Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Kodagu District Minister Offers Bagina At Harangi Dam

Agriculture, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All

Madikeri:

With the Harangi Dam in Kodagu district full to the brim, thanks to copious rainfall in the past few days, Kodagu District Minister V. Somanna yesterday offered bagina at the Dam, in keeping with the tradition.

During the offering of the Bagina, Somanna performed puja to four crest gates of the Dam and also pressed the crest gate button to release 8,000 cusecs of water from the Dam.

Later speaking to press persons, Somanna said that Harangi Dam was the first major Dam in the State to have filled up this monsoon. Noting that the Dam feeds water to 1.65 lakh hectares of Kodagu, K.R. Nagar taluk in Mysuru and five taluks of Hassan district, he said that water will be released for standing Kharif crops and through all canals of the Dam.

Maintaining that the B.S. Yediyurappa Government is doing what all it can for expanding the irrigation network in the State, Somanna contended that there was no drought in the State for two years. However, rain has played havoc in some parts of the State, he said and added that scattered rains across the State has helped farming.

Clarifying that the Government has released money for de-silting of Harangi Dam, he said that tenders have been invited for the purpose. Noting that there were no successful bidders two times, he said that the Government was ready to hand over the works if a competent contractor comes forward for the third time.

Asserting that Kodagu DC has informed him that the district has so far suffered an estimated loss of Rs. 95 lakh due to heavy rains, Somanna said that measures will be taken for providing relief to the family of a person who was recently washed away in floods.

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha, in his address, said that though he was an elected MP for seven years, he could not offer bagina to Harangi Dam for one reason or the other. But he was happy now that he got a chance. Arguing that the State has been receiving good rainfall after B.S. Yediyurappa came to power, he said that nature too seems to be impressed by the works of the Chief Minister. 

Referring to the damages caused to Madikeri-Mangaluru National Highway, Simha said that it has come to his notice and he will do all he can to repair the damaged sections of the road. Also, it has been planned to construct earth retaining wall at landslides prone 22 points of the Highway, for which he would render all help, he added.

Harangi Dam officials said that the Dam has a water storage capacity of 8.5 TMC and the maximum water level of the dam is 2859 ft. At present, the water level is retained at 2858 ft. as a precautionary measure and whatever additional water that the Dam gets (inflow) will be discharged through canals.

Earlier, the Minister and a host of other dignitaries offered puja to the idol of  Goddess Cauvery  at the lower level of the Dam.

MLAs Appachu Ranjan,  A.T. Ramasway and H.P. Manjunath, DC Charulatha Somal, MLC Sunil Subramani, BJP District President Robin Devaiah and a host of other officials and people representatives were present.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore /Home> News / July 17th, 2021

Dubare Hanging Bridge Project Shelved

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All

Kushalnagar:

The Kodagu District Administration has shelved the ambitious project of constructing a hanging bridge at Dubare that was originally planned to be 110 metres in length and having a width of 1.8 metres. The funds that were sanctioned for the project have been withdrawn and it has been used for COVID relief.

The proposal of the hanging bridge was submitted by Kodagu Tourism Department to the Forest Department and the latter had opined that as thousands of tourists visit Dubare every year, a hanging bridge that connects one side of the river to the other would be an added attraction. 

River Cauvery flows in full force here and the two sides can only be accessed by motorised boats at present. While one side of the river bank is controlled by the Tourism Department, the other by the Forest Department that runs the popular Dubare Elephant Camp. 

The proposed hanging bridge was to have three columns — two at the sides and one in the middle — and 1.8 metres wide. The Tourism Department first sent a proposal in 2015-2016 and the estimated cost was Rs. 2.35 crore. The estimate was later revised in 2020 to Rs. 4 crore and Rs. 1.5 crore was reserved for the purpose. 

District Administration sources told Star of Mysore that while the Forest Department wanted either Nirmithi Kendra or Tourism Department to construct the hanging bridge, the Tourism Department wanted both Forest Department and Nirmithi Kendra to work in tandem to make the bridge a reality. However, no consensus was reached and the project has been shelved now. The Rs. 1.5 crore reserve money has been utilised for COVID relief in Kodagu, sources added. 

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / July 30th, 2021

Taapsee Pannu, Gulshan Devaiah begin shooting for ‘Blurr’

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

Blurr, the first film from Taapsee Pannu’s newly launched production house Outsiders Films, has gone on floors.

Actors Taapsee Pannu and Gulshan Devaiah (Photo | Gulshan Devaiah Instagram)

Blurr, the first film from Taapsee Pannu’s newly launched production house Outsiders Films, has gone on floors.

Blurr will be partly shot in the heritage buildings of Nainital with Mall Road and Russian Bypass.

Besides this, certain scenes will be canned at places like Bhimtal, Bhawali Sattal and Mukteshwar.

Blurr is being helmed by Section 375 director Ajay Bahl.

Written by Pawan Sony and Ajay Bahl, the film is a psychological thriller with a social context.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Hindi / by Express News Service / July 20th, 2021

‘It was amazing to work with Vikas Bahl’

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

DAYANA ERAPPA, who was seen in her first Hindi venture, Sunflower, speaks with SHALINI SAKSENA about how she got this project

How did you end up doing Sunflower — the web series?

This was my first Hindi venture so I was quite excited about it. Like any other actor, I went through a couple of rounds of auditions and finally made it to the role.

How was the experience of working with Vikas Bahl?

It was amazing. Vikas is a great mentor. He lets you improvise and makes it very comfortable and easy for an actor to perform. There’s a lot that I learnt from him. I hope to associate with him in the future as well.

What’s your role here? How exciting was it to do this genre?

I play Justina. The character shows how every woman can be bold. She speaks her mind out and values that immensely. She is confident and independent. It was easy to identify with this character; I truly have the same kind of beliefs. So, the character’s attitude towards life is very similar to mine. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of this project and playing this role. I would say that it is among my my favourites till date.

You started as a model, how did acting happen?

When I got a call from Mani Ratnam’s office, I came on board for his hit film, Chekka Chivantha Vaanam. Post that, there’s been no looking back. I’m glad I transcended to films and I’m looking forward to exploring film industry in various languages. I definitely want to be part of more Bollywood projects as well and look forward to the different roles that I can play.

You have done so many ad campaigns, what’s the best part of it?

The best part of it is that you get to meet a lot of experienced people and there is always something to take back from each campaing that one does. I’ve learnt a lot by being part of so many ad campaigns.

Are you still pursuing modelling?

Yes, I still enjoy modelling but I have limited myself to editorials and designer campaigns. It all started with modelling, so I can never dissociate myself from that.

Lots of actors are doing regional films as well. What is the driving force here?

Honestly, for me the driving force is the content. As far as I am getting good scripts that have great content, I will do that whether it’s regional cinema or Bollywood. Also I feel, OTT has been great platform for regional cinema. The medium doesn’t really matter to me. All that matters is the content and my part.

What next?

I am working on a few projects but I can’t really talk about them right now.

source: http://www.dailypioneer.com / Daily Pioneer / Home> Sunday edition> Sunday Pioneer> Back Pack / by Shalini Saksena / July 25th, 2021

Rafting activities resume in Cauvery river at Kodagu’s Dubare

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Nature, Records, All, Sports

Over 60 rafts have availed permission to provide their services to the tourists and the activity has re-started with stringent COVID-19 norms in place.

The district administration has released stringent COVID-19 norms that need to be in place while resuming the activity. (Photo | Express)

Madikeri :

After a break of over two years, the much-sought-after rafting activity in river Cauvery at Dubare in Kodagu has resumed.

“The current water level of River Cauvery in Dubare is ideal for the adventure sport and we are happy to kick-start the rafting activity – which is our main livelihood,” shared DS Krishnappa, the president of the Dubare Rafting Association.

He confirmed that the association availed permission from DC Charulata Somal and the activity resumed from July 17.

He also analysed that tourist inflow is gradually picking up and said, “We are not seeing as much tourist flow. Nearly 40 to 50 tourists opted for rafting on Saturday. We are hopeful that the numbers will increase gradually.”

The district administration has released stringent COVID-19 norms that need to be in place while resuming the activity.

“We have bought sanitizer sprays and each raft is sanitized after every ride. We will not allow tourists to board the rafts without face masks. Also, the number in each raft has been reduced to six people (plus a guide) from the earlier eight people to ensure social distancing,” he explained.

The district administration has fixed Rs 600 per head for a seven-kilometre raft ride and the same is being strictly followed by the rafting staff.

While the rafting activity has resumed, Dubare Elephant Camp is still closed for tourists as the camp elephants are undergoing annual health check-ups.

Kushalnagar RFO Ananya Kumar confirmed that the Elephant Camp will be open only after the water level in River Cauvery decreases.

The Cauvery Nisargadhama tourist spot in Kushalnagar will, however, open from Monday.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / July 18th, 2021

Gulshan Devaiah: So much tamasha about nepotism, people are segregated on sets based on job profile

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

Actor Gulshan Devaiah admits that the divide has bothered him for a long time, but doesn’t know what he can do to change it. That’s the reason why he has started putting it out on social media.

Actor Gulshan Devaiah also took to Twitter to condemn the practice.
Actor Gulshan Devaiah also took to Twitter to condemn the practice

Nepotism, according to Gulshan Devaiah, is not the only thing about Bollywood that needs to change. The actor feels that segregation of people based on their job profile with separate dining areas also needs to be done away with.

“It’s a very common occurrence. It happens across the entire spectrum, be it film sets, ad shoots or TV sets. I’ve been seeing this since the time I’ve been working here. It doesn’t happen on every set, but a lot of sets do segregate,” Devaiah shares.

It’s been more than 10 years since he’s a part of the industry, and over these years, he has seen the divide among people working on a set diluting a bit. But that’s not enough.

Looking back at his initial years, the 43-year-old recalls, “In 2008, when I was an ‘extra’, at that time, people used to say, ‘Aapke khaana udhar laga hua hai aur unka wahan’. I never paid much attention to it at that point of time, but it’s something that really bothers me. There’s a certain class and hierarchy which is there.”

While the Ghost Stories (2020) and Unpaused actor doesn’t know what he can do to solve it, he’s using his voice to initiate a conversation, hoping it would spin the wheel of change. That’s the reason he recently took to Twitter to express, “What bothers me more than Nepotism in Bollywood S1 E02: Sets that segregate people based on their job profile with separate dining areas”.

Talking about it, the actor rues, “So much tamasha is made about nepotism. In fact, nepotism pichle saal se kaafi popular hai yahan pe, particularly hamari industry mein sab log apni shortcomings doosre pe dalte hain. Here, I’m not trying to deny nepotism. But there are so many other things as well, which are bothersome. There are so many areas where we can as an industry do better. That’s why I thought I’ll start writing my thoughts.”

When asked if anything has changed, Devaiah notes that there are many sets who don’t practice such biases but at the same time, he has experienced it rampantly on other sets.

“We are all working together, can’t we have more dignity. There are some artistes who like to stay isolated, but then they can go into their dressing room or vanity. This kind of segregation is wrong,” he concludes.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Entertainment> Bollywood / by Sugandha Rawal / July 12th, 2021

Film stunt director Fayaz Khan wants to set up institute in Kodagu

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All
Film stunt director Fayaz Khan wants to set up institute in Kodagu
Film stunt director Fayaz Khan wants to set up institute in Kodagu

HIGHLIGHTS

Fayaz Khan who has directed stunts and acted in 1,560 films in various languages wants to set up an institute to train youths in the art in his native Kodagu district.

Madikeri:

Fayaz Khan who has directed stunts and acted in 1,560 films in various languages wants to set up an institute to train youths in the art in his native Kodagu district. As small boy in 1980s, he sold peanuts in cinema halls to support his family in Gonicoppa, a small town in Kodagu district. Sounds like a film story? But it’s true. Fayaz Khan who directed stunts for 1,560 films till now once sold peanuts in cinema halls and never studied beyond class III.

Born in a poor family and fond of films, Fayaz Khan left home in 1985 and landed in Bengaluru in search of his dream. He came to Gandhinagara and begged film directors for a chance and got a small role in Tamil film Idiyadagam. After seeing his performance, many directors gave him a chance. However, his passion lay in stunts. Later he became a stunt artiste and worked for 1,560 films in various languages including Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.

Fayaz started his own stunt artists association and trained more than 1100 artists since the outbreak of Covid-19.

Apart from being a stunt master, he acted with such stalwarts like Dr Raj kumar, Vishnuvardhan, Rajanikanth, Salman Khan, Akshaya Kumar, Mammootti, Mohan Lal, Chiranjeevi, Punit Raj Kumar. Speaking to this reporter, Fayaz said that there is a good environment for films in Kodagu. “There is a lot of employment potential in film industry for youths from the tourism district if we train them properly,” he said and expressed his wish to open a film training institute in Kodagu to tap hidden talent.

source: http://www.thehansindia.com / The Hans India / Home> News> State> Karnataka / by Coovercolly Indresh / Hans News Service / July 09th, 2021

Krishi Thapanda goes online to teach orphans in Coorg

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Covid-19 (wef. May 31, 2021), Education, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features

Krishi Thapanda, who was involved in organising COVID relief through the pandemic, has taken on a new responsibility now.

Along with four other like-minded friends, Krishi is part of a core group that is working on teaching homeless children at government-run childrens’ shelters in Coorg. “While children in cities have access to the best teaching methods, those in rural areas often don’t have access to laptops or phones to enable online learning. So, they haven’t had any kind of learning in the past year and a half owing to the pandemic,” points out Krishi.

The actress and her friends identified three government-run shelters that were in need of help and set up a programme that will look into their educational needs. “The idea is to give them basic knowledge. The age group of children is from six to 18, who have been divided into three categories. Volunteers have signed up for it and they will teach the kids various subjects.

We have got permission from the authorities to hold two hours of class on week days and we want to make the most of it. As of now, we are in the process of gathering pre-loved laptops and phones to give these children and teach them basic English, so that they find it easier when they step into the real world to earn a livelihood in their later years,” shares Krishi, who will be teaching them acting, dancing and some other art forms too.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> Entertainment> Kannada> Movies / by TNN / July 01st. 2021

Celebrity couple Anu Poovamma-NC Ayyappa to feature in reality show ‘Raja Rani’

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

Celebrity couple Anu Poovamma  and NC Ayyappa are all set to feature together in the new reality show ‘Raja Rani’ which will premiere soon on a leading Kannada general entertainment channel.


The channel airing the show has confirmed the same on their official social media handle. On the other hand, Social media is filled with best wishes for the couple. Fans are elated to see their favorite Jodi onscreen again.

The soon-to-be-launched reality show is all about testing the bond between real-life couples. Many celebrity couples from the Kannada entertainment industry are likely to be a part of the show. Besides Akarsh and Deepika, celebrity couples like Chandan Shetty- Nivedita Gowda and Neha Gowda  along with her husband Chandu, Kulavadhu stars Deepika-Akarsh have also confirmed their participation in the new reality show.


For the unversed, Anu got married to cricketer and former Bigg Boss Kannada season 3 contestant N C Aiyappa in 2018.

On the career front, Anu and Aiyappa are not new to the Kannada audience. Having acted in a few Kannada films, Anu made her TV debut with daily soap ‘Muddulakshmi’, in which she played a negative character. However, she bid adieu to the show due to personal reasons. She was last seen on TV playing the character of ‘Devasena’ in supernatural fiction ‘Nandini 2’.

Aiyappa, who is a cricketer by profession, entered Bigg Boss Kannada season 3 as a celebrity contestant and made his presence felt. He was one of the most controversial contestants of the season.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> TV> News> Kannada / by TimesofIndia.com / June 30th, 2021

Rashmika Mandanna moves into her new apartment in Mumbai

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

Actress Rashmika Mandanna , who made her Tamil debut with Karthi-starrer ‘Sulthan’ that hit the screens earlier in April, is all set for her Bollywood debut . The pretty actress had now finally shifted into her new apartment in Mumbai, with her pooch, Aura.


Taking to her social media, the actress gave a glimpse of the house with an adorable picture of her dog. She captioned it as, “Dear diary, Ahhhh so much happened today, I finally shifted to the apartment! had to shop so many Ill things…( I am still not done) (gahhhh it’s a never ending expense) . Aura was out all day…1 had to meet 2 of my friends and I had to set up the place.. (Sai (my assistant) helped me) Aura and I passed out cz we were so tired”

Rashmika had recently returned to Mumbai to resume the shoot of ‘Goodbye’. The pretty actress will be making her Hindi debut with ‘Mission Majnu’, followed by her role in the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer ‘Goodbye’. She was also snapped shopping for home essentials in the past few days in Mumbai.

In a recent interview, Rashmika Manadanna had spoken about how the the COVID-19 pandemic situation made her shift to Bollywood and do Hindi films as well. Speaking about her upcoming Bollywood movies, Rashmika Mandanna had said, “I think it’s just the time because before Covid hit, I had no time because I was doing so many South films and I didn’t feel at that time that I should do Bollywood (films). Once Covid hit and other projects slowed down, I felt it was the right time to do it and that’s when ‘Mission Majnu’ and ‘Goodbye’ came. There is no particular reason why I didn’t do it because back then I had a couple of Hindi film offers but I feel now is the right time.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> Entertainment> Tamil> Movies / by TNN / June 25th, 2021