It may not be exactly curiosity that is now luring local villagers and tribals to the Sathymanagalam and Male Madeshwara Hills forests where Veerappan was holed up during his active days of poaching and killing. The news that is now doing the rounds is that the several crores of rupees that the brigand had made through his criminal activities have been hidden beneath the thickets in the jungle. And armed with this nugget of information, tribal youths scrounging the place for striking pay dirt out of dirty money. But they may not be successful as there is another school of thought that believes Veerappan was no fool to hide his money in the jungle where the safety aspect was always low (the elements, the constant shifting of location et al). 'If you hide a money in a place, natural human tendencies tie you to that place. And Veerappan couldn't have afforded that luxury his nifty mobility was his success,' says a senior officer who was part of the STF operations. The theory that is gaining credence is that the money that Veerappan made (especially through the kidnapping of Kannada matinee idol Rajkumar) have now found their way to his family members. One story even suggests that the family has now reportedly invested the same in buying huge cranes that are put to use in local quarry. They are said to make anywhere between Rs.50,000 to Rs.one lakh in a month through rent alone. Some of this fortune is said to be remaining in hard cash with his wife and brother's family. But there is no way of confirming or verifying this. Another part of the huge money was spent by Veerappan himself in buying weapons to keep his activities going, sources say. 'In the event, it is little futile to look for money in the forests,' sources say. But those on the trail of the money are not ready to believe this idea. Like modern-day argonauts, tribals and villagers are on the look out for the golden fleece. Media in Karnataka are speculating that Veerappan had 'stocked up foodgrains and money in polythene bags, placed them in tractor tubes and hid them underground along the routes he frequented'. It is also said that he had underground storehouses where he stocked up bundles of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. The story is that only Veerappan himself knew the jungle code to unlock these secret chambers. Even his trusted lieutenants were not privy to this. A few of these secret pits were said to be chanced upon by the security men during one of their combing operations when Veerappan was alive. But the officials are not either ready to confirm or deny this report. They however say that they are keeping a wary eye on these 'gold hunters'. But with several of them going around the forests long after Veerappan is gone, the irony is unmistakable: The hunted is having the laugh. Because the hunt is still on.
Kannada filmdom faces new sanctions
Sunday, October 24, 2004
The South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce (SIFCC) and the film chambers of commerce in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have decided to convene a meeting to consider imposing embargoes on the Kannada film industry, as a reaction to the Karnataka film industry’s decision to reduce the moratorium from seven weeks to three weeks. Speaking to Deccan Herald over phone on Saturday, SIFCC Secretary and Film Federation of India General Secretary L Suresh said, the three-week moratorium is unacceptable to the rest of India. We could think over, bargain and negotiate on reducing the number of prints but there will be no compromise on simultaneous releases. Hence, our decision to reconsider the imposition of embargoes. Suresh was in Mysore on a private visit. It may be recalled that SIFCC decided to impose these embargoes (see table) four weeks ago but soon withheld its decision, as it was told that the three sectors producers, exhibitors and distributors would find a solution to the ongoing crisis. The SIFCC decided to consider again the imposition of the sanctions, as several meetings held among the three sectors of the film industry and with the government bore no result. We will not co-operate with the Kannada film industry. As per the request of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) we had kept the embargoes on hold until discussions and negotiations were over. Now we will have to rework and analyse the three-week moratorium, Suresh said. We wanted to sort out the differences through dialogue and ‘across the table discussions’ but in vain. This moratorium has caused heavy monetary losses to the rest of India, he added saying the SIFCC is still ready to negotiate at this stage. It may be noted that SIFCC, as a self-regulated, independent and registered body is armed with the power to impose sanctions. The film chambers of the various states are bound by the rules and regulations worked out by SIFCC. How will these embargoes affect the Kannada film industry? While some in the industry exuded confidence, saying that they stand strong without depending upon the other languages, others said it will cause great harm to Kannada films. The Karnataka film industry is divided on this issue as well. We depend on help and support from other languages on many fronts. It will be hard for the Kannada film industry to pull through without them. Some people in the industry may claim that they are safe but it is not so, KFCC President H D Gangaraj said and added that he would soon initiate dialogue with SIFCC to prevent the imposition of embargoes. Karnataka Film Exhibitors’ Federation President R R Odugoudar too agrees with Gangaraj. The exhibitors’ federation chief said: The embargoes will definitely affect the Kannada film industry. It’s a matter of survival. It’s too early for me to say how much and to what extent it will affect the industry. We have to sort out the differences before it is too late. But Kannada Film Producers’ Association President Basant Kumar Patil said he is confident that the embargoes will not affect the industry in any way. It’s good if other language films are not released in Karnataka. The seven-week moratorium has helped the Kannada film industry a great deal. We are competent to face any sanctions. New films on Meanwhile, movie-goers thronged several theatres in the City on Friday as the much awaited Telugu movie Shankar Dada (MBBS) was released across the State on Friday. Hindi movie Phir Milenge and English movies Mean Girls, Ladder 49 and Dodge Ball were also released on Friday after they met the seven-week moratorium. Hindi films Kis Kis Ki Kismat and Vaasthu Shastra, that were scheduled for release on Friday were put off for next week. PROPOSED CURBS No other language film will be released in Karnataka. No shooting will be done in Karnataka. No other language producers will produce Kannada films. No actors or actresses, technicians from other languages will work in Kannada film industry Workers belonging to Telugu and Tamil films will not be allowed to work in Kannada film industry Kannada films will not be dubbed into other languages.
Film embargo cut to 3 weeks
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Finally, the three sectors of the Karnataka film industry have reached a consensus. The three sectors agreed, rather informally, to reduce the seven-week moratorium on non-Kannada films to three weeks and restrict their release to six prints. This was the outcome of a four-hour long meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bangalore on Wednesday. It was learnt that the government agreed to the reintroduction of service charge by exhibitors, paving the way for the consensus on the issue of non-Kannada films. The meeting was attended by representatives of the three sectors of the industry producers, exhibitors and distributors. Though the decision, on the three-week moratorium and reduction in prints, has not been made official, sources in the film industry said that it has been agreed upon by the three sectors to reduce the moratorium from seven weeks to three weeks and limit the prints of other language films from 20 prints of six prints. The other language film prints will be reduced to six. This will be done on trial basis for one year, said the sources. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Mr Siddaramaiah said the three sectors have agreed to work towards strengthening the Kannada film industry. But, he refused to elaborate. Karnataka Film Exhibitors’ Federation President R R Odugoudar said all language films would be released in such a way that one would not clash with another. This is a complicated issue and the three sectors of the film industry will have to sit together and work out the details, added Mr Odugoudar. Kannada Film Producers’ Association President Basant Kumar Patil said that since the matter is in the court, no decision can be taken on it. However, he expressed confidence that after Wednesday’s meeting the Kannada film industry would get the much needed support. Shankar Dada Meanwhile, Mr Siddaramaiah, however, said he has asked the exhibitors to go ahead with releasing Shankar Dada MBBS on Friday. To this, the exhibitors have decided to convene a meeting on Thursday to take a decision. Only those films that meet the three-week moratorium criterion will be released, the sources said. Most of the participants, including Parvathamma Rajkumar, stars Upendra and Raghavendra Rajkumar and Ashok merely said that they stand by the meeting’s decision.
Congress wins Bidar LS seat in Karnataka
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Congress candidate Narasingrao Surwanshi defeated BJP's Ramachandra Arya by a margin of over 13,000 votes in the Bidar Lok Sabha by-election, in Karnataka. The Congress has wrested the reserved seat from BJP for which the by-election was held on October 13.
Actor Lokesh passes away
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Noted Kannada actor Lokesh died in a city hospital on Thursday afternoon after battling for life for three days. Deccan Herald Noted Kannada actor Lokesh died in a city hospital on Thursday afternoon after battling for life for three days. But even in death, he set an example by donating his eyes, kidneys, pacemaker and even his body and there was no cremation. The 57-year-old actor was on life support system ever since he was admitted to Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Heart Centre on Monday afternoon following a cardiac arrest. The end came around 2:30 pm on Thursday when his blood pressure dropped and the heart stopped functioning. He is survived by actress wife Girija, son Srujan and daughter Pooja, both of whom are artistes. His body was donated to M S Ramaiah Medical College Hospital. While his eyes were donated to Lion’s eye hospital, the pacemaker that had been implanted on him following irregular heart-beat, was given to Lion’s hospital to be given to a poor person in need of it. His son Srujan said his father had often suggested to the family members that his body should not be cremated and that it should be donated for research purposes. Similarly, he wanted the pacemaker to be donated to a poor patient.
Kumbakonam, Oct18: The Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka should hold "friendly talks" in the presence of the Prime Minister and Water resources rpt Water resources Minister to resolve the Cauvery water issue, Union Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyer said today. Talking to newsmen after participating in a function organised to open the shutters of an irrigation channel at Tillaiambur near here, he said steps should be taken to bring water to the several villages where Irrigation facilities were already there. While in Karnataka, the harvest was over,in Tamil Nadu cultivation had started just now. "This is the right situation for holding talks," he said and urged the Chief Ministers to start the dialogue. He said Karnataka had been receiving good rains in its catchment areas. Tamil Nadu should hold talks with the Karnataka government and find an amicable settlement to the water problem and protect the welfare of the state's farmers, he added. (Agencies)
M Kumaran S/O Mahalakshmi
Sunday, October 10, 2004
-Malini Mannath, Newindpress The first part centres on the strong bonding between a single mother and her son, Mahalakshmi and Kumaran (Nadiya, Ravi), she grooming him to be a kick-boxer. Circumstances force Kumaran to take a trip to Malaysia to meet the father he's never known. Running a kick-boxing academy, Eashwar (Prakashraj) offers initial resistance to his son. But then comes the betrayal by his favourite student, and the son taking up his cause, and also taking care of the problems faced by his step-mother and sister, creates a strong bonding between them. The kick-boxing championship is shot well, though the ending is all too predictable. Ravi (his home production) has been groomed into a typical hero, romancing, fighting, dancing and emoting with equal flair. Asin (she'd acted in the original version) is just about adequate. Nadiya still retains her youthful looks and charm, and the audience comes to terms with her new role as the mother of a 20+ youth, gets distracted, the intensity of the bonding not really reaching across. Projecting splendidly the dilemma of a man caught between his family and the ambition to win the championship title is Prakashraj. Vivek pitches in his bit, and one appreciates his inclusion of social issues in his comedy track, but not the double entendres he tries to push in. It has some catchy numbers (Srikanth Deva), vibrantly choreographed, but interfering with the pace of the narrative. The film tends to lag at places, has no surprises to offer, and has all too many predictable situations, particularly towards the latter part. Incidentally,it's the same team that had given us the hit 'Jayam' (a remake), and for their second venture too they've chosen to remake a successful film from Telugu, but not with the same impact. Director: Raja; Cast: Ravi, Asin, Prakashraj, Nadiya, Vivek, Murthy, Aishwaria
Karnataka to address IT firms' concerns
Sunday, October 10, 2004
PTI BANGALORE: Karnataka government has started responding to the IT companies' criticism that Bangalore's roads and other infrastructure is in disrepair, promising that the city's roads, at least, will have been repaired and decongested by the end of October. The state’s IT Secretary K N Shankaralinge Gowda told reporters here on Saturday that the civic agencies had begun work at a fast pace to complete road repairs. Besides the IT department was in consultations with the police to "defer" movement of trucks during peak hours in the morning and evening to reduce traffic, he added. Gowda's promises come in response to the Bangalore-based IT companies' increasingly loud criticism that the government has been "apathetic" in addressing the problem of bad infrastructure. Bangalore Forum of IT Companies (BFIT), an informal conglomeration of R&D and technology firms which include Texas Instruments, Synopsis, vMoksha Technologies and Philips Software, had earlier decided not to participate in the next edition of Bangalore IT.Com in protest against the government's "apathy".
Pro-Kannada activists attack cinema house
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Pro-Kannada activists attack cinema house PTI[ SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2004 01:40:52 AM ] BANGALORE: Activists of a pro-Kannada organisation on Saturday damaged a multiplex here for showing Bollywood film Dhoom in defiance of a seven-week moratorium on the release of non-Kannada films in the state, police said. A cameraman of a Kannada television channel and a photographer of a local English daily covering the protest by the "Kannada Rakshana Vedike" were also allegedly assaulted and sustained injuries, police said. They said the activists broke window panes of the multiplex in the eastern part of the city for defying the moratorium imposed by the Kannada film industry and later vented their anger on the journalists. As per the moratorium, non-Kannada films should be screened in the state only after seven weeks of their release in their home states. A reporter of a television channel, who was on the spot, however, said the security personnel and the staff of the multiplex assaulted the journalists and a complaint had been lodged with the police in this regard. The police are yet to arrest the protesters, who escaped from the scene after pelting stones and the extent of damage caused to the multiplex is yet to be ascertained.
No end in sight to Kannada film controversy
Tuesday, October 5, 2004
The two warring groups of the Kannada film industry producers and exhibitors have refused to budge from their stances on the seven-week moratorium on release of non-Kannada films even as KFCC President H D Gangaraj expressed confidence that the crisis will be resolved in two days. Kannada Film Producers’ Association President Basant Kumar Patil reiterated on Sunday that he would not agree to reviewing the seven-week moratorium imposed on other language films. There is no question of reviewing the moratorium with respect to its period, Mr Patil asserted. Karnataka Film Exhibitors Federation President R R Odugoudar, on the other hand, stuck to his guns on simultaneous release. We will not agree to anything other than simultaneous release. Until the crisis is resolved, we will continue to release new non-Kannada films in north Karnataka, he added. Nevertheless, Mr Gangaraj was confident that the crisis would end within two days. Mr Gangaraj, who held a meeting with actor-politician Ambarish on Sunday, said a compromise formula would soon be announced after taking all into confidence. Meanwhile, a delegation of the Kannada film industry led by Mr Gangaraj is expected to hold talks with the AP Film Producers’ Council in Hyderabad on Monday to resolve the issue, according to a spokesman of the Council, DHNS reports from Hyderabad. AP producers had mobilised support for the ban on the Karnataka film industry which was announced here last week. Already distributors of Telugu films in Karnataka have asked for prints of five movies Gudamba Shankar, Gowri, Sye, 143 - I Miss You and Cheppave Chirugali for release in the North Karnataka region covering Hubli, Raichur and Bellary. This will help producers recoup 25-30 per cent of their losses, according to producer D Suresh Babu. However, a major chunk of the Telugu film market is in Bangalore and its surroundings. Meanwhile, in Bangalore, Malayalam superstar Mammootty said the Kannada film industry could impose certain restrictions on the screening of other language films in Bangalore City rather than stall the screening of these films. Speaking to Deccan Herald on the controversy, he said: Instead of stalling the screening of other language films, the Kannada film industry could seek tax exemption and instruct the theatres in the City to screen only Kannada movies on some days and screen other language films on the other days. He said that if the crisis continued, the people might lose interest in movies. Instead of taking such a stand, why can’t the Kannada film industry compete in quality and content with other language films? asked Mammootty. Mukesh, another cine star of the Malayalam film industry, was unhappy too over the developments in Kannada film industry. As a citizen of such a diverse country, (I feel) nobody has the right to restrict the screening of some films and encourage the screening of some other films. All language films must be given equal priority.
Kannada filmdom gets a breather
Tuesday, October 5, 2004
The Joint Action Committee of South Indian Film Chambers of Commerce (SIFCC) and Film Federation of India (FFI) has decided to temporarily shelve its plans to impose sanctions on Kannada films, in terms of exchange of artists, technicians and expertise. In a recent letter to the Karnataka Film Chambers of Commerce (KFCC), the action committee had said that it would not implement the proposed ban, in view of the initiatives taken by the newly-elected council of KFCC to resolve the crisis. No ban will be imposed on the Kannada film industry. The committee has decided against imposing the ban in view of KFCC’s efforts to resolve the crisis through talks, KFCC President H D Gangaraj told Deccan Herald on Monday. Participating in a meet-the-press programme organised by the Press Club of Bangalore, Mr Gangaraj said the standoff in the industry will be resolved soon and that actor-politician Ambarish had taken a keen interest in doing so. Once the crisis blew over, representatives of both FFI and SIFCC would be invited for talks to sort out the differences. As for his stand on the moratorium on new non-Kannada films, Mr Gangaraj said the delayed release issue should not be seen as a confrontation, but as an effort to save the local film industry.
Non-Kannada films fail to hit the screen
Saturday, October 2, 2004
BANGALORE, DHNS: Exhibitors’ threat to release three non-Kannada films on Friday fell flat on its face as none of them hit the screen. Also, the four-hour meeting among the three sectors of the film industry in Bangalore City on Friday bore no results. Thus, the seven-week moratorium on the release of non-Kannada films still remains in force. The meeting, chaired by actor-turned-politician Ambarish, who is mediating between the warring groups, actor Rajkumar’s wife Parvathamma Rajkumar and President of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce H D Gangaraj saw representatives of the three sectors of the film industry producers, exhibitors and distributors air their grievances. However, the meeting stuck to the decision that the seven-week moratorium on non-Kannada films must stay in the interest of the Kannada film industry. Ambarish said that it was probably for the first time that the producers, exhibitors and distributors came together on a common platform to discuss their problems. We will now discuss among ourselves and with the high-powered committee, constituted to resolve the crisis. A solution to end the film crisis will be evolved in a day or two. KFCC President Gangaraj said, We are hopeful that a solution will be arrived at by Saturday evening. Some trouble-makers threatened to set on fire theatres that defy the moratorium.
3 non-Kannada films to hit screens today
Friday, October 1, 2004
With the talks between the film exhibitors and the producers to resolve the ongoing crisis on the seven-week moratorium remaining inconclusive on Thursday, two new non-Kannada films will be screened on Friday. With this, two other language movies Popcorn Khao Mast Ho Jao (Hindi) and Alien vs Predator (English) which are scheduled for simultaneous release across the country, will be screened in over 16 cinema halls in Bangalore. Besides, Om Puri-starrer, King of Bollywood, released a week ago elsewhere, will also be screened. Theatre owners screening these movies in the city have sought police protection as their move will be in violation of the seven-week moratorium on other language films in the State. There is no change in our stand on releasing new films on Friday. All exhibitors affiliated to the Federation will go ahead with the release, Karnataka Film Exhibitors’ Federation President R R Odugoudar told reporters on Thursday. Call for debate All three warring factions of the industry exhibitors, producers and distributors have decided to hold an open debate on the ways and means to resolve the crisis on Friday. Ms Parvathamma Rajkumar and actor-politician Ambarish will chair the discussion. Producers’ Association President Basant Kumar Patil, Mr Odugoudar, KFCC President H D Gangaraj and others will participate. The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting between Exhibitors’ Federation and KFCC called by Ambarish at his residence on Thursday. The final decision on the crisis will be taken at the debate where representatives of all sectors will participate, Mr Gangaraj said. Meanwhile, City Police Commissioner S Mariswamy has said that he is not aware of the new development. We are not aware of the release of new non-Kannada films. Also, nobody has approached us asking for security, he said.
