The late legendary actor Ambareesh’s son, Abishek, recently got married to model and entrepreneur Aviva Bidapa. The wedding took place in Karnataka and was attended by family members, friends, as well as notable personalities from the film industry and politics. Superstar Rajinikanth, actor Yash, politician Venkaiah Naidu, and many others graced the occasion.
Several glimpses from Abishek’s wedding have been shared on social media, capturing heartwarming moments from the joyous occasion. Photos also showed the presence of renowned personalities like Rajinikanth and Yash, who blessed the newlyweds with their best wishes. Yash, along with his wife Radhika Pandit, looked stunning in matching pink ethnic attire, radiating elegance and charm. Kichcha Sudeep and Ashwini, the wife of Puneeth Rajkumar, were also at the ceremony.
Abishek and Aviva looked beautiful in ethnic South Indian attires.
Who is Aviva Bidapa?
Aviva Bidapa comes from a family with a strong background in the fashion industry. Her father, Prasad Bidapa, is a renowned celebrity fashion designer known for his contributions to the Indian fashion scene. He has made a significant impact and has been instrumental in shaping the industry. Aviva’s mother, Judith Bidapa, is also reported to be a popular personality in her own right.
Aviva herself has made a name for herself in the fashion world as a well-known model, fashion designer, and TV personality. Her skills, talent, and entrepreneurial spirit have contributed to her success in the media industry. With her diverse range of abilities and accomplishments, Aviva has carved a niche for herself and continues to make her mark in the fashion and entertainment world.
source: http://www.thestatesman.com / The Statesman / Home> Entertainment / by Suman / June 05th, 2023
Gulshan Devaiah feels that as the world gets upgraded with AI and ML, it is his responsibility to support the artistes monetarily for their work.
Gulshan Devaiah
Mumbai:
Actor Gulshan Devaiah, who is receiving a lot of positive response for his work in the recently released streaming series ‘Dahaad’, feels that as the world gets upgraded with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) with the former taking over creative jobs, it is his responsibility to support the artistes financially in lieu of their work.
Recently, Bengaluru-based caricature artiste Prasad Bhat, who is the founder of Graphicurry, reached out to Gulshan to pay a tribute to him as an actor, by caricaturing some of his iconic characters.
The actor could not accept it for free. Touched by the gesture, Gulshan commissioned the work from the artiste.
Talking about the same, Gulshan said” “If I really like something then I’m willing to pay for it. I’m very grateful & privileged to receive offers from artists to make me something for free but it’s their livelihood too and in this age of Machine Learning and AI, the least I can do is support artists by offering to pay them their rates”.
Prasad had picked Gulshan’s looks from his movies and series, like ‘Commando 3’, ‘Dahaad’, ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela’, ‘Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota’, ‘Ghost Stories‘, ‘Durangaa’, ‘Badhaai Do’, ‘Hunterrr’, ‘Death in the Gunj’ and ‘That Girl in Yellow Boots’.
The actor further mentioned: “Prasad offered to make me something. I liked his idea and decided I wanted to commission him to kinda summarise my career until now with his art. I’m very happy with Prasad’s caricatures and each one of them has wonderful memories attached to them.”
Meanwhile, on the work front, Gulshan who was last seen in the movie ‘8 A.M. Metro’, opposite Saiyami Kher, will soon begin filming his upcoming action thriller movie ‘Ulajh’ with Janhvi Kapoor and Malayalam star Roshan Mathew.
source: http://telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> Entertainment / by IANS / June 01st, 2023
The impact of modernisation, globalisation, liberalisation and privatisation has significantly eroded indigenous customs and traditions, leading to their gradual decline. Nevertheless, the establishment of the Kodava Heritage Centre at Madikeri in Kodagu dedicated to preserving these customs and traditions for future generations is commendable, said Dr. M. Nanjaiah Honganur, Head, Department of Studies in Folklore, University of Mysore.
Speaking to Star of Mysore, Dr. Nanjaiah Honganur said that in recent times, the cultural heritage of our land is rapidly fading away due to the influence of modernity. It is the collective responsibility of all individuals to safeguard these practices and pass them on to the next generation.
“Kodagu boasts of a unique culture and environment. Establishing a Heritage Centre in collaboration with the Kodava Samaja to safeguard the customs and traditions of the region is a worthy endeavour. It aims to narrate the history of the land through both physical and virtual means,” he said. “Presently, our customs and traditions are being relegated to the pages of history due to various factors and the pressures of modern life. Kodagu takes great pride in its distinctive traditions, making it essential to preserve them. Efforts should focus on conserving customs related to Kodava marriages, festival celebrations, funeral rituals, agricultural practices, farming in hilly regions and heritage handicrafts. These aspects must form the core of conservation initiatives, which need to be undertaken promptly,” he suggested.
Museums, often referred to as ‘material culture house’ exhibits items once used by our ancestors, such as farming equipment, household articles, attire and other objects. These museums play a crucial role in introducing younger generations to our traditions and customs. They serve as a timeless resource for transferring culture to the next generation, raising awareness about historical artefacts. Museums dedicated to culture hold particular significance in society, he added.
Opposition from some quarters to the establishment of the Kodava Heritage Centre is unjustified, he noted. “Educating the younger generation about age-old practices becomes our responsibility. Online museums dedicated to specific topics have gained popularity and a similar demand has emerged in Kodagu. While these digital platforms benefit educated individuals and netizens while creating global awareness, regular museums attract a wider audience,” he added. The opportunity to closely examine and interact with exhibits in person provides a unique experience. The freshness and tactile engagement during a visit to a traditional museum are unparalleled, he noted.
“Regardless of cultural form — be it folk, coastal or any other — all folk practices should be preserved and programmes should be designed accordingly,” Dr. Nanjaiah Honganur added.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / by M T Yogesh Kumar / May 29th, 2023
Gulshan Devaiah has delivered some of the most iconic performances as an actor. He has proved his versatility time and again with the kind of roles he has picked. On his birthday which is falling on 28th May, we pick seven roles that show his outstanding performance.
1. Hunterrr:
Gulshan made the character of a sex addict Mandar memorable through his natural performance. Although an adult comedy, Gulshan’s clarity on the character made sure that Mandar was presented aesthetically in the movie.
Photo Courtesy Gulshan Devaiah Team
2. Shaitan:
He plays the role of Karan Chaudhary, aka KC, a spoiled brat who belongs to a rich family. One of the first movies where Gulshan was noticed and got acclaimed as a credible actor. His portrayal of the character’s eccentricism got him many fans.
Photo Courtesy Gulshan Devaiah Team
3. Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela:
As Bhavani, a member of the Jadeja clan, in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Gulshan proved he can convincingly portray grey characters as well. The audience loved to hate him for being one of the biggest hurdles in the love story of the lead characters.
Photo Courtesy Gulshan Devaiah Team
4. Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota:
In Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota , he was seen in a double role. He plays two completely different characters – Karate Mani and Jimmy, and seeing him portraying both the characters was a treat for the audience.
Photo Courtesy Gulshan Devaiah Team
5. Badhaai Do:
Absolutely a surprise element in the movie, Gulshan plays the role of Guru Narayan, a lawyer, who is the love interest of Rajkummar Rao’s character. His portrayal of this queer character broke all kinds of stereotypes surrounding the LGBTQ community.
Photo Courtesy Gulshan Devaiah Team
6. Ghost Stories:
This movie had Gulshan with a completely unrecognisable look. Seen in the segment directed by Dibakar Banerjee, Gulshan plays the role of a zombie monster and uses heavy prosthetics to get the right look. Although a role with a limited screen presence, Gulshan was outstanding in his performance.
Photo Courtesy Gulshan Devaiah Team
7. Dahaad:
In Dahaad he plays Devilal Singh, a cop who is chasing a serial killer. He is also a family man, living in a small town in Rajasthan, and is forward thinking. Gulshan’s performance was critically acclaimed and was loved by the audience.
Photo Courtesy Gulshan Devaiah Team
source: http://www.urbanasian.com / Urban Asian / Home> Bollywood / May 29th, 2023
40 families to organise the mega event on Sept. 2 and 3
California:
The Annual Kodava Convention in North America will be held on Sept. 2 and 3, 2023, this time in the San Francisco Bay Area, also known as Silicon Valley.
This convention, which has been going on for about 15 years, was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of Kodava families across the country have already registered to participate in this convention, which is being jointly conducted by about 40 Kodava families.
It is an event for Kodava brethren from all across North America to meet, learn and celebrate the Kodava culture. With a strong history of more than 20 years, these conventions have been hosted in several major US cities in the past.
This year’s convention is called ‘namme-by-the-bay’ and will showcase the vibrant and colourful festivals of Kodagu. This will be a unique opportunity for the attendees to learn about Kodava art, food, culture and deities in a much greater depth.
Furthermore, this event also presents meet-and-greet opportunities and networking for jobs, family connections and matrimony. An informal pre-convention event will be held on Sept. 2 at Elliston Vineyards — a beautiful and historic location in Sunol Hills.
Several Kodava families across the country have already registered to attend this event, which is being organised by about 40 Kodava families from San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento.
The convention is being conducted to save the Kodava traditions and develop unity among the Kodava people. For more information, write to bayareakodavas@gmail.com.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 22nd, 2023
Sandalwood actor Abishek Ambareesh , who got engaged entrepreneur Aviva Bidapa, in last December is set to tie the knot on June 5 in Bengaluru. A grand reception will be held on June 7 following the marriage.
Both Abishek and Aviva were in a relationship for a long time will be entering the new phase of life in June. Family members from both sides are already busy with the wedding preparations which is expected to be a gala affair as Sumalatha, who is as an actress as well as Member of Parliament and Aviva’s parents Prasad Bidappa and Judith Bidappa are renowned fashion designers.
Many personalities from politics and film industry are expected to grace the wedding as well as reception.
On work front, Abishek Ambareesh, who is likely to stay away from shooting for a while, due to marriage rituals, will be seen in Bad Manners, which is expected to release this year. He is also collaborating with director Mahesh Kumar for a mega project.
source: http://www.m.timesofindia.com / E Times / Home> Entertainment / TNN / May 19th, 2023
A grand ‘Kodava Yuva Mela’ was hosted by Jabboomi Charitable Trust at Crystal Court Hall in Madikeri yesterday that reflected the unique Kodava culture, attire, traditions and practices.
Such a Mela was held for the first time and thousands of community members, wearing their best traditional attire, had gathered from all parts of Kodagu and the gathering also comprised community members from Mysuru and Bengaluru. Special buses were arranged to ferry them to Madikeri.
The Mela provided a platform for youth to connect with one another to build long-term bonds which will enhance cohesiveness within the community. It enabled the Kodava youth to meet, greet and network with each other and recall, re-live and experience the tradition and culture.
Kodava youths are scattered across the State and country owing to professional, educational, residential and personal reasons. As a result, intra-community relations have weakened over decades. The only occasions when youth are able to interact with each other are limited to social and family get-togethers within Kodagu and beyond its borders.
The Mela began with a puja to Goddess Cauvery and ‘Gejje Thand’ (a sacred wand held by Kodava men during important events. It is usually sacred ownership of every Okka (family)) and the overall message to the youngsters was to unite and not to forget the traditions and culture of the motherland.
Jabboomi Charitable Trust Convener Chottekmada Rajiv Bopaiah said that the youths must not forget the roots of the community. “Kodagu, its uniqueness, culture, traditions and practices are like a ‘mother root’ and cannot be forgotten. “It is our duty to safeguard the Kodava soil (land), ethos, tradition, family values, age-old and time-tested practices, festivals and holy observations,” he noted.
We must be committed to preserving the tradition and fight for the existence of the Kodava community in the face of any adversities and at the same time unite the community socially, financially and culturally so that we can live in co-existence and facilitate the thriving of Kodavaame in the land of Kodagu,” he added.
Noted youth achievers of the community Vice-President – Talent Acquisition, State Street Ajjamada Goutham Chengappa, chef Bariyanda Naren Thimmaiah, singer Machchanda Sharan Aiyappa, actors Ulliyada Bhuvan Ponnanna, Uddappanda Harshika Poonacha, Koothanda Tarak Ponnappa, IRS officer Dr. Kottangada Pemmaiah, Bharatanatyam exponent Mukkatira Shilpa Nanjappa, young writer Mevada Aliya Chondamma, make-up artist Baduvanda Madhushree Ganapathy, head of Lopamudra Medical Centre Mukkatira Dr. Amrit Nanaiah, industrialist Machcharanda Deepika Appaiah, planter Kallichanda Chengappa and forest officer Naganda Parvathi were felicitated.
A massive procession was held on the streets of Madikeri as part of the mela from the private bus stand to the Crystal Court Hall where the male community members carried their traditional weapons including guns and ‘Odikathi’ (sword), the female crowd sporting their traditional Kodava saree and the ‘vasthra’ (head scarf) and accompaniments like ‘Thalithakki Bolcha’ (traditional lamp). A lot of traditional bands too performed along the procession route attracting the crowd and tourists.
The statues of war heroes and Generals including Squadron Leader Ajjamada Boppayya Devayya, Major Mangerira Chinnappa Muthanna and General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya were garlanded along the procession route. Hundreds of youths rode their bikes along the procession route.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 21st, 2023
Actor Gulshan Devaiah shared an instance from the shoot days of ‘Dahaad’ and recounted how he took up the role of a ‘prompter’ for co-star Vijay Varma, and how his co-stars fondly called him an encyclopedia on set.
“There was a particular scene that was shot in a school. This was Vijay and my first scene together and it was quite an easy scene, where we have an exchange in a corridor. We shot the master/wide take and were shooting the OS (over the shoulder) close ups.”
“It was going well, and suddenly I saw Vijay searching for his line as he had forgotten his line. I was like this is such a good take for me and so I started to prompt him,” said Gulshan.
The actor added: “Now the camera was on me and not on him. It was my close up so I’m desperately trying to cover my mouth while prompting him his line. Of course, Vijay broke into a laugh!”
“There’s no way we could now use this take because whatever I was doing in order to prompt him while avoiding getting caught on camera was quite comically out of character. We had a good laugh about it and re-did the take.”
Gulshan who is tagged as a “walking encyclopedia” by his co-actors is known for remembering everything – including his co-actors’ dialogues, fun facts about random things – from food to sports.
Shoot days would often end with a fun dancing session, an impromptu karaoke, or even a friendly match of badminton. Pranks were a common occurrence and the actors and creators became a close-knit group till the end of the shoot.
Directed by Reema Kagti and Ruchika Oberoi, ‘Dahaad’ is produced by Excel Media and Entertainment and Tiger Baby with Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar, and Reema Kagti as Executive Producers.
The 8-episodic series streaming on Prime Video.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld.com / Home> Glamour / by IANS / May 16th, 2023
The film, written and directed by the actor, is about a hockey player’s struggle to get into the national side.
Adyah Thimmaiah in a still from the film
Hockey is as much a religion for Kodavas, as cricket is for much of the nation. The passion for the game is such that the Kodagu region hosts an annual hockey tournament, which sees participation from most resident families. Kodagu is, in fact, widely considered the cradle of Indian hockey, what with over 50 men from the area having represented the country at international tournaments, including the Olympics. It is no wonder, then, that debutant Adyah Thimmaiah, who hails from the region, chose the sport as the subject of his launchpad, Jersey Number 10. which he has co-written and directed as well.
“We finished shooting the film a year ago; post-production took time, after which we got it censored. Jersey Number 10 was awarded U/A and we have decided to release the film on May 19. The reason behind the quick decision to bring the film to theatres is that the number 10 is quite powerful and the release date adds up to it. I co-wrote the story of the film sometime ago with my mother and was looking for an opportunity to get into acting. Stunt master Thriller Manju has been my main motivator in getting the ball rolling on my debut film. I did not want to begin my filmi journey with just a love story; it had to be something inspirational, which is why I chose hockey,” explains Adyah.
The film, he adds, is about a youngster, who lives with his grandfather, with the latter a former state-level player who could not make it to the national team and dreams of getting his grandson there. “The grandfather is determined to make his grandson a national level player, but that is easier said than done, so the film follows the trials and tribulations in this journey. However, the film is not all about hockey and has a love track too,” he says.
source: http://www.ottplay.com / OTT Play / Home> News / Team OTT Play / May 16th, 2023
Bacharaniyanda Appanna teaching I M Muthanna’s script at the Kodava Sahitya Academy in Madikeri.
Featuring unique words and vowels not found elsewhere, the Kodava language, spoken in Kodagu, is an independent Dravidian language. According to the most recent data from the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy, there were 21 castes living in Kodagu who spoke the Kodava language: the Kodavas, Amma Kodavas, Kodagu Heggades, Kembattis, Airis, Koyuvas, Boonepattas and the Gollas (Eimbokalas), to name a few.
Kodagu was an independent principality in South India between 1633 and 1834. After the British annexed Kodagu in 1834, it was called Coorg and became a province of British India. After Independence, Coorg was retained as a state and placed under a chief commissioner. In 1956, when the states of the Indian Union were reorganised, Coorg became a district of Karnataka state.
Kannada was the official language in Kodagu for much of its existence. The Kodava language generally uses the Kannada script.
The earliest inscriptions found in Kodagu date back to the 9th and 10th centuries and are in Kannada. But there were two peculiar 14th-century inscriptions of Kodagu, dated around 1370-1371 AD found in the Bhagandeshwara temple of Bhagamandala and the Mahalingeshwara temple of Palur. Many have dismissed the inscriptions as a mixture of scripts and languages. In 2021, my work involved isolating letters used in both. I labelled the script used ‘thirke’ (meaning ‘temple’).
Several scripts
There have been a number of scripts invented for the Kodava language in the last 150 years or so. Koravanda Appayya, a doctor in the erstwhile Mysore State, had invented one with around 50 letters in 1887.
Kodagu scholar Iychettira M Muthanna invented another alphabet for the language in 1970. Appaneravanda Kiran Subbaiah, a sculptor in Mysuru, invented one in 1980. In 1983, he introduced a variant of the Kannada script to accommodate the Kodava language. Often, Kannada or Roman characters (the script used for English) were adapted, sometimes with additional changes.
Ponjanda S Appaiah, a professor, used the Roman script with his own transliteration system in 2003 to write in the Kodava language. In his Kodava-English dictionary, Appaiah used combinations of English letters for the Kodava language. He authored the entire book in the Roman script.
On the other hand, the ‘Kodava Arivole’ (Kodava dictionary) by Boverianda Uthaiah is in the Kannada script and makes use of 35 of the 49 Kannada letters.
In 2005, German linguist Gregg Cox introduced the Coorg-Cox script. Three years later, Charles Henry Kumar, a teacher from Mandya brought out another script to write the Kodava language.
Extra sounds
Boverianda Nanjamma and Chinnappa say that in addition to the five rounded Kannada vowels (with both long and short forms), the Kodava language has four unrounded vowels in their short and long forms and a nasal sound which accompanies some of the consonants. They have used five diacritical marks (symbols added above letters to indicate accent, tone and stress) in their works to accommodate these extra sounds.
In February 2022, under the presidentship of Ammatanda Parvathi Appaiah, the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy discussed the various scripts used for the Kodava language. Bacharaniyanda Appanna, a former president of the academy, taught those assembled the script invented by I M Muthanna.
Upon comparison, it was declared that Muthanna’s script was the easiest to learn. The Kodava Sahitya Academy then recommended the Muthanna script to the Central Institute of Indian Languages to be made official.
Muthanna was of the opinion that his script was to be taught to children below the age of 15-16 years, says Appanna. “They will learn with passion and help promote the script when they write in it and inspire others,” he adds.
On why a script is important, Appanna says: “A script adds strength to a language, like how pillars strengthen a house. Yet, there are many prominent languages which do not have their own script. English uses Roman, Hindi uses Devanagari.” Having a native script is also important as it accommodates native sounds otherwise not found in other scripts.
Nerpanda Prathik Ponnanna, a language activist, has been popularising the Muthanna Kodava script by creating awareness about it through social media videos. He has also been getting signboards in the script for various shops, ancestral houses, and hockey tournament family teams.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Spectrum / by Mookonda Kushalappa / May 10th, 2023
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