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

An evening of fashion and glamour at Orion Mall

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

It was an evening of fashion and glamour at one of the city malls recently. The event, that took place on one of the week days, saw the members of the fashion frat turn up for it.

Gracing the event was fashion guru, Prasad Bidappa, who was seen socialising with the party peeps present and also sharing a fashion tip or two.
Rakesh and Prasanna

The ramp was lined up with models strutting and showcasing the hottest new trends of the season. Walking down the ramp among the many models were Carun, Neha, Rakesh and Hari. The fashion showcase continued for around an hour after which the models and audience headed over to relax at the lounge. Seen having fun at this do were models Priya, Lavanya, Prasanna, Zoheb and budding actor Surya.

BT spotted models Parto and Nisha who were seen sporting a similar floral top and was busy posing for the lensman.

Contributed by Disha Mangsuli

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> Life & Style> Parties> Bangalore / TNN / June 03rd, 2012

Fellow traveller

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Coorg-born artist GS Bhavani trails Cauvery — from Talakaveri to the spot where it merges with the Bay of Bengal. The result is a telling short film on the ‘lifeline’.

For Kodagu-born GS Bhavani, the Cauvery was an extension of her childhood. Her bonding with the river began when her parents took her and her two siblings to Talakaveri, where Cauvery originates.

“I didn’t pay much attention to the Cauvery in the beginning. For Coorgis, it’s deified as kula devatha (family deity) and for any function, be it the birth of a child or the death of a family member, a visit to Talakaveri is mandatory. I would visit the spot without realising the magnificence of the river. After all, we had a stream running through in our estate too.”

After her father’s demise, her family moved to Bangalore, where her interest in Cauvery got re-ignited. Bhavani would hear comments like “though Cauvery is ours, the water goes to Bangalore”. That made her wonder how such a huge river “could flow like a trickle and come out of a tap in Bangalore”.

“The bonding suddenly strengthened, which was surprising. My mother would fill the Cauvery water direct from the tap for pooja and drinking purposes. The same water, collected from the tank, wasn’t ‘holy’ enough.” The re-ignition happened.

Opting to be an artist instead of a professional degree, she went to Dubbare forest in 2009 to record the festivities of tribals. “There I saw a man chopping a pig on the banks of the river. And being a vegetarian didn’t help me. Blood was flowing into the river and he threw away the intestines into Cauvery.” That, she says, was the defining moment.

With more passion, Bhavani decided to trail the river from the ‘source’ to Bangalore to see what actually happens to the river. And she had the ‘path’ filmed. The short film got rave reviews at the city’s ‘Voices from the Waters Festival, 2010’ edition. The love story deepened and she yearned for more, setting her off on a poetic journey along the Cauvery last year, till the Bay of Bengal, where it ends. Thus was born Journey With The River Cauvery. It was akin to a tryst with a loved one. Unhurried, yet short.

“It is a project that is a collection of videos and photographs as well. There is a main video of about 22-23 minutes which is about Cauvery. The other videos are of 2-3 minutes which will feature my site specific installations,” she says.

Since Bhavani journeyed along the 765-km of the river by road, she travelled much more (about 2,000 km). It took her about 15 days for this journey though many of her short videos were shot during day trips to nearby destinations like Mekedatu.

Just before Srirangam, the Cauvery deviates and circles the temple only to join back at Kalyani. At Kalyani, the river splits into five and Bhavani followed the one that leads to Poompuhar. It is called the Koli River and one can clearly see how it joins the ocean. Tributaries and rivers like Kannika, Harangi and many more confluence with the Cauvery.

“I have seen so many beautiful sights along the river. The main source continues to amaze me even now. The water is the same at all seasons.”

“The Puranic stories mention that river Kannika existed before Cauvery, yet she too loses her identity after the confluence. I was surprised to see the width of the river getting bigger as she flows; the longest bridge was in Tiruchy, around 1 km long,” says Bhavani.

On the flipside, there are some sights that she wished she hadn’t witnessed. “There are small channels from the river to flow through the villages, but dirty water from the houses flows right back to the river. The river isn’t treated with the respect she deserves.”

Bhavani’s main video “negotiates the landscape of the river as she flows through the sacred and secular, private and public domains”. Her solitary journey (“except for the taxi driver”) was pleasantly interrupted by friends and relatives who would join her at different places and stay with her for a while. “At the last stretch, near Poompuhar, one of my friends came over to shoot the scenes that had me in the frame,” she says.

Her lament is that she could have spent more time with the river, but for her limited resources. “I spent Rs 1.5 lakh on the project. My mother is now happy for me, especially after she saw the video. Some people wonder why I didn’t follow in the lines of my sister who is working in the US and my brother who is into computers. But I am an artist and my family has always supported me; in fact my brother’s wife is helping me.”

Journey With The River Cauvery is on at Venkatappa Art Gallery till June 30.

THE CAUVERY STORY

CAUVERY was once a woman who married sage Agastya after persuasion from her parents. She put up a condition saying that she would flow away as a river if Agastya left her alone for too long. Sage Agastya once went to bathe in river Kannika and forgot the time. Cauvery lost no time to flow away like she had always wanted.

She originated from one side of Bramhagiri Hills – Kannika is on the other side – went underground to avoid Agastya’s disciples and emerged at Bhagamandala.

source: http://www.BangaloreMirror.com / Home> Entertainment> Lounge> Story / by Jayanthi Madhukar / Monday, May 28th, 2012

India thrive on Uthappas heroics

Sports

AZLAN SHAH CUP
Last-Minute deflection fetches Nobb’s boys their first victory

FINE EFFORT: SK Uthappas (centre) last-gasp goal gave India a crucial win
Bangalore:
A productive team meeting and a purposeful show on the field saw India edge past Korea 2-1 for their win in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament in Ipoh on Friday.

SK Uthappa scored the matchwinner in the final minute of a thrilling contest,deflecting the ball in off Tushar Khandker.Earlier,Sandeep Singh put India ahead off a penalty corner in the 11th minute before Nam Hyun-Woo’s low penalty corner flick in the 66th minute helped Korea restore parity.

Chief coach Michael Nobbs said the seeds of victory were sown in the meeting ahead of the match.The boys admitted to the mistakes they committed.Too many unforced errors were causing the problems and they said the same thing.The deep defence continues to be our main problem but the forwards realised could have helped more, he told TOI.

The first half was as perfect as it could be.The Koreans had one shot at goal and five circle penetrations and no penalty corners.It was textbook and the patterns we played worked perfectly.The second half was a little different and they pressed a little, the Aussie said,as he analysed the match.

The problem with trying to use a style of play that we have only just started to learn is that it takes time.There were occasions in the second half when we returned to the same old patterns again.I tried to get the message out to the team that we need to change the pattern but it didn’t work.This is something we need to focus on.

Nobbs was all praise for Uthappa for his unbelievable deflection goal. The SAI lad scored off a counter-attack that began after goalkeeper Bharat Chetri’s save in the circle.The move surprised Korean defenders and even before they could regroup,Uthappa had relayed the ball in.

Nobbs said his team would now concentrate on the next game against Great Britain on Sunday,after a day’s rest on Saturday.The young legs of the Malaysian team put the English team under pressure today,scoring two goals in the last five minutes to force a 3-3 draw.If we can get a point or more off GB then it opens it up for us to get to the final, he said.

In the other match,New Zealand coasted to a 5-2 victory over Argentina.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> Sports / TNN / Saturday, May 26th, 2012

Akshay Rao topper in science stream for Kodagu

Education, Records, All

Akshay Rao secured the top place in the science stream scoring 582 marks followed by M.B. Pavan with 578 marks and N.D. Bopanna with 577 marks in Kodagu district.

All three were students of Vidyaniketan PU College in Gonicoppa in Virajpet taluk.

In the Commerce section, K.K. Anita of St. Michael’s PU College, Madikeri, came first scoring 575 marks. Second place was shared by C. Pooja Charmanna of Srimangala PU College (574 marks) and R.P. Sonali of St. Joseph’s PU College, Madikeri. Third place shared by P. Chaitra (573) of St. Joseph’s PU College, Madikeri and B.A. Suramya of the St. Michael’s PU College, Madikeri.

In the Arts section, K.V. Shobha of Nellihudikeri Government PU College emerged topper by scoring 532 marks. K.C. Balakrishna Nayak of Sampaje PU College and K.M. Jasmina of Kodlipet PU College shared the second place at 526 while K.J. Pavita (521) of Vigneshwara PU College in Shanivarasante, Somwarpet taluk, got the third place.

Kodagu district recorded 73.11 pass percentage in the second PU exams with girls outnumbering boys in terms of pass percentage securing 79.76 per cent passes against 66.09 per cent scored by the boys.

Kodagu stood fourth in the State last year.

A total of 5,433 students took the examinations in the district and 3,972 passed, an official press release said here.

There were 2,791 girls who wrote second PU exams of which 2,226 passed. Among 2,642 boys, as many as 1,746 passed.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / National> Karnataka / by Hindu Staff Correspondent / Mysore, May 25th, 2012

Karnataka is encouraging hockey: Raghunath

Sports

When the Indian hockey squad, which included young Kodava V Raghunath, did not qualify for the 2008 Olympics, he went into something of a depression. “I felt victimized,” says Raghunath, adding, “I couldn’t digest the criticism coming our way.

We were the only (Indian) team that could have to Beijing, and when we failed to qualify, people were hard on us.”

But Raghunath got back to focusing on the game and his goal was the 2012 London Olympics. “Some of the members of the 2008 team have retired, but five of us from that old team have been retained and will go to London,” says Raghunath. While the 2008 disqualification kept playing on his mind till recently, Raghunath and his team could barely sleep the night they qualified for the London Olympics.

The team, which has been training hard under the observant eye of Michael Nobbs and David John, has a newfound confidence.

“The team has been performing well mentally and physically. At the end of the day, it’s all about mind games and we are training really hard this time,” says Raghunath, who has also been training in high-altitude places with lower levels of oxygen. He adds, “Strength training is our primary focus and some of us have gained weight, while others have lost some.”

It is also interesting to know that since they have qualified for the Olympics, the members of the Indian hockey team have been receiving quite a few sponsorship offers. “A lot of corporates have come forward to support us, but we need to win a lot of tournaments. That is when they will push the game,” says Raghunath.

He feels that promoting hockey in india is important, but adds that it will happen only when the hockey team makes winning a habit. Quiz him about the popularity that cricket commands over the national game and the young lad is quick to say, “I never compare sports. For me, at the end of the day, wearing the country’s jersey is important.” But it does help when celebrities promote a particular game, to which Raghunath replies, “Actor Suniel Shetty recently got signed up as the ambassador for Indian hockey and I think it will definitely go a long way in popularizing the game.”

Raghunath’s father, who was also a hockey player himself, encouraged his son to get into the game and today he is a happy man. Raghunath also feels that the training he has received in Bangalore is what has helped him become a better player. “Karnataka is doing well in hockey and the state is encouraging the game. Five members of the hockey team going to London are from here,” says Raghunath, who has got a lot more from the game than what he has given. “We are looking for a podium finish this year,” he signs off.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> Sports> Hockey / by Taniya Talukdar / TNN, May 27th, 2012

Who won the Flavour of India Fine Cup Award?

Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)


The results are in and have recently been published in the Hindu Business Line.

The winner of the Flavour of India Fine Cup Award has been decided.

This is a competition which has been organised by the Coffee Board of India on an annual basis, to promote the production of high-end gourmet quality coffee.

The aim?

To introduce these fine coffees to the international coffee industry.

And the results are in for this year… Who won?

The Pedabayalu Coffee has been awarded the best in region for this year.

The coffee is grown in the Visakhapatnam district in the Araku region.

The judges who made this decision were an international jury and they met in Melbourne in Australia.

It was chosen in the Arabica general category of coffee – the arabica bean, of course, is one of the favourites in coffee circles.

This Visakhapatnam district has some 4,000 hectares of coffee and takes the matter seriously.

There are around 3,000 families who work on these coffee plantations and they are obviously doing a good job.

What happens now?

The coffees which have been decreed as being outstanding, such as Pedabayalu coffee, will be chosen on a national level for ‘final cupping.’

This will take place by an international jury of well-regarded Cup Tasters from around the globe.

Hopefully, the Flavour of Fine Cup Award winner will do well on this occasion too.

Whatever the outcome at the final cupping, the profile of Indian gourmet coffee has been raised.

Posted by Clive on Monday the 28th May 2012

source: http://www.worldcoffeenews.com / by Clive / Monday, May 28th, 2012

Not quite the king’s man!

About Kodagu / Coorg, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Historical Links / Pre-Independence

HISTORY

Chepudira Ponnappa was one of the four dewans in the court of Chikka Veerarajendra, the last raja of Kodagu. During his later years, he was no longer the king’s favourite counsel. However, when the British marched into Madikeri, they chose to continue the services of Ponnappa and other officials, writes C P Belliappa.

Chepudira Ponnappa was one of the four dewans in the court of the last raja of Kodagu, Chikka Veerarajendra. The other three were Dewan Apparanda Bopanna, Dewan Laxminarayana and Dewan Basavanna.

Dewan Ponnappa was a colourful personality. As a teenager, he attracted the attention of Chikka Veerarajendra’s grandfather Lingaraja, when he accompanied the raja on a hunting expedition. They were camping by the side of a stream and the raja was in a relaxed mood. At a distance, a herd of buffaloes was grazing. A crow sat on the back of one of the buffaloes. Lingaraja asked if anyone could shoot the crow without hurting the buffalo. Young Ponnappa took the challenge and impressed the raja with his marksmanship. He was immediately inducted into the army and rose rapidly in the ranks.
He was appointed an army commander during the end of Dodda Veerarajendra’s reign. When Lingarajendra succeeded his brother, Ponnappa was elevated as a dewan.

Ponnappa married Cheyyavva from the Kodendera family. By 1800, they had three sons and four daughters. Ponnappa had additional responsibilities of collecting land revenue and in enforcing law and order. For this task, he had to be away from home for long periods of time. Cheyyavva, a formidable lady, took on the responsibilities of looking after their vast paddy fields during her husband’s absence. Ponnappa had built a large house in Kirgoor, and at the time it was one of the best constructions. There is an interesting story about the carpenter who built the house. The same carpenter carried out substantial work at the raja’s palace. After settling his dues, the raja gave him a paltry bonus. The carpenter supposedly commented later, “What kind of a raja is this. His official: Ponnappa tipped me with double the number of gold coins.” The raja was furious when he heard this, but by then, the carpenter had safely returned to Kerala!

During one of Ponnappa’s extended tours, he camped in a remote village for a week. He was the guest of the village headman who belonged to the Manjera family. The headman’s beautiful young daughter Somavva was serving food to the important visitor; and Ponnappa was smitten by the attractive damsel. Ponnappa, then in his 30s, mustered all his courage to ask the headman for his daughter’s hand in marriage.
Somavva’s father and Manjera family members were elated at this offer from the powerful and prosperous Ponnappa even though their daughter would be his second wife. The village elders insisted on the marriage taking place immediately, and Somavva gave her much feigned coy assent. Ponnappa extended his stay and the villagers enthusiastically started preparations for the wedding. There was excitement all round. Their new influential ‘son-in-law of the village’ was heartily felicitated.

A week later, it dawned on Ponnappa that he now had the delicate task of facing his first wife along with his new bride! As he approached his house in Kirgoor, an unsuspecting Cheyyavva came out to greet her husband who had been away for over a month. When Cheyyavva saw Ponnappa with a demure Somavva still in her bridal finery by his side, she flew into a rage. She brandished an odi katthi (sword) and stood menacingly near the entrance. Ponnappa had to retreat, and he soon undertook construction of another house, identical to the one built earlier, to start a family with Somavva. He had four sons and three daughters with Somavva.

Disillusioned dewan

By 1830, Ponnappa was disillusioned with the erratic and despotic rule of Chikka Veerarajendra. By then, he was 66 years old and distanced himself from playing an active part in the administration though he continued as a dewan. Chikka Veerarajendra listened more to the uncouth Dewan Basavanna who was his childhood companion and a kennel-keeper. Basavanna was intensely disliked by the citizens who referred to him as Kunta Basava since he had a limp.

The young raja had gone on a collision course with the British who were well-entrenched in the neighbouring areas of Karnataka and Kerala. In 1833, Chikka Veerarajendra angered the British by taking Kulpally Karunakara Menon, an emissary of the British East India Company, as hostage. Karunakara Menon warned the raja not to antagonise the British. In Menon’s famous words: “The British had the capacity to raise troops which could outnumber the trees in Kodagu! Ill advised by Dewan Basavanna, Chikka Veerarajendra remained defiant and demanded the British to hand over his brother-in-law and sister who had been given asylum in Mysore. Chikka Veerarajendra accused his brother-in-law of hatching a plot to overthrow him. By early 1834, the British decided to attack Kodagu. British troops encircled Kodagu from Mysore, Kodlipet, Kannur and Mangalore. A besieged raja called Dewan Ponnappa for advice. Dewan Ponnappa’s counsel was to immediately and unconditionally release Karunakara Menon. He was candid that the British could not be countered militarily. This enraged Dewan Basavanna who suddenly struck Dewan Ponnappa. Seventy-year-old Ponnappa momentarily lost consciousness but soon recovered. Without uttering another word, he walked out of Madikeri fort. This was a defining moment in the history of Kodagu. Dewan Bopanna and other Kodava elders were appalled and they agreed it would be better if the administration of Kodagu was taken over by the British. They decided not to resist the impending British intervention. On April 10, 1834, the East India Company under Colonel J S Fraser marched into Madikeri fort and announced the ouster of Chikka Veerarajendra. Kodagu was annexed and the raja was permanently exiled from his kingdom.

The British very diplomatically continued the services of Dewan Ponnappa, Dewan Bopanna and many other Kodava officials. Dewan Ponnappa lived to a ripe-old age of eighty-four. Before he died in 1847, his first wife Cheyyavva extracted a promise from him and her sons. Cheyyavva wanted to be buried closer to Ponnappa’s grave than her bête noire Somavva! This wish was fulfilled. The graves of Ponnappa’s two wives are located on either side of his tomb with that of Cheyyavva being closer by a foot!

His legacy

One of Ponnappa’s sons, Madayya was very influential, and in 1866, he renamed a small hamlet known as Balelesanthe (a place famous for selling banana leaves – an important commodity those days) as: Ponnappanapete after his illustrious father. Over the years, it transformed to Ponnampet and is currently a flourishing town in Kodagu. Chepudira family members installed a statue of Dewan Ponnappa in Ponnampet when the clan hosted the Kodava Hockey Festival in the town in 2000. Not to be forgotten, of course, is the fact that in 1957, Dewan Ponnappa’s great-great-granddaughter’s son, K S Thimayya, took charge as the Chief of Army Staff of India!

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / 25th, May 2012

A new Kannada star rises in Bollywood

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

Nidhi Subbaiah
After her foray into Bollywood with yet-to-be-released ‘Oh My God’, Sandalwood actress Nidhi Subbaiah is striving to gain a foothold in the Hindi film industry with her second film to be directed by Sanjay Gadhvi of ‘Dhoom’ fame.

As she shoots for ‘Ajab Gazabb Love’ opposite Jackky Bhagnani, Nidhi is loving every moment in Mumbai. “This is my fourth month in the city. I am enjoying the fast-paced life of Mumbai. I am at the right place at the right time. I’m not missing Bangalore or Coorg as of now, except for the food and weather,” she adds.

Elaborating on her current project, Nidhi says, “It’s a remake of a romcom flick in Telugu, Seema Tapakai. Presently, 60 per cent of the shoot is complete and we’ll be flying abroad soon for rest of the shoot.”

Nidhi has completed shoot for her first film, ‘Oh My God’, and is now busy with workshops and costume fittings. The doe-eyed beauty is loving every moment of it as she basks in the glory of a big break. “Any girl who wants to be a heroine would like to take a shot at Bollywood for its wide reach,” she says.

Ask about her current favourite in Bollywood, and she says Arjun Rampal. He plays an important role in ‘Ajab Gazabb Love’, along with Arshad Warsi. “I have just finished one schedule with him. He’s so hot and has an amazing screen presence. We have a lot of female crew members who, when he dashes into the sets, become speechless,” says Nidhi.

Although a new face in Mumbai industry, she claims she didn’t face any casting couch issues. “It might have been in the nineties. This is a new age and conducive for talent. Casting couch exists even in the corporate world. It is how you look at it and achieve your goals by taking the hard route.”

The Kannada actress is staying all alone in Mumbai and says she is comfortable with the space she is in now. “My mother keeps coming and going. I have lot of cousins and friends residing here. Jackky is my only friend in the industry. Soon, I will be making more friends,” she says.

Nidhi has not worked in any other south Indian film before heading to Bollywood. “Probably, I was destined to be here and I took it with both hands,” she says, adding, “My experience in Sandalwood has really helped me to reach this far.”
Comparing the current remuneration in Sandalwood with that of Bollywood, Nidhi says, “I have come here with a few years of experience in Kannada films. This is my second film in Hindi, so, right now, I am a nobody. Once I become somebody, I will talk about money.”

Back home in Sandalwood, her latest film, Anna Bond, released to a good opening. “I have not yet watched the film, but some fans didn’t like me dying in the film. They said: ‘We felt like leaving the movie hall that very moment.’ I have done justice to my role, but the saddest part was that they had to kill my character,” says Nidhi.

From now on, she will be seen in Kannada films only if some good projects come her way. “For a while, I will be busy shooting and promoting my Hindi film. I would always love to be part of a good film, especially if Yograj Bhat makes a Pancharangi sequel or Puneeth wants me in a future project,” she says.

For this ambitious actress, it’s a new place with new projects, but Nidhi is yet to find a life companion. “Mumbai is a new home and for a heroine, being single is good,” she signs off.

source: http://www.expressbuzz.com / Expressbuzz> Showbuzz> Kannada / by A Sharadhaa / Express News Service / May 27th, 2012

‘Coffee is becoming trendy’

Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)

SPECIAL FEATURE: GLOBAL INVESTORS MEET

Javed Akhtar, Chairman of Coffee Board

IN the late 1960s and early 1970s, good grade coffee beans and powder were in short supply in India. One could buy them only at specially established coffee depots. There would be long queues at these depots to collect a token to purchase the beans or powder. The beans would be taken home, roasted, ground by manual grinders and then used to produce the best-smelling, best-tasting filter coffee. Today, coffee is in abundance, and there is a wide variety of beans to choose from, thanks to improved methods of cultivation, increased production and the liberalisation of the Indian coffee industry.

The credit for promoting the flavour of coffee must go to the Coffee Board of India. Set up under an Act of Parliament in 1942, the Coffee Board is an autonomous body functioning under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Its main focus is on basic and applied research in coffee, quality upgradation and promotion of coffee in the domestic and international markets. The Coffee Board until 1995 had a pool (controlled) marketing system for coffee. With economic liberalisation, coffee production became a strictly private sector activity. The board’s Central Coffee Research Institute, located in Chikmagalur district in Karnataka, is one of the premier coffee research institutes in the world.

The Coffee Board will, without doubt, be one of the star attractions at GIM 2012, promoting coffee and showcasing its many flavours. On the eve of the GIM, Javed Akhtar, the Coffee Board Chairman, took some time off to speak to Frontline. Excerpts from the interview:

What plans does the board have to promote coffee?

Coffee consumption in the country has been growing at a rate of 5 to 6 per cent a year. At present, coffee consumption is over one lakh tonnes a year. From being a traditional beverage consumed mainly in south India, coffee has become a trendy beverage with a national presence, consumed in several forms. Its strong presence in the domestic market provides many avenues for enterprise development.

What has facilitated this growth in consumption?

The growth of the domestic market has been possible through the promotion of awareness and consumption of pure coffee. This has been done through generic promotional campaigns using mass media and participation in domestic events and festivals. To facilitate entrepreneurial development in the coffee value chain, the Coffee Board has been training people in coffee roasting and brewing. This business vertical is complemented by providing support for setting up roasting units.

The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia has suggested that tea be declared the national drink.

I am not aware of any drink being declared as the national drink. Anyway, we don’t position coffee as competing with any drink.

How do you plan to attract investors to the coffee industry?

The strong growth in coffee consumption is throwing open opportunities for value addition. The outlook for this sector is much more attractive, given the continuing industry dynamism. The interest in the domestic coffee market can be seen by the high level of investment in the sector with the establishment of a Lavazza unit, the entry of Starbucks [which has a tie-up with Tata Coffee] and the arrival of Dunkin’ Donuts [a United States-based coffee and baked-goods chain]. It is also seen that the existing coffee retailers such as Café Coffee Day, Costa Coffee, Coffee Bean &Tea Leaf, Gloria Jean’s Coffee, Aromas, Au Bon Pain and Testa Rossa are planning to expand their businesses to capitalise on this enthusiasm for coffee. At the same time, small and medium roasting units and stand-alone cafes are also finding their way into niche coffee market development.

Growers complain of a lack of stability in coffee prices.

The price of coffee has never been stable. It depends on demand and supply, the quantity and quality of harvest, the powerful and influential secondary markets in London and New York. Though coffee is grown in developing countries, it is consumed in developed countries, so the state of the economy of these countries goes a long way in determining the price of coffee. What is needed to be provided to the grower is good/adequate returns in capital and labour costs.

Growers complain of a cartelisation of prices by big growers.

There are around 74 or 75 coffee exporters, among whom 10 are big. But there is no cartelisation of prices. There is also no abnormality of prices and it is a free and mature market.

Ravi Sharma

source: http://www.frontline.in / vol.29 , issue. 11 , june 02-15, 2012