have pinned all her hopes on Deverakonda’s movie.

Going by the trailer of Anand Deverakonda’s ‘Middle Class Melodies’, the movie might hit the right chord with the youth and families. Varsha Bollamma has a decent role in the movie as per the trailer and that can attract youth if the content turns out to be as engaging and cheerful as the promo trailer.

Though late, Vijay Deverakonda‘s green-signal to the movie and releasing the trailer has added buzz that was almost nil before the trailer’s release. This is a crucial movie for both Anand and Varsha. Let’s wish them all the best in the world, for this movie.

source: http://www.mirchi9.com / Mirchi 9 / Home> Movie News> Telugu News / by Mirchi 9 / November 11th, 2020

Rohan Bopanna satisfied with his season

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports
Back to training: Ritabrata Sarkar, Niki Poonacha, Rohan Bopanna, and Sravya Shivani at Bopanna’s academy in Bengaluru. 

He is happy to have handled all the uncertainties with aplomb

It has been a fascinating season with all the uncertainties and Rohan Bopanna is happy to have salvaged the best tennis in the bargain.

After winding up the season with the Paris ATP Masters quarterfinals, the 40-year-old Bopanna is back at his tennis academy in Bengaluru, providing guidance to youngsters.

Having returned to the professional circuit after lockdown with a quarterfinals in the US Open, and following it up with good wins on clay before winding up on the hard courts in the final leg, Bopanna was understandably satisfied at his ability to get the best out of himself on both surfaces.

“I must have done about 35 COVID tests. They were so different. In one place we had to just gargle water and spit for the test. In some places, they really drilled into our nose and throat,” recalled Bopanna.

With suitable caution and measures, Bopanna was happy that many different levels of players, from national champion Niki Poonacha to the youngsters learning the technique, were back on court at his academy, getting ready for the season ahead.

“I wish I had such a facility when I was growing up. It would have cut the time taken for growth by so many years.

“Instead of wasting energy on facing the multiple challenges, one could have just focused on tennis and got better,” said Bopanna.

With seasoned coach M. Balachandran managing the programme with a battery of competent coaches and other experts at the Sports School, Bopanna said that he would close his other centre and focus on tennis in one place.

No clarity

There is not so much clarity about the professional season ahead with Australia demanding a two-week quarantine for players visiting the country for the tennis events including the Australian Open.

“The request is to be able to train during quarantine period. All events are supposed to be held in Melbourne. The other events like Doha are being shifted to a later date. There is no sign of the Pune ATP,” said Bopanna.

The answers will come in due course of time, and the players may have to fly to Australia in December.

For the moment, Bopanna is happy to be home with family and spend quality time with his trainees.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Tennis / by Kamesh Srinivasan / New Delhi – November 13th, 2020

Channayanakote reveals the best way to be a clear village | Mysuru News

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

Madikeri:

Channayanakote village is turning into a mannequin village in cleanliness in Kodagu.

Panchayat president, panchayat growth officer, ladies organisations have succeeded in creating consciousness amongst individuals to maintain their environment spick and span.


PDO Rajan and panchayat president Geetha have set up a scientific waste administration unit within the village.

They bought a car beneath Swachh Village challenge to make sure trash reaches the dumping centre. Initially, the residents had been stunned to see the PDO himself attain their doorways within the car throughout morning hours to organize them to domesticate a routine behavior of cleanliness.


“Our village should look beautiful and attractive. We have even cleared the garbage around the village, and we are developing a garden for the villagers,” disclosed president Geetha.
Indira, an activist, appreciated the work by the panchayat crew. “Approaching people door to door by the PDO and creating awareness for cleanliness is a welcome step.

Woman organisations will also join hands with the panchayat in their endeavour,” she introduced.

source: http://www.thegreatrindia.com / The Greater India / Home> States / by TGI News / November 13th, 2020

‘Middle Class Melodies’ trailer: Anand Deverakonda and Varsha Bollamma star in Telugu comedy

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

Vinod Anantoju’s debut feature will be streamed on Amazon Prime Video on November 20.

Middle Class Melodies (2020) | Bhavya Creations/Amazon Prime Video

Middle Class Melodies – Official Trailer (Telugu) | Anand Deverakonda | Amazon Original Movie

source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> The Reel> Movie Trailer / Scroll Staff / November 10th, 2020

Rare Or Rear Shooting !

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

Two years ago, a lady from Kodagu, the land of warriors, came to Mysuru to witness a circus with her family members. She was very much inspired by a person who hit the target by aiming the gun backwards. 

After going back to her native Tavalageri village in Virajpet taluk, she literally took up the air rifle to try what that person in the circus company did. Initially, it was not a successful mission as she was missing the target many times. However, after rigorous practice, she achieved success by hitting the bull’s eye with ease.

This is the story of Kallichanda Deena Uthappa, a Kodavathi, who is now a talk of the town for her rare talent. “Guns are not strange to Kodavathis. What started for fun has now become my hobby,” Deena said with the air rifle on her shoulder. 

Now, with a rifle placed on the shoulder and pointed backwards at the target, looking at the mirror and bang, the pellet from the air rifle hits right at the target. 

While most people are unable to aim the correct way, she effortlessly shoots the target by firing the rifle backwards by ease. 

She developed interest in guns since childhood and had participated in coconut shooting competitions during festivals. 

“I first saw backward shooting when I went to Bombay Circus during Mysuru Dasara and thought of trying the same when I went back home. Though I started shooting backwards for fun about two years back, I took it seriously six months ago and succeeded. I have now taken it as a hobby,” the 40-year-old said.

Deena practices inside the compound of her house by tying a balloon on a tree at a distance of 35 to 40 ft. Then she will hold a small mirror in her left hand and the air rifle barrel pointing towards the target. Looking at the image of the target in the mirror, she pulls the trigger with her right hand thumb and the next is the pellet hitting the target. “I use the air rifle as it does not flinch. Moreover, it is safe,” she adds. 

An Arts Graduate from Cauvery Women’s College at Virajpet, Deena is a multi-faceted personality, who is also a master in handicrafts and has a credit of directing a short film in Kodava language as part of campaign for a multi-speciality hospital in Kodagu. 

Kodavas and guns

Kodava community has a long history with guns and historians say that their culture is intrinsically linked with firearms. They (Kodavas) worship guns with other traditional weapons during Kailpodh (Kail Murtha) festival. Kailpodh is a festival similar to Ayudha Puja, where weapons — Guns, Odikathi and Peechekathi — are worshipped. Shooting competitions are a custom during Kailpodh, during which women too participate. 

Huttari (Harvest festival) begins with a gun shot in the rice fields. Kodavas also use the gun for the two most important ceremonies of their lives — birth and death. The arrival or a departure of the soul is signalled  with gunshots.

Daughter of Kavadichanda Gappu Ganapathi and Kavadichanda Kitty Kaveramma (Mundachadira – Mythadi), Deena is married to Sudhish Uthappa. The couple has two children — Tanvi Uthappa and  Dhruv Kariappa.

Thag’rdhi: First Kodava silent short movie

Deena has another feather in her cap of having directed “Thag’rdhi,” the first Kodava silent short movie released in June 2020 under the banner of VOICE of Kodava.

This movie inspired each and every soul of the community. It uplifted the thought that true power lies in the hands of the people to safeguard their culture and pride. Though it was a speechless movie, it communicated many things. She has also directed “Balra Nadel” (Co-directed by Gana Somanna Thadiyangada) and “Nepp’ra Nala” which showcased Kodava culture and tradition. Her films have received widespread appreciation.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / November 10th, 2020

Bopaiah tells Forest dept. to safeguard farmers

Agriculture, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment

Chairman of Government Land Protection Committee for maintaining the status quo until the joint survey on lands was done

Former Speaker and Government Land Protection Committee Chairman K.G. Bopaiah on Saturday told the Kodagu forest authorities not to cause any inconvenience to farmers of the district until the joint survey of lands categorised in ‘C’ and ‘D’ class was done.

Speaking at the taluk KDP meeting in Madikeri, the MLA said he had received complaints that small farmers cultivating coffee in “Paisari” lands since many decades are now facing hurdles in pursuing their profession. “Such complaints should not persist. We should imagine the plight of such farmers in Bhagamandala, Sampaje, Kalooru, Birunani, and other places which had been hit by successive floods.”

During the meeting, Veena Achaiah, MLC, said many paddy fields in Makkandur, K Nidugani and Madhe gram panchayat limits had been affected in the 2018 floods and added that sand, mud and uprooted trees had collected in the lands. A special package should be announced for these places and in the interest of farmers but no effort has been made in this connection yet.

On the occasion, Mr Bopaiah told the Kodagu ZP engineers to take up works on priority and complete the bridge construction work in Korangala and Chirangala. Bridges in these two villages had collapsed in heavy rains in August this year.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – November 07th, 2020