Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Rain brings festive atmosphere to Coorg

Kodagu is inundated after recent downpours. - DNA
Kodagu is inundated after recent downpours. – DNA

The copious amount of rain that areas near Bhagamandala in Kodagu received in the recent past has pronounced good news for the people of Bangalore and Mysore. The rainwater has started filling up the Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir in Srirangapatna taluk in Mandya district, which is the main source of water for Bangalore and Mysore.

As a result of the heavy rain on the hills of Madikeri, the Bhagamandala-Talacauvery area, which resembled a drought stricken place a few days back, filled people with joy, despite the road from Bhagamandala-Napoklu being inundated, throwing life out of gear.

People did not mind their children missing classes and ignored the absence of the workers in their fields and plantations, and chose to just sit back and enjoy the rain. Men settled down with their bottle of rum while ladies were in a holiday mood and many of them cooked their signature dish ‘Pandi Curry’(pork chops) and ‘Pundi’ (rice dumplings) for their family.

“This is the time to be happy. Kodagu is looked upon by the people in the Cauvery basin as the provider of life. We were sad when there was less water in Cauvery. But, for the past few weeks, the elders were worried about the drought like situation in Bhagamandala and the entire river course of Cauvery and the dry situation at the KRS,” said Prasad Nanjappa, a resident of Madikeri town.

Confirming copious inflow of water into the reservoir, executive engineer of the KRS facility told dna that the inflow improved tremendously to reach 4,300 cusecs per day, which subsequently increased the water level from 65 feet in the past week to 80.16 feet.

“With the rains in Kodagu district intensifying, we expect more water to flow into the KRS reservoir in the next few days,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Kodagu district administration has declared holidays for schools and colleges for the next two days.

source:http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> Bangalore> Report / by M Raghuram / Place:Mysore, Agency:DNA / Wednesday – June 26th, 2013

Nara Rohit-Shubra Aiyappa film launched

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Nara Rohit’s new film was launched this morning (June 26) as Production No. 2 of Sudha Cinemas. Sambasiva Rao is producing this film introducing Prashanth Mandava as director. The film stars Nara Rohit and Subhra Ayyappa as lead pair.

Regular shooting will continue from today. The untitled film is a pucca commercial film with a mix of love and action elements.

Other star cast in the film is Vishnu, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Jayaprakash Reddy, Giribabu, Ranganath, Rao Ramesh, Raghu Babu, Telangana Sakuntala, Pragathi, etc. Music: Sai Karthik; cinematography: Chitti Babu; editing: Nandamuri Hari; art: Babji; executive production: Akkineni Srinivasa Rao; story, screenplay and dialogues: Anand Ravi.

source: http://www.ragalahari.mobi / Home> Latest News / June 26th, 2013

Pungi Dasa shoot begins

Komal is a busy man. The comedian — who has wrapped up work on Goa and is shooting for Pyaar Ge Agbuttaithe — will start work on his next project in the second week of June. The film is titled Pungi Dasa, and is said to be a laugh riot, in the tradition of Komal’s preferred choice of films. The first schedule will take place in Mysore, followed by Madikeri and other locations.

(Komal stars in Pungi Dasa )
(Komal stars in Pungi Dasa )

SSV Productions’ D Sadashiva is the producer of this film. Music director Emil of Nanda Loves Nandita fame, returns to the scene with a new name: Farhan Roshan. Soori is making his debut as editor for this film and Arul will be the director of photography. Murali and Nakumukha Sridhar are the film’s choreographers.

While there were reports that Remya Nambeeshan was likely to be heroine for this project, she is said to have rejected the offer. The cast includes Lokanath, Rajendra Karanth, Sudha Belawadi and Sharat Saxena.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Regional> Kannada> Film / by Anjali Muthanna, TNN / May 31st, 2013

Triple tragedy : Grief-stricken city resident dies in Dubai Airport

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Mysore :

Unable to bear the grief caused by the untimely demise of her sister, city resident Ansuya Ganapathy (Ansoo) passed away in Dubai airport last night while she was transiting on her way back from the US to Mysore.

This is a case of triple-tragedy as Ansoo’s elder sister Prema Karumbaiah died on Sunday in Kistur village near Balele in South Kodagu. Prema also is said to have died of severe grief caused by the demise of her close relative Alamengada Parvathi Aiyappa in Kanoor village in South Kodagu on Friday.

Ansoo Ganapathy (62) and her husband Theethira K. Ganapathy (Ganesh), a retired professor residing in Jayalakshmipuram, had visited Cleveland, USA, where their sons Dr. Keerthi and Dr. Kiran are settled. Upon hearing the demise of her sister Paruvangada Prema Karumbaiah on Sunday, Ansoo was severely upset and wanted to visit Kodagu immediately to be with the family.

Ansoo and Ganapathy on their way back to Mysore were walking through the transit terminal in Dubai airport at around 9 pm (local Dubai time) when she collapsed and breathed her last. An aghast Ganapathy immediately called his son Dr. Keerthi and told him about the tragic incident.

Dr. Keerthi, a neurosurgeon, called up a few of his Kodava friends in Dubai who with the help of the members of Dubai Kodava Samaja, got the body shifted. Post-mortem was conducted the following day and the body is expected to reach Mysore either tomorrow or the day-after.

Ansoo was an active member of Sree Kaveri Kodagu Mahila Sangha, Jayalakshmi Kodava Association and Mysore Kodava Samaja.

Convenors of Jayalakshmi Kodava Association met at the residence of their President Alamengada P. Vittal this morning and condoled her death.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / August 20th, 2013

Auto Raja celebrates 50 days

Sandalwood movie Auto Raja, which has Ganesh, Bhamaa and Deepika Kamaiah in the lead roles, has completed 50 days at the box office. The film team will celebrate the success of the movie on August 11, at Gnana Jyothi Auditorium of Central College in Bangalore.
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Actor Ganesh, who has played the role of an auto rickshaw driver in the movie, stars along with actors Mamath Rawat, Dileep Raj, Dharma, Arun Sagar and Yathiraj in the film. While San Visions has produced the movie, V Harikrishna has composed the film’s music. Director Uday Mehta, who has maintained that the movie is dedicated to late Kannada actor Shankar Nag, has organized for the actors of the film to perform during their celebrations.

Meanwhile, Ganesh will be seen in the upcoming movie Sakkare, which has Deepa Sannidhi in the lead role. The audio of the movie was recently released. The film also has Ananth Nag, Anu Prabhakar and Vinaya Prasad in the lead roles.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Regional> Kannada / by Vinay Lokesh, TNN / August 08th, 2013

Ashwini Nachappa releases Nirupama’s autobiography

Former sprint champion Ashwini Nachappa did the honours in releasing the autobiography of ex-India tennis player Nirupama Sanjeev (nee Vaidyanathan), titled “Moonballer” at a function here Tuesday.

Nirupama said: “In the book launch elsewhere, I had distinguished sportspersons releasing my book, but all were men and I am glad that in Bangalore, it is Ashwini.”

Nirupama, who became National champion at 14 and was the first Indian woman to win a first round tie in a Grand Slam event (Australian Open in 1998), said the book chronicled her struggles, hardships and her quest for excellence in the game.

“I wrote it as a motivational book for all those who face similar situations, though things have changed a lot in Indian tennis,” said the US-based Nirupama.

Turning nostalgic, she said: “It was not an easy journey for me and I took up the game because I wanted to prove my family that I too can be a player, than being a mere ball girl for my brother.

“My coach was my father who was a self-taught player and coach. I made my decision to turn professional and to stay and play in Europe when I was 17. It was not an easy choice either, with no sponsor, and I had to do everything on my own.

“I remember the time when I had to opt out of doubles tie of an ITF tournament in Barcelona because I could not afford to say in a Hotel. Nevertheless, it was a satisfying career and I chose to write after I came out of retirement after a10-year break,” said Nirupama.

Married to Sanjeev, a software pro in the US where she has her ‘Niru Tennis Academy’, Nirupama urged the youngsters not give up on their dreams.

Ashwini, who is also writing her book, echoed Nirupama’s sentiments and said: “Both of us achieved what we could due to parental support.

“Sport is a great leveller in life. It teaches one to handle emotions, success and defeats and many a life lessons could be learnt in a sports arena.”

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> News-IANS / Sports / by IANS / Bangalore – August 13th, 2013

I Am ‘Prajju’

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Actress Prajwal Poovaiah hailing from the hilly region of Coorg has cut short her name to ‘Prajju Poovaiah’ and that is mainly because of the existence of young actor Prajwal Devaraj.

First seen in ‘Cotton Pete’ Kannada cinema muhurth of director N Omprakash Rao, Prajju was later picked for ‘Bheema Theeradalli’. With an average film for her debut she went to Tamil cinema and come back to Kannada via ‘Kittodh Love Story’. She is now main lead in ‘Patharagitthi’.

Prajwal Poovaiah is ‘dilkush’ for the new offer. The second film centers on the heroine. It is a love story too says Prajwal Poovaiah.

In her comeback to Kannada cinema Prajju wants to get good name first here and then accept other language films.

In ‘Kittod Love Story’ I have good dialogues while in ‘Patharagitthi’ it is romantic and naughty. I have to perform well in both the film to get a strong stay in audience mind says Prajwal Poovaiah. Even before the release of her debut Kannada film she was consulted for a Tamil film. Prajwal made debut in ‘Anagarikalu’ and glamorous looking heroine Prajwal Poovaiah got offer ‘Veteyadu’ Tamil film.

source: http://www.indiaglitz.com / India Glitz / Home> Watch Movies / Monday – July 15th, 2013

Two long weekends bring cheer to tourism sector

Abbi Falls, near Madikeri town is attracting a large number of tourists. / Photo: K. Murali Kumar / The Hindu
Abbi Falls, near Madikeri town is attracting a large number of tourists. / Photo: K. Murali Kumar / The Hindu

Monsoon tourism destinations in State in high demand
Copious rain across the State has brought cheer to the tourism industry. The travel and hospitality sector is expecting big business during the two consecutive long weekends this month.

With popular destinations in Kerala such as Munnar and Thekkady taking a beating following the recent heavy rain, monsoon tourism destinations in Karnataka such as Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Shimoga are among those that are in high demand.

The first long weekend begins on Friday with holiday declared for Id-ul-Fitr while the next one coincides with the Independence Day holiday.

“It is now nearly impossible to get a good accommodation in Kodagu or Chikmagalur. They were booked even before the recent heavy rainfall in Kerala,” an official in a leading travel agency said.

As a number of people were travelling in taxis, getting a car had also become difficult, he added.

However, an hotelier in Madikeri said the season would have been better if the condition of roads was good. “Roads connecting Madikeri to Mangalore and Mysore have been damaged following the recent downpour,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Staff Reporter / Bangalore – August 09th, 2013

Only work matters: Harshika Poonacha

Actress Harshika Poonacha
Actress Harshika Poonacha

Actress Harshika Poonacha seems to have her hands full with nine films in her kitty this year. She had two releases in a row, Cycle and Ale and her third film, Managana Kaili Maanikya (MKM) opposite Ramesh Aravind is releasing this week.

“People always want to see more and more of Harshika. She is addictive, you see,” Harshika chuckles.

Having bagged so many films in a year, this young actress, who had maintained a clean image for quite some time, has now become controversy’s favourite child.

She has been in the news for not attending press meets or promoting her films. The actress says, “I am a professional when it comes to work, else I wouldn’t have survived in the industry. People unnecessarily use my fame for their promotions and later come back and apologise. That is the reason I have been silent all this while. I am doing good films and the audience as well as my directors and producers are happy with me. That’s all that matters.”

Though this young actress has been an easy target for a few directors and producers, it has also been observed that her to the point attitude is only damaging her image in the industry. “I have always been very straight forward when it comes to my profession. People who have worked with me know how I am. It’s very important to be true to yourself. The rest will follow,” she says.

In MKM, Harshika has been paired opposite a senior actor, Ramesh Aravind and according to her, she was floored by the actor’s abilities. “It was a great experience working with Ramesh. His style of acting, dialogue delivery, comic timing and on the spot dialogues and expressions blew me away. I have started cracking a few PJs after completing the film. I hadn’t attempted the comedy genre until now. So when this offer came by, I was more than excited as the director had made the script keeping me in mind. It is always special to work with a producer like Sandesh Nagraj Sir. He treats me like his own daughter,” she says.

Up next is B3…I Love You, in which she has taken a bold move and will be seen in a love making scene for the first time. “B3 will elevate me as a mature actress. Lot of interesting things are happening in my life presently. I just thank god and would want to go with the flow,” she says.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Kannada / by A Sharadhaa – ENS / July 23rd, 2013

CEAT and MTV collaborate to present ‘CEAT MTV Chase The Monsoon’

The show will premier on the web on 24 July

CEAT has tied up with music and youth entertainment channel MTV to launch ‘CEAT MTV Chase The Monsoon’ – a social reality show featuring a 21 day biking roadtrip where 8 riders, in teams of 2, set out with a limited budget to explore the sights, scenes & life during Indian monsoons.

The show will premier on the web on 24 July and will show the participants sharing their experiences live online through updates, pictures and videos on the website chase.mtvindia.com and on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The teleivision premier is slated for the last week of August and will be hosted by MTV VJ, Nikhil Chinapa & VJ Bani.

Participants for biking road trip can register as a couple or team of two and submit a video, photographs or blog entry about their adventurous biking experiences. CEAT and MTV will shortlist a total of 12 entries for the final event. Once shortlisted, the teams need to gather votes from friends and families till the 15 of July to get selected for the road trip. The teams finally selected will embark on a journey from Pondicherry to Mumbai over 21 days performing tasks and earning credits/money on the way in the stipulated task checkpoints. The journey will cover cities of Madhurai, Kanyakumari, Kochi, Munnar, Ooty, Mangalore, Hampi, Hubli, Goa and Pune.

Arnab Banerjee, Executive Director, CEAT said, “We at CEAT are constantly seeking to engage with the youth. The show perfectly represents the passions and adventures of riding in the monsoon in India, but also keeping it safe all the while. We hope that the show will capture the attention and imagination of audiences across the country.”

Aditya Swamy, EVP and Business Head, MTV India said, “At MTV we are constantly creating content and engagement around the smaller screens. We have a large digital footprint which reaches over 20 MM people. Its this reach combined with our understanding of young people that gives us the advantage in creating successful web content. In CEAT we have a partner who values the power of content in engaging with consumers, and we hope that this is the beginning of a long partnership.”

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Companies> News / by BS Reporter / Mumbai – July 19th, 2013