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
Publisher : Adiraaj Prakashana, 245/F, 5th West Cross, Uttaradhi Mutt Road, Mysuru. For book contact: 98445-76429. E-mail: ananth.alpinia@gmail.com
This is an age of information. Thanks to the quantum development in the area of information technology like never before. Books, newspapers, radio, telephone, internet etc., enable this revolution with speed and spread of information. But behind all these media blitzkrieg and bombardment is a journalist who provides the content. Smile please!
Being a journalist, it is natural for me to evince interest in the area of journalism and all that is related to that activity.
A few days back I learnt that B.G. Anantha Shayana, the senior journalist and the consulting editor of Kannada daily ‘Shakti’, Kodagu district, who is also the correspondent of United News of India (UNI), has written a book about his experience as a journalist.
Kodagu being my home district and having done my SSLC in Madikeri Government Central School and then the graduation there, the book interested me much, coming as it was from the editor of Kodagu’s first and only favourite Kannada newspaper even today. It was started in 1957 when I was in the second intermediate (1957-58). I was a witness to its founder-editor B.S. Gopalakrishna, a fair complexioned person with rotund visage, working at the slanting composing table, standing head bent over the wooden type-setting board. The press was at the landmark (for those days) “chowki”, where four roads converged. His was a gradual growth as a publisher and writer against all odds.
When I left Madikeri after graduation in the year 1959, Shakti had become a noted local paper in Madikeri spreading its wings across Kodagu. Now 65 years on, it is still an iconic newspaper in Kodagu. This was possible because of B.S. Gopalakrishna’s three sons who took over the reins and responsibility to keep the flag of success flying high. One of the sons is B.G. Anantha Shayana, the author of the book “Sodaru”. “Sodaru” in old Kannada means light, lamp.
This book of 98 pages is all about the author’s experience as a journalist, executive and tourist abroad. He also speaks of ethical values to be followed in the profession and about the personal risk a reporter-journalist unwittingly faces in his over-enthusiasm. His every experience is illustrated in detail and this makes the book unputdownable for any journalist. I finished reading it in one sitting and then decided to write this column.
Let me share some of his experiences here with my own remarks as an intervention! Anantha Shayana has in a way delivered a sermon and also given a road-map for aspiring journalists. Therefore, this book may be recommended as an optional reader for students of journalism in their graduate or post-graduate classes. I am sure many working or retired journalists, including myself, would have had similar experience if not the exact ones.
The author speaks of the importance of correct information a journalist collects and gives the example of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamiji of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt, Tamil Nadu. That on August 23, 1997, the Swamiji had suddenly and clandestinely left the mutt and disappeared. That naturally made national and even international news. Those days telephone communication was outdated and difficult. Author Anantha Shayana got a phone call in the morning from his friend in Talacauvery (birth place of river Cauvery) in Kodagu. The call was made by his friend after walking 8 kms from Talacauvery to the nearest telephone booth in Bhagamandala, a township. By now an all India search for the Swamiji was launched on a war-footing. The caller said, “Anantha, three days back at midnight some Swamiji has come here with a small group. When asked who he was, nobody opens mouth. Must be a very famous Swamiji.”
uthor says when he went there immediately, the Swamiji’s followers did not allow him to meet the Swamiji. However, when he said he was from UNI, he was allowed on assurance that it would make all India news! So it was, he was the first person to break this news.
By the way, I too reached there with our Mysuru journalists and met him at Talacauvery. But, what is important here is that UNI did not publish the news of finding the Swamiji IMMEDIATELY. The UNI Bengaluru and Delhi Office had called Anantha Shayana over 10 times to urge him to check, check and check again and confirm. They even asked him to go to Talacauvery once again. Further, UNI sent its Mysuru correspondent to Anantha Shayana in Kodagu to go again to Talacauvery. It was only then the UNI flashed the news, though many hours late, as “Sri Jayendra Saraswathi traced.”
This is called responsible journalism and responsible journalist on the spot. Which is why the motto of Star of Mysore printed on the second page declares: “We believe comment is free, but facts are sacred.” Sadly, these days we find more arm-chair journalists looking into a cellphone in hand, sometimes purveying fake news.
Be that as it may, I found in his one observation about the truth all the local newspaper editors and journalists come face-to-face with unlike the State and National newspapers. His observation is that what appears in those big newspapers do not embolden the reader, about whom a negative news has appeared, to directly go and attack the editor or the journalists. But the local, small-town or rural newspaper editors and journalists become direct targets of attacks and protests. Since I am a victim of this behaviour of readers, criminals, the corrupt and anti-socials, I can vouch 100 percent for what Anantha Shayana has written.
Writing about paparazzi and the British Princess Diana, the author refers to the famous photograph of her boyfriend Dodi Fayad and herself in a kissing pose under the caption “The Kiss.” He says the photographer was paid millions of dollars for this picture. However, sadly it was this obsession to take her photographs that led to the accident killing both of them. The moral Anantha Shayana says is that though a journalist should be a news hound, he should not intrude upon another person’s privacy.
We have seen on TV and read in newspapers some of our opposition leaders going abroad to Harvard, Oxford and elsewhere and giving lectures and interviews to the media criticising India, its government, its democracy and shaming India in foreign countries. But I was delighted to read in the book how the editor of a small district vernacular paper “Shakti” Anantha Shayana dealt with a delicate, despicable situation in a foreign country, Australia, where he went with seven of his friends. Anantha Shayana writes that in Australia they visited a primary school where he asked the group of six students what they knew about India. To his shock, instead of an answer he got a question from a student: Are you not afraid to live in India?
“Why should I?” said Anantha Shayana and asked, “Why do you ask me that question?” Then it became a kind of free-for-all. One said, India was a land of snakes and snake-charmers. “Do you know how to catch snakes?” another wanted to know. “Are there too many beggars? Do you have good houses to live? Do you have cars?” etc., etc. He then asked them if they had read any books on India. No, was the answer. Their opinion of India was hearsay.
Then Anantha Shayana took a class on India to them dropping famous names of politicians, Gandhiji, Generals, educationists, philosophers, space research, the heritage, culture etc. After he finished, one boy said, “I want to visit India.” When some of our opposition leaders visited England and Europe, nobody said “I want to visit India” because they were told by our own opposition politician that India is not a good place where democracy is dying or dead.
Anantha Shayana also writes about his meeting with two spiritual persons. One was Dalai Lama at Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh.
Question: Will you wage a war against China?
Answer: Many nations in the world support us. One day we will win.
Question: But your youth organisations feel it is not possible to win back Tibet by peaceful means. What do say?
Answer: I am not in administration. I am engaged in matters spiritual. There is an elected government here in exile. They will look into it.
Question: Buddha gave up his palace and after meditating under a tree got enlightened. But you crossed Himalayas, came here and built golden temples, leading luxurious life with cars and palace-like residences.
Anantha Shayana says, Dalai Lama did not have an answer but brushed it aside saying, “These are the mischief played by monks. I don’t know anything.”
Another spiritual person Anantha Shayana mentions is one who became famous for teaching the art of living. Anantha Shayana met him when he visited Kodagu. The spiritual master told, “For propagating spiritual education I have trained 5,000 teachers. They will go to different parts of the country and teach art of living.”
According to Hindu Sanatana Dharma, only the enlightened souls can teach spiritual matters to the seekers. So Anantha Shayana asked: Are all these 5,000 teachers you have trained enlightened?
He did not like the question and he did not answer either.
Moral: Though unpalatable, the journalist must ask intelligent, probing questions.
e-mail: voice@starofmysore.com
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Abracadabra> Columns / by K.B. Ganapathy / May 08th, 2023
Pan-India actress and ‘National Crush of India’ Rashmika Mandanna is ‘Coorg Person of the Year-2022.’
Rashmika, hailing from Virajpet in Kodagu (Coorg) district, was selected ‘Coorg Person of the Year’ in a poll conducted by www.coorgtourisminfo.com, Kodagu’s first news portal promoted by journalist and author P.T. Bopanna.
Rashmika Mandanna, who achieved phenomenal success in the pan-India movie ‘Pushpa-The Rise,’ has brought focus on the tiny hill district of Coorg, a popular tourist destination inhabited by the Kodavas, who have a unique culture.
Rashmika, who has become a household name through her acting and dancing skills, has emerged as an unofficial ‘brand ambassador’ for Kodagu culture. She has thrown the spotlight on the Kodava (Coorg) saree which involves tucking the pleats at the back of the waist, instead of the front. She has also popularised Coorg cuisine through her media interactions.
On the professional front, she is the reigning queen in the Telugu film industry and made her debut in Bollywood through ‘Goodbye’ starring Amitabh Bachchan. Rashmika-starrer ‘Mission Majnu’ is set for a January 20 release on Netflix.
Rashmika, who made her acting debut in the Kannada film ‘Kirik Party’ in 2016, has been associated with commercially successful films that include ‘Anjani Putra’ (2017), ‘Geetha Govindam’ (2018), ‘Yajamana’ (2019), ‘Sarileru Neekevvaru’ (2020), ‘Pogaru’ (2021) and ‘Sita Ramam’ (2022). Rashmika made her Tamil entry with ‘Sulthan’ opposite Karthi.
Born on April 5, 1996, she is the daughter of Mundachadira Madan Mandanna and Suman.
She did her schooling at the Coorg Public School (COPS), Gonikoppal, Kodagu. She studied for a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Journalism and English Literature at the M.S. Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce in Bengaluru.
Along with her studies, she took up modelling. Rashmika got a break after she won the ‘Times Fresh Face’ title in 2014. There has been no looking back ever since.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / January 03rd, 2023
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