News: Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Apr 6: Kaje Ramachandra Bhat, president of B V Karanth Rangabhoomika Trust (Regd), informed that B V Karanth Memorial Drama Festival will be held at Manchi Kukkaje, the birth place of the celebrated actor and dramatist, the late Karanth, from April 9 to 11. This festival is being organized by the Trust in association with Babukody Theatre Foundation Bangalore. Addressing a press conference in this connection held at the Press Club in B C Road on Monday April 5 evening, he gave the details of the programmes to be presented on these three days.

This programme is being held under the motto, ‘Come, let us remember the divine soul from our village’. During these three days, three plays, a one-act play, rendering of the ‘Ranga Geete (theatre songs)’, screening of a feature film on Karanth, symposium on the literature of Vydehi besides her felicitation, will be organized, to celebrate Karanth’s memories in a meaningful way, Bhat added.

“The inaugural of the drama festival will be held at 5.30 pm on April 9 at the government composite high school in Manchi Kukkaje. District Kannada Sahitya Parishat president, Pradip Kumar Kalkura, will inaugurate the drama festival at a function to be presided over by Gangadhar Bhat, president, Alike Sri Satyasai Lokaseva Education Trust. Anantapadmanabh Rao, president, Abhiruchi Jodumarga, will be the chief guest. On that evening, a play by the students of Alva’s Education Trust Moodbidri, ‘Makkala Mayaloka’ directed by Jeevanram Sullia, will be presented, he said.

The function being held at 5.30 pm on April 10 will be presided over by S R Rangamurty, member of Karnataka Public Service Commission. Bantwal taluk Kannada Sahitya Parishat president, B Tammaiah, will be the chief guest, while D K Hamza, president of the School Betterment Committee, will be the chief guest. A play, ‘Pustakada Ajji Mattu Mararakkasa (author: I K Bolwar), directed by Mounesh Vishwakarma, will be presented by the children of Morarji Desai Model Residential School, Puttur Darbe. Another play by the Kinnaramela troupe from Tumari, ‘Beppu Takkadi Bole Shankara’ by Dr Chandrashekhara Kambara, and directed by theatre personality, K G Krishnamurty, will be presented, he explained.

On April 11, celebrated Kannada writer, Vydehi, who has won the Central Sahitya Akademi award, will be felicitated. From 9.30 am onwards on that day, a synmposium on Vydehi’s literature will be held under the presidentship of Dr Taltaje Vasant Kumar, retired professor in the department of Kannada, Bombay University. At the symposium, Dr Varadaraj Chandragiri, principal of Puttur Bettampady College, will present his analysis of the short stories of Vydehi.  Bantwal SVS College lecturer, Dr Nagaveni Manchi, will speak on the writer’s novels, while K G Krishnamurty, director of Kinnaramela, will speak on the writer’s plays.

From 2.30 pm onwards, the ‘Ranga Geete’ programme will be presented by Kanchodu Ramaprasad and team. The felicitation function for Vydehi and the valedictory function of the drama festival will be held at 5.30 pm, under the presidentship of Dr Mohan Alva, chairman, Moodbidri Alva’s Education Foundation. Managing trustee of Babukody Foundation, Jayaram Patil, will participate as the chief guest, he said.

After the screening of the feature on Karanth at 7.00 pm, a one-act play, ‘Alegalalli Antaranga’ written by Vydehi, will be presented by small screen actress, Seeta Kote.

Bhat has requested the supporters of the theatre and fans of the late Karanth to participate in all these programmes in large numbers. Trust secretary, B Chandrashekhar Rao, treasurer, Kallady Vajrakshi Malli, executive committee members, Puchchekere Krishna Bhat, Babukody Ummer and Sharada S Rao were present at the press conference.