Monthly Archives: September 2013

Bhansali gives actors freedom: Gulshan Devaiah

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

Director Anurag Kashyap, actor Gulshan Devaiah, actor Prashant Prakash and actress Kalki Koechlin pose during the photocall of 'That girl in yellow boots' at the 67th Venice Film Festival on September 9, 2010 at Venice Lido.
Director Anurag Kashyap, actor Gulshan Devaiah, actor Prashant Prakash and actress Kalki Koechlin pose during the photocall of ‘That girl in yellow boots’ at the 67th Venice Film Festival on September 9, 2010 at Venice Lido.

Mumbai :

Actor Gulshan Devaiah, who will be seen in a villainous avatar in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Ram Leela”, praises the filmmaker known as a hard taskmaster, for giving his actors freedom to experiment with their characters.

Gulshan made his debut with Bejoy Nambiar’s “Shaitan” in 2011.

“It was great working with Sanjay Leela. I worked with great freedom. Whatever ideas I used to have for my character, he used to let me experiment,” Gulshan told reporters Wednesday at the premiere of his film “Prague”.

“It would be wrong to say that one cannot work freely with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Those who say this, they don’t know the filmmaker very well,” he added.

Set in the backdrop of Gujarat, the film is said to be an adaptation of Shakespeare’s epic love story, “Romeo and Juliet”. The film is set for release Nov 29.

Gulshan is also in awe of his co-actor Ranveer Singh who plays the lead in the film opposite Deepika Padukone.

“Ranveer is very energetic. Whatever he does, he does it the best. Perhaps there is nobody like him. He is unique,” said Gulshan.
IANS

Source: http://india.nydailynews.com/ NYDailyNews.com / Home> News> Desi / by IANS / Thursday – September 26th, 2013

CM promises ` 75 lakh for Madikeri Dasara

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Need to give wide publicity to Madikeri Dasara, says DC

Chief Minister has agreed to release Rs 75 lakh for Madikeri Dasara celebrations. All measures will be initiated to observe Dasara with pomp and traditional fervour, said Dasara samithi working president K M Ganesh.

Speaking after meeting Deputy Commissioner Anurag Tiwari on Tuesday, he said that cultural programmes as a part of Dasara celebrations will be held at Gandhi Maidan. Preparations are on for the celebrations.

With the help of Kannada and Culture department, tourism and transport department, Dasara will be made attractive, said samithi leader H M Nandakumar.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner Anurag Tiwari said that all should join hands with each other to celebrate the festival grandiosely. There is a need to give publicity to the celebrations through website. All the programme schedules should be updated via website daily.

The DC said that logo should be prepared and released by District-in-Charge Minister. Dasara details should reach people of Mysore, Bangalore and North Karnataka. There is a need to give wide publicity to the Dasara celebrations in Madikeri. Honorary president V P Suresh, Kodi Chandrashekar, Chummi Devaiah and CMC Commissioner N M Shashikumar were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / DHNS / Madikeri – September 10th, 2013

Business Line scribe wins award for reporting on agriculture

Agriculture, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Hyderabad :

K.V. Kurmanath, Senior Assistant Editor, Business Line, has been conferred the ‘Rythu Nestam’ Award – 2013 for excellence in agricultural reporting.

Kurmanath has specialised in agricultural reporting and been writing for over two decades including the last 10 years in Business Line.

The awards have been instituted by agricultural monthly/daily, Rythu Nestam, on the occasion of its ninth anniversary. The categories of awards included farmers, agricultural scientists and journalists.

K. Rosaiah, Governor of Tamil Nadu, gave away the awards to the winners at a function here on Thursday.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Industry> Agri-Biz / by the Hindu Bureau / September 26th, 2013

Annual Meet of Kodava Samaja – 35th AGM

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

The 35th annual general body meeting of Kodava Samaja will be held on Sept. 29 at its premises in 1st Stage, Vijayanagar at 10 am.

Samaja Vice-President Moovera K. Kuttappa will preside over the meet. A special general body meet will also be held on the same day, at 9.30 am, according to Kodava Samaja’s Hon. Secretary Kekada M. Belliappa.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> In Brief / September 25th, 2013

The lost glory of a missing tribe

About Kodagu / Coorg, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence

The land of Kodagu or Coorg — the source of the river Cauvery — with its lush hills, forest streams and plentiful wildlife and flora has been home to the Kodavas, as well as a number of forest-dwelling tribes, since time immemorial.

Over the centuries, the hills hid the tiny region from the eyes of the world, offering the people the freedom to roam the dense forests they loved and respected as their home.
A student of social anthropology from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, Kaveri Ponnapa spent 15 years researching The Vanishing Kodavas — crisscrossing the length and breadth of Kodagu, attending village festivals, participating in ceremonies propitiating ancestors, harvest festivals, marriages, deaths and ceremonies where the spirits of the ancestors speak through oracles. What struck her most poignantly was that with each passing year, there were fewer dancers, fewer singers and the voices of change were even more strident.
BookKF29sept2013
Her book, The Vanishing Kodavas, thus seeks to capture the spirit of a people and the motivations that shaped their traditions — the events that fashioned them and made them unique. The book is full of information — stories, myths and legends, the tragic history of the people, the poetic songs composed by rough warriors to whom routine violence was a way of life. As Ponnapa explains, “In a country as large as this one, small cultures tend to be overlooked or ‘lost’ quite easily. The Kodavas, one of the smallest groups, have contributed significantly to the country in many fields… There are many such small cultures like this one across the world that just add to the richness of human diversity…”

The book also explores the unique role the tiny kingdom of Kodagu, ruled by Lingayat rajas, supported by a council of Kodava chieftains, played in the rise of the East India Company in southern India. Until recently, these official manuals and gazetteers’ accounts, authored by missionaries and official historians of the East India Company written with an eye on official censorship, were the only source-books for most contemporary accounts of Kodagu’s history. They projected a completely distorted picture of the rajas of Kodagu portraying them as bloodthirsty tyrants, almost obliterating all memory of the loyalty and affection the people of Kodagu demonstrated time and again for their kings, over more than two centuries of their co-existence that survived only in the folk history of the land.

Using official records, correspondence, colonial accounts, the recorded history of the rajas of Kodagu and the oral histories of the Kodava people themselves and combining this with some 300 spectacular photographs, Ponnapa has created a rich and engrossing account of one of the most enigmatic people who have fascinated generations of scholars, administrators and anthropologists.

The easy narrative style of the book makes it accessible to a wide readership and the serious research that has gone into the writing makes it an important reference work on a fast disappearing culture and a base for further academic studies.

Ashwin Coelho is a social anthropologist

source: http://www.asianage.com / The Asian Age / Home> Books / by Ashwin Coelho /
September 22nd, 2013

Jawaid Akhtar Elected Chairperson of International Coffee Council

Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Leaders, World Opinion

Jawaid Akhtar, the Chairman of Coffee Board of India, was elected as the Chairperson of the International Coffee Council at the meetings of the International Coffee Organization which took place on 9 September 2013 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The 111th session of the Council and the meetings took place from 9 September 2013- 12 September 2013.

At the same time, Conradin Rasi of Switzerland was elected as the Vice-Chairperson of the International Coffee Council. The Council also appointed Juan Esteban Orduz of Colombia as the Chairperson of the Consultative Forum.

About the International Coffee Organization (ICO)

• The International Coffee Organization was established in 1963 in London.
• It was initiated with the United Nations (UN) to increase cooperation among the nations which produce, distribute and consume coffee.
• The International Coffee Organization was formed as a result of the five-year International Coffee Agreement signed in 1962 at the UN in New York.
• Till the year 2011, it comprised of 39 members, which included 33 exporting nations, 5 importing countries and one importing community, i.e., the European Union.
• The highest body of the ICO is International Coffee Council. It meets two times a year and the Private Sector Consultative Board of ICO includes 16 representatives from coffee production and consumption industries.
• The members of ICO represent 97 percent of the world coffee production and more than 80 percent of the world consumption.

source: http://www.jagranjosh.com / Jagran Josh / Home> Current Affairs / September 21st, 2013

A chat with Namma Hudugi Nidhi Subbaiah

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

NidhiKF28sept2013
Mysore :
by S.N. Venkatnag Sobers

After having found success in the Kannada film industry, namma hudugi Nidhi Subbaiah has landed in Bollywood in search of success again. After having made her debut through Ajab Gazab Love opposite Jaccky Bhagnani, Nidhi is trying to establish herself in the glamour world by signing more movies.

Nidhi was in Mysore after her latest triumph at South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA), where she was adjudged the Best Actress in a supporting role for the movie ‘Anna Bond.’

Star of Mysore caught up with the actress during her visit to the city to attend a private event.

Star of Mysore (SOM): You have found success in Kannada film industry, then why Bollywood?

Nidhi Subbaiah: I have always wanted to try new things. I want to live my life on the edge. In fact, one of my teachers asked me the same question. But, for me to be a part of the industry where you are treated as a newcomer and get to meet a lot of people is what is important. I believe I have the guts to take up new assignments and start my career from the scratch.

SOM: Now that you are in Mumbai, will you continue to do Kannada movies?

Nidhi: Of course. It depends on the offers and also the team I am working with. In fact, director Yograj Bhat is my favourite and there are also few actors with whom I am in constant touch. Just to say, one of the senior actors whom I met recently at the SIIMA awards in Dubai said that I had to stay in Bangalore instead of shifting to Mumbai. But, if I get good script and good director, I will definitely do a Kannada movie. People think I have left Kannada film industry which is not true. I love to do a lot of Kannada movies. (Tapping on the table) Touchwood, I have been getting offers for Kannada movies. Hope, it continues in the future.

SOM: It’s been almost five years since you entered the movie industry. How has your experience been so far?

Nidhi: There is nothing like show business and cinema. It has been wonderful experience to be a part of the film industry. Compared to others, I am very new to the industry. With no God fathers in the industry, I have been able to reach a level where people have recognised me and my talent. But, my ultimate aim is to reach a level where people should say that’s our girl who is topping in the film industry.

SOM: How did you get into glamour world?

Nidhi: Initially, I had never thought of becoming an actress. I was into sports and very much involved in sailing. But, it so happened that during my college days, I happened to participate in a fashion show. The organisers of the show called me for an audition and from then, I started modelling and ads. In fact, my first ad was for ‘Fair & Lovely.’ Later, got offers in the movies and that’s how I entered movies.

SOM: Who is your favourite co-star in the film industry?

Nidhi: This is a difficult question. Every one so far has been good to me. Diganth has been like a buddy, while I had good time shooting with Puneeth and Priyamani during ‘Anna Bond’. In fact, people say that two actresses do not gel with each other. But in me and Priyamani’s case, we gelled with each other and still are good friends.

SOM: What do you have to say about casting couch in film industry?

Nidhi: It is there everywhere, be it film industry or IT sector. People are not bothered to know about the other sectors, but are more interested to know things happening in film industry. It is up to the person, whether he/she wants to use the wrong way to success. But, people also judge a person’s character by their approach.

SOM: Who has been your inspiration to enter film world?

Nidhi: (Thinks for a while)… As a child I used to watch a lot of movies. Especially, movies with Kajol as the lead actress. Though, at that point of time I barely understood the language, I used to pester my friends and parents to accompany me to theatres which screened Kajol movies. She has been my inspiration.

SOM: What do you have to say to those aspiring to enter the film world?

Nidhi: It is important for a person to set priorities right before entering the films. They should not think about short cuts to success and should be a balanced person. The most important is not to get carried away with the success.

SOM: What do have to say about Mysore?

Nidhi: (Gets a little exited)… What should I say about Mysore? It is the place where I grew up. Unfortunately, I miss Mysore a lot since I have shifted to Mumbai. But, still I make sure to visit Mysore once in three months. Earlier, I used to come to Mysore on weekends when I was in Bangalore. There is no city like Mysore where people are soft-hearted and friendly. Love to be here always. (she signs off and heads for the makeup).

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / September 22nd, 2013

Package tours planned in five circuits during Dasara

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

A breathtaking view of Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta./ Photo: M.A. Sriram / The Hindu
A breathtaking view of Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta./ Photo: M.A. Sriram / The Hindu

The tours will be conducted by KSTDC from Mysore

Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) has identified five circuits to operate special tour packages for domestic and international tourists visiting Mysore during Dasara this October.

Bookings for the package tours, to be conducted in air-conditioned buses, were expected to be announced shortly.

Tourism spots in Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Mandya and Kodagu districts will be covered in the one-day tour packages, which also includes lunch at a KSTDC-operated restaurant.

If the response to this venture is good, the KSTDC will add more buses from its fleet of 52 luxury buses to operate the tours, officials said.

The five package tours start and end in Mysore. They are: Mysore–Biligiriranga Hills–K. Gudi–Mysore at Rs. 395 per person; Mysore–Nanjangud–Himavad Gopalaswamy Hills–Bandipur National Park–Mysore at Rs. 390 per person; Mysore–Ranganathittu–Srirangapatna–Kokkare Bellur–Mysore at Rs. 380 per person; Mysore–Somanathapura–Talakad–Shimsha–Mysore at Rs. 390 per person and Mysore–Madikeri–Mysore (including local sightseeing) at Rs. 450 per person.

KSTDC managing director C.D. Dyavaiah told The Hindu that the tour package includes the guide service and a vegetarian meal.

“These packages are being launched only for Dasara. In case of good response, we will extend the services for a couple of weeks,” he said.

ADDITIONAL FACILITIES

Mr. Dyavaiah said the KSTDC’s properties in Mysore and Madikeri were renovated recently. The Mysore property, Hoysala, on JLB Road, will be inaugurated next week. In addition to the 20 luxury rooms, 13 A/C rooms had been added, he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Shankar Bennur / Mysore – September 21st, 2013

Red Carpet Reels back with Kokila Mohan’s ‘Nanthara’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

New Delhi:

Red Carpet Reels which had declared that ‘Ashokavana’ a few years ago in 2010, is back with a new title ‘Nanthara’, which stars Kokila Mohan and Dimple Chopda in lead roles.

If reports are to be believed, the shoot of ‘Nanthara’ which has Murali, Suresh, Ravi as producers has finished in Madikeri, Vizag and Bangalore.

While the film has been directed by Sam J Chaitanya, its music has been composed by A Madhusoodhan and lyrics penned by V Manohar and Nagendra Prasad.

As far as the supporting cast of ‘Nanthara’ goes, it features Sadhu Kokila, Satyaprakash, Harshavardhana and Rachana Mourya and others.

Kokila Mohan made a comeback to Kannada cinema after a long gap in ‘Gautham’. ‘Shuba Kala Barthaithe’, which has been directed by TS Nagabharana, is another unfinished project of Kokila Mohan.

source: http://www.ibnlive.in / IBNLive.com / Home / September 20th, 2013

Have to improve our standard: Arjun Halappa

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports

Chennai :

Arjun Halappa did not think twice before taking up the national selector’s job offered by Hockey India secretary Narinder Batra in June.

The former India midfielder thought his association with Air India, who he continues to play for, and his previous experience with the national team will help him judge the players’ performances better . Picking the squad for the Asia Cup was Halappa’s first assignment as part of the nine-member selection panel.

According to Halappa, the Indian players shouldn’t get carried away with the recent success as world-class teams like Germany, Australia, Korea, Holland, New Zealand and England await them in next year’s World Cup.

“I was surprised at the euphoria after India qualified for the London Olympics. It shows that the common people didn’t expect India, who ruled hockey for decades , to make it to the Games. We have to improve our standard. I know we don’t have infrastructure like Holland or Germany but we can do well if we utilize the existing facilities. We need to channelize talent properly,” he said.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> Hockey> Air India / by Krishna Kanta Chakraborty, TNN / September 19th, 2013