Starry show at landmark event

Starry show at landmark event
DH News Service, Bangalore:
Tens of thousands of people turned up to witness a starry spectacle unfold before their eyes as stars from the film industry brought the magic of seventy-five years of Kannada cinema to life at the Bangalore Palace grounds on Sunday night.

The celebrations to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the first Kannada film Sati Sulochana was inaugurated in the presence of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and legendary southern Indian actor Kamal Hassan.

“Cinema is the most influential medium in the world and to show our government’s support we have alloted as much as rupees five crore in the budget for the industry,” Yeddyurappa said.

Actress Jayamala invoked the memory of Kannada cinema’s greatest artist Dr Rajkumar in her inaugural address saying, “The spirit of Dr Rajkumar will always be with us and I’m sure his spirit is present somewhere here today.”

The evening, however had its share of chaos, as the starry night threatened to turn into a star-struck night for politicians and organisers.

Surreal scenes of organisers chasing organisers and surprise visits by ministers quickly gave way to pure emotion as the 100,000 fans erupted upon catching a glimpse of Kannada matinee idols Sahasa Simha Vishnuvardhan and ‘Rebel Star’ Ambareesh on the stage. The two went on to wow the crowd with recollections of their years as fledgling stars.

During a brief delay caused by the unruly crowd, the driving force behind the event ‘Crazy Star’ V Ravichandran took to the stage and brought the fans under control in a typical “reel fashion”.

The entertainment programme that followed was classic celluloid as a spectrum of lasers and a galaxy of stars recreated the charm of the yesteryear cinema.

An ecclectical mixture of the old and the new was on display as dancers masqueraded as flowers, birds and other galactical bodies.

Scenes from Kannada cinema folklore were re-enacted to send the older members of the audience on a nostalgic trip.

The who’s who of the Kannada film industry, including B Saroja Devi, Sowcar Janaki and Lakshmi, were present.

Kannadiga spirit

The rapturous applause given to Kamal Hassan upon his arrival was a testimony to his status among film fans in South India, and yet another display of the Kannadiga spirit of respect, acceptance and appreciation of different cultures.

Kamal Hassan did not disppoint the fans when he addressed the multitude in impeccable Kannada. The clutch of ministers on the stage was in for some embarrassment as the star declared that politics and art did not go hand in hand.

“Art and politics are like oil and water, so don’t mix the two,” he said.
He also spoke of his fondness for Dr Rajkumar, and the great relationship that the two shared.
It was a balancing act for the organisers who were trying to get both the audience and the ministers seated as the attendance far exceeded the expectations from both parties.

Practically, the whole of Yeddyurappa's cabinet turned up at the celebrations to bask in the reflected glory of the stars.