Kundapur: 'Big B' Balakrishna Pai (Kullappu) Passes Away

Report and pics by Vinay Pais
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Jan 23: ‘Big B’ Balakrishna Pai (78), who is popularly known as ‘Kullappu’ all over Udupi district and elsewhere, breathed his last on Thursday January 22 midnight at his residence here.

Kullappu died of cardiac arrest. He was a thespian of enterprising nature. He was the man responsible for starting several amateur drama troupes like Rooparanga, Roopakala, Moorumuthu and Konkani Nataka Sabha. He was a household name both among his admirers and the common people.

He started his foray in the field of drama since his childhood days as a stage boy and later became ‘child artiste’ in company dramas, especially those staged by famous Gubbi Veeranna Company. His role as Makaranda in Krishnavatara, it is said, was a box office hit. He was highly ambitious. As a result, he ventured into Kannada movie making through his maiden film, 'Akasmika' which never saw the light of the day, even though he was almost penniless then.

For a few years before his death, Kullappu put together a small unit of local artistes including his two sons Santhosh and Sateesh and this helped him to earn both name and fame within the state and also outside Karnataka. He had won many awards of which Karnataka Konkani Nataka Academy Award is worth mentioning.

Balakrishna Pai was a Congress activist, a town municipal councillor for a decade, secretary of the Kundapur Taluk Hotelliers Association, member of the management committee, H M M English Medium School, Kundapur Venkataramana English Medium School and Government Girls School Kharvkeri.

He is survived by his wife and three children – one daughter and two sons. His popularity, it is said, is not entirely due to his histrionics but to a large extent, due to his sterling quality in always taking care to see that he does not hurt the sentiments of others including his bitter critics.  Among those who visited and offered their condolences to the bereaved family were Haladi Srinivas Shetty, Kundapur MLA, Gopal Poojary, ex-MLA, Fr Alban D’Souza of Kundapur Church and councillors of Kundapur town municipal council.

More than two thousands people came to pay their last respects and homage to the departed soul.