SUNAAD RAGHURAM writes: Having been in Bangalore in the past month, for reasons personal, for more days than my mind can handle, I called up an old friend who is quite an aficionado of Kannada films who suggested that we drive over to the Kanteerava Studios where the samadhi of the great Raj Kumar is situated. The idea excited me and soon we were on our way.
As I manoeuvred my jeep through traffic that seemed to make the chaos and panic of the great wilderbeest migration across the vast plains of Tanzania look like an abacus session taught by a loving matron in the neighbourhood kindergarten, my mind travelled to the days when Raj Kumar held sway over the consciousness of millions of Kannadigas with his legendary acting skills, charm, radiance, humility and the sheer weight of his rare personality.
My friend and I were quite animated in our reminiscences of the Kannada films of old: the gentility, the refinement and the social values the stories mirrored, and the sheer intensity and class of some of the actors, as also the directors, notably the redoubtable Puttanna Kanagal and the iconic Raj Kumar.
In some time, we pulled up at the samadhi of the great man.
What my eyes took in was not what my mind had imagined. It was a bit of a shock really. A let down which stung instantly.
Nowhere in the vicinity of the marble-mounted platform under which lay the mortal remains of one of the greatest ever Kannadigas, was there even a semblance of solemn order.
A man whose depth of urbane thought and sophistication of speech, not to speak of his fantastic acting skills, quite mysteriously belied his absolutely rustic upbringing in a non-descript village of complete remoteness in the vicinity of the jungles bordering Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, totally devoid of any thing remotely scholastic, considering that he didn’t attend school beyond the third standard; lay in a grave around which buzzed a million flies that had taken up residence because of the multitude of food carts selling masala puri, churumuri and an assortment of cut fruits in the vicinity, with the attendant garbage being generously generated.
The scene was that of a garish village fair with urchins hawking ground nuts and cigarettes, men and women and children, mostly from rural Karnataka, walking about in complete disorderliness, a few men of indeterminable avocations lazing around on the unkempt grass, either smoking beedies or gazing into space, women selling flowers of all shapes and sizes and colours and in different stages of wither mainly due to the unrelenting sun, with a few men even relieving themselves not too far from the hallowed grave, on whose top had been mounted a most inartistically designed canopy with a slope on either side.
A pathetic thatched hut-like contraption stood pitched just a few feet away, its cheap wooden shelves selling audio and video compact discs of Raj Kumar’s films. A sound track belted in almost indistinct clarity, assorted dialogues of the actor from a random selection of his films.
It’s not my point that film actors have to be perpetuated for posterity through the building of impressive tombs that should match the mausoleums of ancient India with their elaborate decorations.
But the state government having decided to do one for one of the rarest actors of the country and a true Kannada idol who led a life clearly based on the tenets of decency and probity, should have shown the sincerity of purpose in creating a true resting place for the great man where you could expect a sense of tranquil dignity and sobriety in the air around.
We are busy with M.S.Sathyu and Kiran Mazumdar. Come later….
very true sir,
the samadhi of the most versatile actor,singer of the country deserves immediate attention. news papers reported that on monday final approval will be given to the master plan and work will begin at the earliest.
not only annavru, but even the AA NA KRU ‘S HOUSE IN BASAVANAGUDI should be converted into a museum depicting the man’s greatness and achievement.
Sunaad Raghuram,
very well expressed indeed. I couldn’t have expressed in any better way about Dr. Raj’s samadhi’s maintenance. I haven’t visited his samadhi yet, as I am afraid that I will burst out with tears. The man who brought so much of joy watching his movies and listening to his memorable songs didn’t deserve this. I wish Dr. Raj was born in Tamilnadu or any other state. They would have worshipped him and built a memorial similar to Tajmahal. How unfortunate for a man who literally breathed Kannada till his last breath.
After all the gad bad on his death, this is the fate. People and vagabonds had all the fun at that time with no regard for public property. Will the so-called true kannadigas wake up to this reality and do some thing about this.
Ka Ra Ve yaake summanide?
Kannadas great iconic actor Raj`s samadhi is shabbily mangaed…
instead of government spending tax payers hard earned money on this, why not “GREAT SAVIOURS OF KANNADA- KA RA VE” do the following?
= beat up people littering the place?
= beautify the place?
= have some order at the venue?
= identify “outsiders” selling churumuri/chaat/ CD/VCD etc. and get those shops managed by true kannadigas?
I think Rajkumar family made a mistake for accepting govt’s false promises by burying in kanteerava stadium.
They should have bought some 5 to 10 acres of land adjoining Puneet Farm on Blr-Mys road and burried the rarest soul that had ever lived in karnataka in their own property.
Later they should have constructed a great memorial with a museum. This would have given the Dr Raj family the control to decide and do things and not depend on govt. Has any govt in the past 20-25 years has ever kept their promise especially these type of things where they don’t get much mileage by keeping their promises. Actually, in this case, they might still get good mileage.
As we have heard Puneet farm is one of the places that Dr Raj was spending time when he was not in Bangalore. By building a memorial, Dr Raj family would have also created a tourist spot thereby helping the local economy.
Well Said Raviraj!
Why is Govt keeping mum? Why can’t the Govt build a memorial? Where are our Legislators who shed crocodile tears to Kannada cause?
They install statues and monuments of leaders from other states. Why is every one silent on our Dr Raj?
Why should the govt get involved?
Government suffered during raj abduction= raj fans burnt govt buses, govt property
Govt suffered when Raj passed away=again same story
so Raj fans and Kannada guttigedaras like Ka Ra Ve only capable of destruction?
LET THEM BUILD A FITTING MEMORIAL TO RAJ, INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT TAXPAYERS MONEY TO BUILD A MEMORIAL!
After reading this, I don’t think I can ever make bold to visit Annavru’s final resting place. Tears don’t seem to stop streaming down my face. Very evocatively written indeed.
Kumarswamy is not vachanabrastha for the first time. He became vachanabrashta long time ago, after he duped Dr. Raj’s family into burying in Kanteerava stadium, instead of Puneet Farm. So far no work on Raj’s samadhi yet. Raj’s family have been very patient and dignified. If they publicly cry over this issue, there would be bloodshed in the state and Kum Swa will be gone. But I think his family fears for Devegowda’s goondaism. Pathetic state.
Raviraj, The govt. should involve in this because it is govt. land and CM invited them to bury there and promised full support. If it was their private property, his family would have taken care of it and there was no reason to beg the govt. I think now the family is stuck, which is very unfair.