Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Taking ‘Coorg’nisance

Arts, Culture & Entertainment


It’s not the intensity and brilliance of a solo performance that makes it special, it’s how the performer single-handedly holds your attention through the entire drama, encouraging you to be an active part. It’s time to experience the same in Kaveri of Kittale Villa. Lakshmi Chandrashekar, (also the playwright of the play) narrates and enacts the story of Kaveri…

“It’s always hard to find a solo play for women; it’s usually adapted from other mediums, like this play. It is an adaptation of a Singaporean author’s famous book, Emily of Emerald Hill. The novel has been adapted in different languages and has been performed by artistes across the world. My director, Soumya Varma, who stays in Singapore, decided to bring this act to the city, and that’s how it came about,” explains Lakshmi.

The original script deals with the Chinese community (Straits) that exists in Singapore. “To give it more native relevance, we’ve adapted the script and concentrated on the Kodava community in our state. It’s how, despite being modern, Coorgs are highly traditional, and won’t give up their customs. It can be a true tale of any modern family,” she adds.

This powerful script deals with many important issues. “The play sheds light on a recent issue that needs special attention — students committing suicide due to parental pressure. In the play, the mother forces her sports-loving son to be a lawyer. Unable to handle the mounting pressure, the child commits suicide. Such enactments reflect on present times in a distinct cultural background,” explains Lakshmi further.

Kaveri (the protagonist) reveals this journey, sometimes through narration, often as she enacts the drama, which has been an intricate presence in her life. “As a solo performer, Kaveri, I act out bits of the different phases of her life, as the realisation slowly seeps into the play, and things begin to become clearer,” she adds.

Talking about a few challenges Lakshmi faced, she says, “I’ve performed this play in Kannada and Coorgi earlier, where I had to learn the language perfectly, and adopt the same accent. But for this English play, reflecting the Coorg accent subtly through English has been quite challenging. Filling the stage and being comfortable ‘as a Coorg’ is another act that I had to master.” Besides hinting on a woman’s situation in a patriarchal society, the play lays bare hard-hitting facts that haunt our society. Kaveri of Kittale Villa, a part of the Kriyative Theatre, will be staged at Ranga Shankara on June 23.

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Tabloid> Potpouri / by Khushali P. Madhwani, DC / June 21st, 2012

Rajshri Ponnappa is excited for playing a nun

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

Bangalore-based actress Rajshri Ponnappa is excited about her Mollywood outing, even though she will be seen in one of her most deglamourised avatar.

“I play a nun in Pithavinum Putranum Parishudhathmavinum, and quite naturally, it is a performance driven role,” she says.While this is Rajshri’s first time in the Malayalam film industry, she tells us, “From the Kannada film industry, actress Prema was the only Coorgi to have been part of Mollywood. So my debut will mark the second person from my clan here.”

The actress also informs us that she will be dubbing for her role in this film which also stars director VK Prakash and art director Sabu Cyril who plays the role of Jesus Christ. “I have always been good with picking up languages. In fact, my father was born in Kerala, so there is some sort of a connection. My mother helped me get the right pronunciations during shoot. I hope to be able to do a good job on the dubbing shortly,” she says.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> Entertainment> Regional> Malayalam> Film Industry / by Kavya Christopher, TNN / June 20th, 2012

No Kan-fusion

Arts, Culture & Entertainment


Eight years ago, when this couple was in the US, they decided to use their talent to remind people of their homeland, Karnataka. IT professional Vishwesh Bhat and his wife (a professor) Ashwini, started a new genre of music, that they called Kan-fusion. So, imagine a famous Kannada poem, a few words of English, backed by heavy riffs, a piano and a veena…

”We sang in English and Kannada. We wanted gen-next from Karnataka residing in the US to learn their mother tongue. Literature and language was what we gave prominence, and gave this entire initiative a new twist by giving it the right tinge of Western flavour,” explains Vishwesh. And did the trick really work? “Oh yes, it did, quite surprisingly. There were a lot of inquisitive youngsters, and parents who showed at up our gigs.” The couple went on to give special shows at various places including Atlanta, California, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas and Nashville.

When the couple came back to Bengaluru, after a brief hiatus, they got back to what they love the most, music. “Today, I have my own band called Svaramrita and I’m also the vocalist for my office (Infosys) band, Xprescions. It feels great to be able to pursue the passion,” says Vishwesh, who initially was taken aback by the city’s pace. “When we returned, my working hours changed. I had no time for anything. There was hardly any leisure time. Though it did take us almost a year, we did bounce back,” he adds.

Vishwesh today performs for a few shows on television and works on many independent projects. “I recently helped a group of artistes’ record and compose a Coorgi album. I take up a few independent projects such as this. But, I’m also dedicating enough time for a solo project. I might release an album in the future,” says Vishwesh, who released his first album, Gama Gama in the US.

Talking about the changing music trends in the city, he says, “There are a lot of people who have now started fusion bands, it is nothing new. But it’s a positive trend. It’s good to see that there are many out there who still enjoy singing in their native tongue,” he says, adding, “I’ve also started another style of singing, you can called it diffusion. It’s all about giving devotional songs a new getup. Like a Purandara Dasa’s composition is performed live using electronic guitars and a piano, without violating the ‘devotional’ aspect, but still making it different enough to get the youth’s attention,” he explains. When he is not busy, he enjoys cartooning. “I’ve freelanced for many publications. I’ve contributed over 1,000 illustrations so far. I still do indulge in this passion, when I can,” he concludes.

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Tabloid> Glam Sham / by Ganashree Kedlaya / DC / June 21st, 2012

Muneer is Madikeri tq KSP chief

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

E Muneer Ahmed has been elected as the president in the elections to Madikeri Taluk Kannada Sahitya Parishat held on Thursday. K M Venkatesh and Sujatha Talavar of Madikeri Akashavani will be honorary secretaries.

Mandreera Mohandas is treasurer, Neyyane Hemalatha is women’s representative, B N Rangappa SC/ST representative and Taluk Teachers’ Association president K T Baby Mathew will be the association representative. Tirumala Sona (Sampaje), A A Shaila (Murnad), D N Harsha (Bhagamandala), K S Ramesh (Madikeri), Indumati (Madikeri), B P Sudha (Madikeri) are the working committee members.

Harish Kumar (Murnadu), G V Ganapati (Chembu), N U Anantha (Cherambane), Sahana (Kanthabailu), K M Ganesh (Madikeri), N K Prabhu (Napoklu), Chumi Devaiah (Madikeri), Kishnan Poovaiah (Madikeri), A Shridhar, G M P School (Bhagamandala), Mohammad Ali (Indira Nagar), P S Vignesh (Moornadu), Palangada Appanna (Moornadu), Kukkera A Changappa (Arekadu), M K Subramani( Madikeri), K E Mathew (Madikeri) will be the special invitees.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Home> District / DHNS, Madikeri, June 14th, 2012

A terrace can be for garden too

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

Gardening enthusiasts in Mangalore connect with nature by turning their roof tops into gardens, writes Sandhya C D’Souza.

Mangalore which was once a carpet of lush green is now turning into a concrete jungle. High rise buildings and space restrictions have taken away the pretty gardens which once adorned the homes.

However, a few gardening enthusiasts in Mangalore are not deterred by this. They have displayed their creative skills and shown their concern for green by turning their terraces into beautiful gardens.

Dr Bharathi Nirmal from Ullal is probably one of the first green crusaders in the city to start off with a terrace garden. Speaking to City Herald, Dr Nirmal reveals that she started off with the concept 30 years ago.

“My terrace used to heat up and the temperature in the house used to increase. I wanted to make my terrace cool. Hence, I shifted some of my plant pots to the terrace. This made the terrace look more beautiful and hence I decided to continue with the concept,” she says.

Dr Nirmal has grown beautiful flowers on her terrace. “I have many rare varieties such as jasmines, daises, bougainvilleas, desert rose among others,” she says and adds that plants are like little children, it needs good nurturing.

Terrace garden belonging to Anupama Bhat from Manjeshwar has been declared as a demo model plot by Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA).

Anupama tells that she was inspired by a documentary on terrace gardening she saw on youtube four years back. “I thought even I could do the same and then there was no looking back,” she says.

Anupama has grown almost all varieties of vegetables in her terrace kitchen garden. “I have grown almost 16 varieties of vegetables on my 1,200 square feet terrace.

I have grown cabbages, cauliflowers, carrots, beetroots, ladies finger, gherkins, radish, chilies, leafy vegetables among others,” she says. “The Kerala government is supportive towards green initiatives. Through ATMA, a Central government scheme, I have received Rs 4,000 to maintain my garden,” she adds.

Rajkumar, Officer in-Charge of Panambur Metrological Department has turned his terrace into a kitchen garden at Hosabettu. Rajkumar tells that he has not gone to the market to purchase vegetables since the past two years as he has grown almost all varieties of vegetables.

“I always wanted fresh vegetables. As they were not availbale in the market, I decided to grow my own,” he says and adds that everytime he sees the fruits borne by the plants, he gets motivated to continue with his hobby.

“The Karnataka government should support such green intiatives. There is also a need to start a seed bank, where one can buy the seeds he wants,” points out Rajkumar.

Kamala Kanapady who grew up in Coorg says, she missed nature once she moved into Mangalore. “I wanted a big garden, but space was always a constraint, so I turned my terrace into a kitchen garden,” she says. Kamala grows brinjal, tomato, bittergourd, gherkins, spinach and other leafy vegetables on her terrace in Bejai.

“In today’s compact cities, terrace garden is probably the best solution to connect with nature. It adds a touch of green to the most ignored corner of house,” says Rajendra Hegde.

Hegde who works as Project in-Charge in Vittal Mallya Scientific Reserach Foundation has conducted several workshops on terrace gardening.

“Awareness on terrace gardening is picking up in Mangalore. However, people have several apprehensions,” says Hegde. Most of the people are worried if their terrace can sustain the weight of the garden and the water content may cause leakge.

In case a person’s terrace can sustain the rains, then growing a garden may not cause the leakage, says Hegde.

If weight is the apprehension, one can grow plants in thermocol pots, plastic bins or bags, he says.

“There is no particular design for a terrace garden. It is left up to the gardeners creativity and ability. However, any garden needs good nurturing. Good compost, healthy soil and regular watering is a must,” he adds.

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> Mangalore City Herald / by Sandhya C D’Souza / June 15th, 2012

Cultural centre to showcase unique culture of Kodavas

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Work is in full swing at Balugodu near Virajpet

Work is in full swing on a sprawling 15-acre land at the sleepy and picturesque Balugodu, 6 km from Virajpet in Kodagu, for a unique Kodava Cultural Centre. It will reflect the Kodava heritage and tradition and function as a venue for various programmes organised by the Kodavas.

The Federation of Kodava Samajas, Kodava Samaja units in Kodagu and outside and Kodava associations have joined hands for the project, which is estimated to cost Rs. 12 crore. It is likely to be dedicated to the community by the end of this year. The B.S. Yeddyurappa government had released Rs. 2 crore for it.

A huge auditorium-cum-hall, expected to accommodate more than 1,500 people at a time, is being built at the spot.

Women and children will have separate seating arrangements. Close to the centre, two grounds are being prepared to host hockey and cricket tournaments.

The next edition of the Kodava Family Hockey Festival will be organised at Balugodu by the Madanda family, says Matanda C. Monnappa, honorary president of the Federation of Kodava Samajas and the president of Akhila Kodava Samaja.

The Federation of Kodava Samajas is liaising with the State government to secure additional funds to lay a synthetic hockey playing surface on one of the grounds.

The Federation of Kodava Samajas, Kodava Samaja units and associations have plans to mobilise resources for the purpose and they are banking on the support of the Kodavas settled outside the country. A guest house and a huge dining hall too are coming up there.

The traditional ‘mund mane’ and ‘ain mane’ (ancestral home) structures will come up at the spot. A museum is being planned next to it to herald the Kodava culture. Pictures, sounds and features of the Kodava culture would unfold one after the other at the museum with the pressing of a button, Mr. Monnappa said.

A congregation of the 28 Kodava Samaja units and associations is being planned at Balugodu in October, Mr. Monnappa said. Significantly, the centre would also herald the rich military tradition of the Kodava people, he added.

The Federation of Kodava Samajas and Kodava associations have joined hands for the project

It is likely to be dedicated to the community by the end of this year

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> National> Karnataka / by Jeevan Chinnappa / Mysore, June 11th, 2012

Rs 1,000 crore investment in Kodagu to boost tourism

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

Madikeri:

The recent Global Investors Meet in Bangalore is expected to benefit the Malnad district of Kodagu.

Asia Pacific Industries Ltd has come forward to invest Rs 1,000 crore in the district, an industrially backward district in Karnataka.

Speaking to TOI, the company director Vignesh confirmed that the company will invest in tourism. The schemes will be implemented under mini-hydel projects and will provide an impetus to tourism centres in Kodagu.

Vignesh said Kodagu, which was attracting more tourists, needed more facilities .

The state government has also given a green signal for these projects, Vignesh said.

The projects will be implemented in Madikeri, Virajpet and Somwarpet districts on priority basis. During the implementation of these projects, environment will not be disturbed, he assured.

Meanwhile, establishment of homestays and food processing units are also planned. The hydel projects will solve the power scarcity in the district, Vignesh analyzed.

Preference will be given to unemployed youths in the district during new appointments, he added.

Virajpet MLA and speaker K G Bopaiah and Madikeri MLA Appachu Ranjan have been encouraging investors to invest in Kodagu.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> Collections> Tourism / by G Rajendra / TNN / June 12th, 2012

Two cannons shifted to archaeology museum

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence

The archaeology department took two canons which were lying on the city municipal council building premises, to its custody on Monday.

The canons were shifted to the archeology museum in Madikeri and will become a centre of attraction to the visitors.

The curator of the museum Rekha said: “The canons must have belonged to 18th century. However, we do not have information on the rulers who were using it.”

The canons were originally found on the church premises near Tollgate and another on the outskirts of Madikeri. It was shifted to the CMC premises some time back.

If public finds any antiques, then they should inform about it to the archeology department at 08272-225674.

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> District / DHNS / Madikeri, June 11th, 2012

Sahitya Parishat Office-bearers elected

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

B A Shamshuddin and Shwetha Ravindra have been elected as the honorary secretary of Kodagu district Kannada Sahitya Parisht. B M K Vasu Rai has been elected as honorary treasurer.

S I Muneer has been elected as the president of Madikeri taluk Kannada Sahitya Parishat. Bharadwaj Anand Theertha has been elected as the president of Somwarpet taluk sahitya parisht and M P Keshav Kamath as the president of Virajpet taluk sahitya parishat.

K T Baby Mathew, Pushpalatha Shivappa, Sridhar Hoovalli, Vinodchandra, district Kannada and Culture department Assistant Director Indiramma and others were elected as the district working committe members.

Senior litterateur N Mahabaleshwar Bhat, B A Ganapathy, N K Mohan Kumar, V K Deva Lingaiah, Bharathi Ramesh and others will be the special invitees.

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> District / DHNS, Madikeri, June 04th, 2012

Captivating coorgs

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

Nidhi Subbaiah
Harshika Poonacha, Nidhi Subbaiah, Prajwal Poovaiah and Deepika Kamaiah are not just the leading ladies of Sandalwood that are striding ahead of their contemporaries. Interestingly, a common link between the awesome foursome cannot be missed — the Coorg connection. With promising projects in their kitty and hits in the past, these beautiful lasses have their hands full right now.

The land of Kodagu or Coorg has given Sandalwood some fresh faces. Call it coincidence or sheer timing, these lovely ladies are making their way towards the top leagues in the industry. Nidhi Subbaiah, who was the industry hudugi, recently moved to Bollywood and will be making her debut with Jacky Bhagnani in the film Ajab Gazabb Love. “After Coorg actress Prema there was no one.

Then Nidhi (Subbaiah) and I entered the industry. I think other than Mangaloreans, Coorgs are known to be beautiful and that is one of the reasons for us to be here,” says actor Harshika Poonacha. “The other reason is that we Coorg girls are not afraid of stunts and shooting at risky locations. Whether dancing close to a creek or climbing hills, I prefer to do my dance sequences and don’t want a junior dancer to do it. I have heard producers say that Coorgs are a brave lot,” smiles the actor.

Not just films, television audiences too seem to favour Coorg beauties. Actor Swetha Changappa, has a cult following among women of Karnataka, as the popular host of Yariguntu Yarigilla, reality show. Her lead role in Arundhati too is much appreciated. “Television is a challenging medium. Every day we shoot for at least 10-15 scenes. I guess it is the will to put in continuous hours and still stay fresh and energetic that helps us make the cut,” says Swetha.

Harshika’s soon too be released Crazy Loka stars another Coorg actress, Daisy Bopanna. Daisy was a model before getting into acting. Director Kavita Lankesh who has seen Daisy grow in the industry says, “Coorg girls are blessed with looks and it works in their favour. Our audience is obsessed with fair skin and most of them are cast in films for looks and fairness. When it comes to acting, they are impulsive but on sets they are relaxed and are fun to work with.”

And another Coorg actress Deepika Kamaiah who’s first film was Chingari with Darshan, agrees, “I think it is a combination of hard work, ambition and the potential we have that has helped us climb the ladder of success. But above all, it is our family support. If not for their encouragement then I wouldn’t have been here.” Many of them are busy working on major projects. Prajwal Poovaiah was last seen in Bheema Thirdalli and is now working in four Tamil projects. A state level hockey player and a national level dancer on a reality show, Prajwal has a long way to go. “Hardwork, a bold attitude and progressive nature makes filmmakers choose us. People say we are beautiful women, I just take it as a compliment,” says Prajwal.

Meanwhile directors who have worked with them seemed impressed with their dedication and hardwork. “The ‘will do it’ attitude and approach to work matters a lot and that is one of the reasons for them to go a long way. Additionally, they are multi-talented too. While working on various film projects Harshika has even managed to complete her engineering, what do you say about that?” asks director Ghanshyam.

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Tabloid> Bengaluru / DC, by Ayesha Tabassum / June 05th, 2012