Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)
Mangaluru, Sep 28: The Mangaluru Press Club's Guest of Honour Award was presented to renowned theater and movie director and Karnataka Nataka Academy Awardee Vijaykumar Kodialbail here at the press club on Thursday, September 28.
After receiving the award, Kodialbail recalled his life's journey from Pune of Maharashtra to Mangaluru in Karnataka after the demise of his father. Kodialbail said, “I am really glad to receive this Guest of Honour Award conferred by journalists through the Mangaluru Press Club. They have considered me for this honour without any application. I was born in Pune. I completed my education till class 9 in Pune. After the death of my father, our family had to return to Mangaluru.
"The poverty I faced in my life in my childhood changed my future. When I was studying in class 9 in Mangaluru, to maintain my financial condition, I worked in the dispatching unit of Navbharath newspaper. After 1 am or 2 am, we could talk to senior journalist Manohar Prasad. He always guided us. When the newspaper was shut, I joined the new emerging newspaper Udayavani. I used to sell the newspaper in bus stands. But, for some reason, I had to quit the job," Kodialbail said.
He gathered that he had sold milk to houses and later ran a business in Panambur industrial area for 20 years after discontinuing his education in second PU.
"I came to the theater to become an artiste. Also inspired by K N Tailor's drama, I played roles in a few dramas. Once, one of my friends inspired me to write a play of my own. Hence, in the year 1983, I wrote my first drama 'Taiyya Takka Taiyya'. Though the drama flopped, the immediate next drama 'Oriye Mage' portraying Devadas Kapikad in the lead role became a great success. Even, he acted in 25 shows.
“Later, I wrote several plays including, 'Onji Nimisha' which is the first drama of Naveen D Padil, 'Oriyardu Ori Asal', 'Ovekla Avandinakulu' (a story based on the underworld), 'Mamugu Onji Mami' till Shivadoothe Gulige,” he added.
Kodialbail said that he has an aspiration to record his Shivadoothe Gulige play in the Limca Book of Records and Guinness World Record by playing the drama in four different languages (Tulu, Kannada, Malayalam and Marathi) consistently without any break at one stage. He said that there is a plan to play Shivadoothe Gulige in Malayalam in January at Palakkad.
Vijaykumar said that his new drama 'Maithidi' had witnessed 3 successful shows. In the upcoming days, there will be 15 shows of the drama in Mumbai. Tuluve, Kodiaibail, and Shivaji will be his next new dramas.
Answering the questions of mediapersons, Vijaykumar said, "The growth of the Tulu film industry has not hindered the Tulu theater industry." He added that in all, he had directed 26 dramas including different theater writers.
He also said, “The contemporary Tulu audience has changed their mindset. They are fed up with comedy. From comedy, they shifted their interest to movies of different genres.”
Kodialbail also praised Aravind Bolar for donning different roles in Daijiworld TV's hit show Private Challenge.
Leelaksha Karkera of Namma Kudla also spoke during the occasion.
Mangaluru Press Club president P B Harish Rai, Dakshina Kannada District Working Journalists Union president Srinivas Nayak Indaje (DKDWJU), Ramakrishna of Patrika Bhavan Trust, journalists Pushparaj, Jagannath Shetty Bala and others were present.
Journalist Vijay Kotian compered and Jithendra Kundeshwar thanked. Senior Journalist Manohar Prasad was present.