Starring actors Raj Tarun, Varsha Bollamma, Murali Sharma, Indraja, and Vennela Kishore, the upcoming movie ‘Stand Up Rahul’, has grabbed attention.
The makers of this upcoming Telugu romantic comedy released the trailer, creating much anticipation.
As the trailer divulges the film’s storyline, hero Raj Tarun is established as a young man, who cannot put up with a regular job. The reason given for his inconsistent career path is his sarcasm.
Rahul (Raj Tarun), then decides to take up a job as a stand-up comedian, when his mother (role played by Indraja) is against the idea. Rahul’s father, a role played by Murali Sharma, on the other hand, encourages his son to take up the job, while his role is well-established as a new-age father.
The heroine in ‘Stand Up Rahul’ is established as a dreamer, who meets Rahul, and they start living-in, together. Vennela Kishore’s role seems to have acted in a lengthy role, after quite some time, and his scenes in the trailer amplify the hype.
The stand-up comic scenes imbibed in the trailer cut, seem to be interesting, while it is expected that the family audience will enjoy the movie.
Directed by Santo Mohan Veeranki, is being co-produced by Nandkumar Abbineni and Bharath Maguluri under the banners of Dream Town Productions and HighFive Pictures. ‘Stand Up Rahul’, is slated for its release on March 18.
source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home / by IANS / March 06th, 2022
From an abandoned barren land to a green lush private sanctuary, author Pamela Malhotra recounts the transformation.
Bengaluru :
Pamela Malhotra’s From the Heart of Nature (`599, Penguin Random House) documents the story behind the creation of a private forest sanctuary in India. More than just the struggle, Malhotra also recounts how she connected with animals and trees both at a physical and spiritual level.
What was the turning point in your life?
My husband Anil and I shared that love of wildlife and that dream. This realisation initially came while living in the USA in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which is why we established our first small wildlife sanctuary on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1979. When we came to India in January of 1986, we were quite upset by the deforestation we saw, especially in the Himalayas. We had gone to Haridwar and fell in love with the Himalayas. So, we purchased land in the Uttarkashi region to help reforest that area.
How did you zero-in on Kodagu?
There were land ceiling laws in the state (then Uttar Pradesh – now Uttarakhand) that limited a family to owning just 12 acres of land. There was not enough land for establishing a forest wildlife sanctuary through reforestation. Also, we had visited Nagarhole National Park in Jan 1986, where the then-Wildlife Warden of the Park urged us to establish our forest wildlife sanctuary in his home district of Kodagu. As a result my husband Anil travelled throughout southern India to see what he could find, finally finding suitable land in Kodagu. Purchasing larger pieces of land was possible here if the land was deemed ‘plantation’ and the purchaser was an agriculturalist which my husband was.
What were the initial struggles that you faced?
Accessing the land. It was almost impossible to bring in any kind of building materials for our home in the beginning due to the poor roads. So, my husband put loads of rocks and other road material into these dirt roads to help give us drivable access which was also a big boon for the local people. Another major challenge was the legal maze encountered in the district since lands were divided into several different categories, often with different rules/laws applying to different categories in terms of purchase and ownership. Acceptance by the local people was also initially a challenge, although the older generation did understand the importance of maintaining forests and not killing off all the wildlife. The most distressing challenges have been illegal logging and poaching of wildlife.
The sanctuary is spread across 300 acres, what are the kinds of species that are found there?
Hundreds of species have made the sanctuary their full-time home and/or come visit frequently. A short list of species found here includes 100s of species of butterflies and birds including Great Indian Hornbills and Malabar Grey Hornbills, Bengal tiger, Asian leopard, Asian elephant, sloth bear, dhole (Indian wild dog), Gaur (Indian bison), species of deer (sambar, cheetal, muntjac/barking deer) etc. So diverse are the species found here that one Oxford scientist dubbed our sanctuary ‘Noah’s Ark’.
You first purchased the land for the sanctuary in 1992, to create a private sanctuary. How did you decide on writing a book?
I hope to sow the seeds of love of nature in the hearts and minds of all who read the book, and to create a sacred perspective when viewing and dealing with nature.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Monica Monalisa, Express News Service / March 02nd, 2022
Fourth-year medical student says Poland, Hungary, Slovakia can admit students affected by the conflict
Unruffled over shelling at a distance in Kyiv amid the Russian forces’ approaching the capital, gritty Sinya V J from Ponnampet and fellow students came out of their bunker and walked about 12 km to reach the railway station to run off from the conflict zone as they realized it was a “do or die” situation.
“We had two options – either to stay back in the shelter or take the risk. We took the risk fully aware that missiles are being fired all over. Though it was dangerous, we walked praying for our safety and reached the station. Luckily, today I am in my country. I wish all students return home safely like me,” said Sinya, recalling her testing times in the war-hit country.
“If I had not taken the risk, my return could have been longer, keeping my family worried,” she added.
Sinya is a fourth-year medical student in Uzhhorod National University. Siniya could have been easily evacuated as Uzhhorod is in western Ukraine which shares its border with Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.
On February 24, Sinya was at Kyiv international airport to board a flight to Dubai to join her siblings for a vacation. She had no hint that she would have to undergo a lot of trauma as Russian forces attacked Ukraine the same day. “The flights got cancelled, I and other Indian students had to be moved to a shelter where I was put up for three days. We had to run for safety leaving our belongings at the airport,” she recalled.
On the fate of her medical education, Sinya says medical education appears uncertain in present Ukraine because of war. “I was told the students can take transfer to universities in Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. An academician from Hungary who was at the border told us about the option of taking transfer. If Ukraine is not possible again, the next best alternative is available since I don’t want to leave my studies midway as becoming a doctor is my biggest dream,” the 22-year-old girl told The Hindu.
To a question on why Ukraine is preferred for medical education, she says, “The education standards are good. Each batch has 15 students. There’s no pressure on students. Medical education has become possible for me despite being the daughter of a mechanic because there’s no donation in Ukraine. My relatives helped us mobilize resources for my education.”
Ukraine not just attracts Indian students but also those dreaming to become doctors from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nigeria and other nations. “Students from the UK also study. I had friends from London. The assessment is tough as the student has to qualify in an exam in the third year to study further. Overseas medical education is grossly misunderstood. I will return to my country with a medical degree and also clear the qualifying exam here,” a confident Sinya said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Shankar Bennur / Mysuru – March 03rd, 2022
A group photo of Kodava Samaja Mysuru (KSM) Management Committee Members for the year 2021-23
(Sitting from left):Chembanda Nanjamma Pemmaiah, President – Kodagu Sahakara Sangha (KSS), Ponjanda Lovely Appaiah, President – Shri Kaveri Kodagu Mahila Sangha (SKKMS), Appanderanda Tara Somaiah, Joint Secretary – KSM, Mukkatira B. Jeevan, Hon. Secretary – KSM, Mechanda M. Shashi Ponnappa, President – KSM, Malachira M. Ponnappa, Vice – President – KSM, Machimada P. Nanaiah, Hon. Treasurer – KSM, Kekada M. Belliappa, Chairman, Sree Cauvery Educational Institutions (SCEI) and Kuttimada D. Muthappa, President – Kodava Samaja Cultural and Sports Club; Committee Members – middle row from left: Kalyatanda Meena Ponnappa, Thapanda Latha Nanjunda, Ajjinikanda Manish Pemmaiah, Ponnimada K. Biddappa, Balekuttira M. Poonacha, Pattamada T. Charamana, Kanacherira N. Mohankumar, Kunjiyanda Robin, Chovanda B. Harish, Kotera Revathy Kushalappa and Palachanda Saraswathi Suresh; Standing top row from left: Anjaparavanda T. Chinnappa, Kanjithanda B. Kushalappa, Chottemanda U. Alok Appanna and Sadmudira S. Rashan Bopaiah.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Photo News / March 04th, 2022
Badsha’s ‘Tehey’ is a one-stop shop for a new bridal experience in city.
‘Tehey’ means layers in Sanskrit and there are layers of ceremonial wear — from exquisite bridal lehengas for the foremost bride to classy ethnic wear for the guests.
‘Tehey’ traces its roots to the early 1900s when a successful silk and cotton textile business was established by their ancestor Abdul Rehman Badsha and his four sons in Virajpet, Kodagu. The first formal retail outlet was opened in Mercara in 1922.
Now with the launch of ‘Tehey’ people can choose from a range of exclusively designed Indian ethnic occasion wear sarees, lehengas and salwars.
‘Tehey’ also offers Kodava attires for men and women, including the Kupya-Chele & Mande Tuni for men; Bottu Podiya, Kambi Podiya, Muskoli and Checked Vastra for women.
To enjoy the shopping experience, visit ‘Tehey’ which was inaugurated on D. Devaraj Urs Road in city on Feb. 26.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / March 03rd, 2022
He hopes govt. will help her continue her medical education in India after return Akshita Akkamma, a medical student from Kudlur village near Kushalnagar in Kodagu, is safe and about to cross the Ukrainian border to get evacuated from the war-hit country. However, her parents back home in Kodagu are still nervous until she reaches her home.
Her father I.P. Ramesh, an agriculturist, said, “I don’t want to send my daughter back to Ukraine after her return. We had a tough time worried about her safety after the war broke out. Hearing about shelling and explosions in Kharkiv, we had sleepless nights. We were slightly relieved after she rang up to tell us she had reached Livv and boarded a bus to reach the border to fly back to India.”
Akshita is a second-year student at Kharkiv National Medical University. “I don’t want my daughter to go back as her safety is important for us. Therefore, I urge the Government of India to make arrangements for her study in the country in whichever college it is possible as my daughter has put in two years of her study in Ukraine,” Mr. Ramesh suggested.
The coffee grower added, “In an exceptional case, a provision can be made for students wishing to stay in India, to continue medical education. I don’t think this is unachievable.”
Mr. Ramesh said “Fellow student Naveen’s tragic death shocked us and our apprehensions went up further since my daughter was also in Kharkiv which was witnessing heavy bombardment. Ukrainians are said to be getting first priority and then the girl students for boarding trains,” said the girl’s father.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – March 03rd, 2022
Amidst the blitzkrieg from the Russian military, three students from Kodagu managed to leave the conflict zones in Ukraine and safely returned to India much to the relief of their family members who were pleading for their safe evacuation ever since Russian forces invaded Ukraine.
Alisha Sayyad Ali, Siniya V.J. and M.P. Nirmala, who managed to reach the borders in available modes of transport from their respective cities, returned on Wednesday in the evacuation flights operated by the Indian government.
The girls’ return was confirmed to The Hindu by the Kodagu district administration, whose officials were in touch with the stranded students since the war broke out. A few of the students from Kodagu and Mysuru are said to have reached Poland and are waiting for their evacuation. All of them are safe.
Siniya, who landed in Bengaluru airport on Wednesday evening, was welcomed by her family members.
Jose, her uncle, said Siniya had to walk about 20 km from her shelter in Kyiv along with other students to the railway station to reach Livv. She was evacuated from Budapest in Hungary to New Delhi.
“Minutes before Siniya was supposed to board a flight to Dubai on February 24 from Kyiv to join her sister for a vacation, Russian forces attacked Ukraine and the flights got cancelled. She had to rush back to her accommodation in available means of transport for her safety. Her 40-kg baggage was stuck in Kyiv airport and she flew to India with only a few pairs of clothes as all her belongings are at the airport,” Mr. Jose said.
Alisha, a student of Ivan Francisco Medical University, has also returned.
M.P. Nirmala, a student of Bogomoleth National Medical University in Kyiv, was stranded at a school after the invasion. Her mother Rajani was praying for her early return, pleading with the authorities for her evacuation. Ms Rajani said, “My daughter landed in Delhi this morning and is on her way to Bengaluru.”
Karthik, brother of Likith, who was stranded in Kharkiv with eight others, said his brother and some of his friends have reached Poland. “It was tough for them to reach the borders but they managed and are now away from the conflict zone Kharkiv which is under siege. They are waiting for their turn to board the next evacuation flights,” he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – March 02nd, 2022
He hopes govt. will help her continue her medical education in India after return
Akshita Akkamma, a medical student from Kudlur village near Kushalnagar in Kodagu, is safe and about to cross the Ukrainian border to get evacuated from the war-hit country. However, her parents back home in Kodagu are still nervous until she reaches her home.
Her father I.P. Ramesh, an agriculturist, said, “I don’t want to send my daughter back to Ukraine after her return. We had a tough time worried about her safety after the war broke out. Hearing about shelling and explosions in Kharkiv, we had sleepless nights. We were slightly relieved after she rang up to tell us she had reached Livv and boarded a bus to reach the border to fly back to India.”
Akshita is a second-year student at Kharkiv National Medical University. “I don’t want my daughter to go back as her safety is important for us. Therefore, I urge the Government of India to make arrangements for her study in the country in whichever college it is possible as my daughter has put in two years of her study in Ukraine,” Mr. Ramesh suggested.
The coffee grower added, “In an exceptional case, a provision can be made for students wishing to stay in India, to continue medical education. I don’t think this is unachievable.”
Mr. Ramesh said “Fellow student Naveen’s tragic death shocked us and our apprehensions went up further since my daughter was also in Kharkiv which was witnessing heavy bombardment. Ukrainians are said to be getting first priority and then the girl students for boarding trains,” said the girl’s father.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / TheHindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – March 03rd, 2022
Madeeha received support from the Indian Embassy. She was among the 240 Indian students who were evacuated from Ukraine on Monday.
Madeeha MG
Madikeri :
A girl from Kodagu studying in Ukraine has returned to Karnataka safely.
However, she has requested the Indian Embassy to help numerous other students who are trapped in the war zone.
Madeeha MG, daughter of Gafoor MM, is a resident of Gonikoppal in Kodagu. Madeeha is pursuing her first-year MBBS in Uzhhorod city of Ukraine at the Uzhhorod National University.
“I left for Uzhhorod on January 14. Uzhhorod City is safe and there was no bombing in the city,” Madeeha shared.
She, however, felt a sense of panic following the news of the war. “I kept getting updates on the war from Indian news channels and I panicked a bit. My parents were also worried. However, the University supported us,” she explained.
The University arranged for a bus to reach the Hungary border and once they crossed the border, Madeeha received support from the Indian Embassy.
“As soon as we reached Hungary, facilities were extended to us by the Indian Embassy. From Hungary, we boarded a flight arranged by the Embassy to reach Budapest Airport. From here, we reached Delhi. At the Delhi Airport, the Karnataka state government had arranged for a flight to Bengaluru and we landed safely in Bengaluru,” she said.
She was among the 240 Indian students who were evacuated from Ukraine on Monday. She appealed to the Indian Embassy to help evacuate numerous other students who are stuck in the war zone.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Prajna GR, Express News Service / March 01st, 2022
Rashmika Mandanna will be seen next in the Telugu film ‘Aadavallu Meeku Johaarlu’
Beyond the starry aura, Rashmika Mandanna declares she is a happy 20-something making memories of a lifetime.
There was a time when a trip to Bengaluru from her hometown Virajpet in Kodagu district was special for actor Rashmika Mandanna. “It was our Paris,” declared Rashmika Mandanna to this writer a few years ago. Today, she is a pan-Indian star straddling Telugu and Hindi cinema and basking in the spotlight after the stupendous success of Pushpa – the Rise. In Hyderabad for her new Telugu film Aadavallu Meeku Johaarlu, which releases in theatres on March 4, Rashmika Mandanna says with a hearty laugh: “It feels surreal when I think how my life has changed in the last five years. Hyderabad has nearly become home and I am often travelling to Mumbai and other cities for work.”
Her staff reminds her that she hasn’t had her meal yet, but she insists on this quick conversation first: “It is my responsibility to fulfill my commitments.”
Rashmika Mandanna remembers the time she filmed for the Kannada film Kirik Party as a teenager: “I had no idea about films, camera or acting. I went to the film sets from my college hostel. I am still discovering the real me, but I am becoming comfortable with being in the spotlight.”
At 25, Mandanna has captured the attention of filmgoers in different languages. “A lot of what makes a star, I think, are the choices made off-screen, rather than the on-screen performances. Do I want to workout to look a certain way, how much can I push myself as an actor and what sort of a person I am on and off set… all this matters. The 20s is the time one begins to explore the world, and all that confidence shows on screen.”
Rashmika Mandanna has been a part of big budget films since the beginning, and her career is further on the rise after Pushpa, but she reckons that every film she has done so far has helped her reach where she is: “Had I not done Kirik Party or Chalo (Telugu), I would not have been chosen for Geeta Govindam. I am conscious that the scripts I choose today will shape who I am tomorrow.”
Currently working on two Hindi films — director Shantanu Bagchi’s spy thriller Mission Majnu co-starring Siddharth Malhotra and director Vikas Bahl’s Goodbye co-starring Amitabh Bachchan, she says, “There are times I am overwhelmed when I think of the big people I am getting to meet and work with. The other day I was telling my mom, ‘do you realise I am an actor?’ I have to remind myself that unless I am in the moment, confident and capable, I cannot do justice to my work.”
Sharwanand and Rashmika Mandanna in ‘Aadavallu Meeku Johaarlu’
Aadavallu Meeku Johaarlu, written and directed by Kishore Tirumala, is a comedy family drama where Rashmika stars alongside Sharwanand and a line-up of talented female actors including Radhika, Khushboo and Urvashi. “When Kishore sir narrated the story, I was curious about the female actors in these important roles. I couldn’t believe my ears when he reeled off the names. The cast is a huge plus for the film.”
On the sets, Mandanna found herself observing Urvashi, Khushboo and Radhika closely, trying to absorb whatever she could to hone her craft. “Initially I was scared to be in the presence of these talented and beautiful women. Urvashi and Radhika ma’am were together in most scenes and they were incredibly funny. They made everything appear so easy. When Khushbhoo ma’am walked in, I was taken in by her grace and poise. I got to talk to all of them about life, families, pets, how they handled their career… I feel blessed that I have been able to work with them.”
Earlier, Rashmika Mandanna was perceived to be an outsider in Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai. She says she has begun to imbibe the best of cultures from different cities and film industries: “Whichever set I enter, for the first few days people think I am pretending to be nice to them. A month later they would tell me that they did not expect me to be so warm. But then, I am a people’s person. If I am going to spend so much time working, I might as well have fun and make memories to cherish.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainmen> Movies / by Sangeetha Devi Dundoo / March 01st, 2022
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