The man in this picture is the thespian K.S. Ashwath. In the dusk of his life, a truly gentle man—that’s two words, mind you—a truly gentle man is in dire need. And all that the high-falutin’ Kannada and Culture department of the Government of Karnataka can announce is a monthly pension of Rs 500 to take care of his medical bills.
Meanwhile, a report in today’s Star of Mysore says another Mysore landmark, M.P. Shankar, is ailing and lying in a hotel in Bangalore, penniless. One minister, one MLA, one MLC and one ex-MLA have promised to bring his plight to the Chief Minister’s attention—no less—so that he can get the medical treatment that he so badly needs.
How do our best and finest actors so easily slip into penury? Why does our big-talking film industry have nothing in place to help such stars? Why doesn’t Kannada television, which milks Kannada cinema, do something? And what are all those who have Kannada on their lips doing to help these wonderful gentlemen who have provided us so many hours of entertainment over so many decades?
And, yes, how is it that a no-hit wonder called Radhika can buy a house forRs 12 crore while these men have to look through their hazy eyes to see who will bring the next hundred rupees?
Also read: Is a kabab-maker’s daughter easy meat for the tax men?
The reason why so many of our veteran stars slip into penury is simple — they maintain large families. No they do not live in joint families when they begin their career (some might have), but with stardom come a horde of relatives who sing praises of their niece/nephew and halt forever in the actor’s house.
Being the magnanimous, gentle men and women, these folks inadvertantly let hyena into their house. This results in the stars falling on hard times, especially during their last days.
I am not wholly sure if this is the truth in Mr. Ashwath’s case, but having seen many interviews (spanning the Indian industry) in which many a hero, heroine and character artiste of yesteryears narrating the same disappointing tale, I suppose that could be the case with this brilliant actor too.
Isn’t the answer obvious?
Agree with Anil Kumar above ;-)
most of the performing arts person more so in the cynical cinema industry, people fail and fall on hard times – becos they are such pathetic investors. They all love to lose their money to booze and producing movies.
Ashwath got 3 lakhs yesteday from Mysore Commisioner
“Saying this in upendra style as in Raktha Kaneeru”
She is earning it by dancing and singing man,
Avalu duddu madidhre neevu yake hotte hoorko thira man!
Balu, Ee deshadalli obbalu hudugi mundhey bandre, ellarigu nidde hoggothey! I dont like it Balu, I dont like it.
like ashwat even other supporting actors suffered from financial crisis ex balakrishna,shanimahadevappa etc etc because at time the artist got lees pay and one more thing actress can earn money by other which some actrors cannot we are seeing the live example