“Opt-out” is a technology that allows satellite television companies to offer region-specific programming, and Prannoy Roy‘s NDTV 24×7 was the first to employ it in India.
So, at 7 pm every day, while the rest of the country watches something “national”, viewers in the south of the country break away from the national feed and watch a half-hour programme called Southern Edition, which is alternately anchored out of Bangalore, Madras and Hyderabad.
Presumably, the same breakaway technology allows NDTV to do a regular cinema show called Hyderabad Talkies, in which the anchor T.S. Sudhir talks to various denizens of the southern film industry. Tamil-Telugu stars like Vikram and Venkatesh, Ajith and Nagarjuna, Trisha Krishnan and Prakash Raaj have been spotted on it.
Perhaps you should not look a gifthorse in the mouth because, at least, you are not being imposed with the cinematic conquests of god-knows-which botoxified Khan, Kumar, Khanna or Kapoor.
Perhaps, you should not seek linguistic or cinematic equality on a commercial television channel that is a listed entity answerable first to investors and shareholders, only then to viewers.
Perhaps, but where are the Kannada cinema stars you might like to ask: When will we see Ganesh, the boy from Adakamaranahalli (in picture), whose easy charm made him a major star with Mungaru Male and whose Gaali Pata releases today?
When will we see Ramya, the petite Kannada girl who also stars in Tamil and Telugu? When will we see Girish Karnad and Girish Kasaravalli, Guru Kiran and Jayant Kaikini?
# Does Kannada cinema not count for NDTV?
# Is the programme scope hampered by the anchor’s lack of knowledge of Kannada?
# Is the NDTV audience in the South not interested in Kannada cinema?
# Should only southern movie stars who speak fluent English find a place?
# Will NDTV only air the achievements of commercially successful cinema?
# Are the feats of Kannada cinema and stars too small for the South to take note of?
Then again, isn’t that the whole point of the media: not to tell the people what they already know but to tell the people who didn’t know that Ganesh existed, that Ganesh is a major movie star?
Photograph: Karnataka Photo News
That’s Kannada wants you to complain to NDTV; Send your suggestions/comments here
then they shouldn’t name it southern edition
About this opt-out technology thing, which sounds a bit like the local edition of a national newspaper: why should only southern viewers want to know more about the south. Shouldn’t northern viewers try to know more about a part of the country that is far ahead of them in every sphere of life, including cinema?
Also it should not be named Hyderabad Talkies if they want to showcase about Southern Films.
Guys accept it or reject it…for the Northies, South India comprises only of Tamilnadu and AP….everything else gets merged into these 2 states…if you see the article there is no mention of Malayalam cinema either…which I think produces some of the finest films today in terms of story,screenplay and acting.
I read a news item that they are going to build a filmcity near Bidadi…and guess who is the owner of the company which is building it….a Tamil named Saravana Prasad..you can very well imagine what it will be like…
Guess like anything else, it is based on market, market size etc. But surely The Bangalore correspondent-Maya Sharma – should play a greater role here, which she doesn’t seemto be doing at present.
ERR – I am sorry it is not based on market, market size, etc. But it is based on WRONG PERCEPTION of market, market size, etc. Mungaaru Male by itself grossed Rs.50 plus crores. I am not sure how many telugu movies have individually grossed that much in 2007. Ganesh’s movies grossed Rs.100 crores plus over. Apart from Shahrukh and Rajnikanth, am not sure how many actors have that claim? There were more multi crore grossers in Kannada in the form of Cheluvina Chitthaara, Milana, Aa dingalu, etc. Aa dinagalu was named one of the 10 best movies in INDIA in 2007 by The Week. Gaalipata is releasing across multiplexes in Bombay, Chennai and Hyderabad.
This attitude is one more reason to add to “Why Bangalore Hates English Media Culture”?
But, ERR is right about maya Sharma. It is quite sad to note that Maya Sharma is the daughter of an eminent kannada poet BC Ramachandra Sharma.
Welcome to Corporate India!!!
Going to NDTV for news and programs about south-india, be it in south-indian languages or not, seems not so wise an idea by nature to me!
NDTV, CNN-IBN, HT, misc.. they are all one and the same when it comes to appreciating the diversity of our country. These channels are full of pre-programmed souls who think Hindi is what people in the south understand, except in a place called Madaras (where a Madarasi resides!).
So if something like this happened on NDTV, it’s not a surprise at all.
Dear Kannada Folks,
I am a Kannadiga who lives in the USA but I grew up in Zambia since I was young so as you can imagine I’m not fluent in Kannada but nonetheless I am a very proud Kannadiga tracing my roots to North Karnataka (close to Koppal). I am honestly tired of reading how much Kannada, Kannadigas and Karnataka is being ignored or shown disrespect in all aspects of life! I read churumuri frequently and when such a story comes to light I want to spring to action and do something about it. But I can’t do much from here. There have to be enough Kannadigas in positions of power or privelege who can do more to promote their language and culture. But yet all I see is outsiders trampling on the local culture and promoting their own. If someone from a certain linguistic group joins a company in Bengalooru next thing you know his a whole troop of his fellow language speakers will be hired. Such kind of nepotism would never happen anywhere else and if brought to light would not be tolerated. How and why do such things pass as ok in Karnataka only? Don’t people have any respect and sense of fight left in them to stand up for their own language and people in their own state? The only reason I would pray that I become a multimillionaire is so that I can give back to my people and to promote Kannada! I would love to hear other peoples feelings on this subject and what constructive things can be done to restore a sense of pride in Kannadigas.
Does it matter? I wouldn’t lose my sleep over it!
DB – A stray incident like this doesnt really bother, yes. But it is an indicator of a much larger picture – of a malaise that is deep ingrained the behavior of “outsiders” and that is why it is important.
As Sanjeev N puts it, what use is development in Karnataka if the benefits are primarily reaching immigrant. I know this is not linked to the churumuri post itself but am taking off from where Sanjeev N leaves it. It is unfortunate that we dont even follow a minimum policy of “when other things are equal, kannada and kannadigas must be given importance”. The issue is being brushed aside by media (especially ENglish media) as the phenomenon of urbanisation (watch today’s Bangalore Mirror headline that screams “Kannadigas Outnumbered”) when such phenomenon does not seem to be happening at the same scale/magnitude anywhere else. We need KaRaVe kind of protests against private sector companies s well to fill “Group D” employment posts in pvt sector by hiring from Raichur, Gulbarga, Bidar, and Kolar rather than from Bihar, UP and Orissa.
Sanjeev N – if only the NRNs, the Nilekanis, the Anant Koppars, the Jerry Raos would think like you, they would be parting their knowledge to Kannadiga youth rather than invest in wineyards!!
@Doddi Buddi
Sure, it does matter. What’s the alternative? Sit down and let everyone run over you? It’s precisely your sort of attitude that people take advantage of to push their agendas. I don’t lose sleep…I get annoyed and pissed off. But to achieve anything we as Kannadigas need solidarity, don’t you think ?
Sanjeev N, Yella Ok:
I fully agree with you. The funny thing is, replace “Marathi” and “Maharashtra” wherever relevant and you would have got precisely what we feel in our state. We too feel the same way- even worse. Actually, in Maharashtra, the problem is even worse. Marathi is literally disappearing from all the urban areas of our state, and will soon disappear from the rural areas as well. I am amazed that there is another state in India where people feel exactly the same way as we do. IMHO, Kannada is alive and kicking-even in Bangalore, still less the rest of the state. I wish the Marathis/Marathi film industry was as active as Kannadigas/Kannada film industry. I really envy your film industry. Anyway, anything you do to promote, support and preserve your language is great with me. Not being a Kannadiga, I still want Kannada to have the Number ONE position in Karnataka.
The difference between Karnataka/Maharashtra and TN/WB:
Bengal: Response in Bengali if spoken to in Bengali
Respose in Bengali if spoken to in Hindi
Response in Bengali if spoken to in English
Tamil Nadu: ditto for the above
KA: response in Kannada if..
response in Hindi if spoken to in Hindi
response in English if spoken to in English
MH: response only in Hindi regardless of which language you speak
@Yella OK
That’s exactly right! It’s not once or twice that there has been an oversight with something regarding Kannadigas. It’s a constant barrage and if everyone keeps letting every small incident pass by what will the future look like? Even though Bangalore has been renamed to Bengalooru, do you really see it being used in newspaper titles or others referring to it as such? So this newspaper “Bangalore Mirror”, being fairly new paper, has the audacity to print such a headline. Do they have census numbers to back their claim and are they very sure about their facts? This was not intended as news but to send a message to everyone that Kannadigas in Bengalooru and all over Karnataka shouldn’t bother asking others to learn Kannada or lay claim to Bengalooru. If you let this incident go, the next headline you might see is Bengalooru only speaks Hindi or that Biharis or Tamilians are the majority! I mean there is no limit to this insanity. And if the only answer to every assault is to say “don’t lose sleep over it” you can just imagine what’s to come. Isn’t anyone worried or bothered?
We need KaRaVe to really become a potent force and become a political party rather than just protesting the egregious treatment meted out to the Kannadigas. Just imagine if a company like Infosys was started in Chennai, can you imagine how much they would have done to promote their state and language? It’s really a shame what’s happening in Karnataka!
Vikas
I understand the situation with Marathi in Maharashtra. And if I were a Marathi I’d be pissed off too! The concept I’m pushing and trying to defend is that preference and importance should be given local culture and heritage, that’s all. So I full support any move in Maharashtra if they truly want to preserve their culture as long as it is done in an acceptable manner. And that’s where the problem lies. Sometimes when you ask people in their good sense to respect your local culture they just ignore you. What is to be done?
The most powerful character that can change the world is unity. When the Indians finally united they were able to expel the British from India. Back in the day most people in the Indian sub-continent probably believed couldn’t fight the mighty white British masters with their weapons, wealth, knowledge and pomp! But when people unite they have the power to demolish the mightiest empires as has been shown throughtout history (Roman, Greeks, Ottamans etc).
So what I am saying is if the Kannadigas unite and I mean truly unite to promote their culture we can not only preserve our culture but let it flourish in the years to come. Each of us has to consider himself or herself an ambassador of the Kannada language and culture. When Americans or other non Indian people ask me what my native language is I proudly tell them it is Kannada even though they have never heard of it. I don’t go around saying it is Hindi or some other language or saying it doesn’t matter what I say to them.
Be proud and be loud and you shall be heard!
Anyway, this whole Kannadigas are a minority business” has to stop. Kannadigas are far from being a minority in Bangalore. This is an invetion of the English media. Kannada is the most spoken, most heard and most used language in Bangaluru. Period.
Yeah, Marathi is really struggling in Maharashtra. I’m quite surprised that you feel Kannada is struggling in Karnataka. IMO, your language is in a far better position than ours especially as far being spoken and cinema is concerned. Even songs. In these areas, Kannada is much much better off. Marathi is literally fighting a battle for survival in every part of Maharashtra. I am trying to do whatever I can by initating conversation
in Marathi first and listening to songs, watching movies and insisting on Marathi when telecallers phone up. I am really surprised that people in KA feel this way. Whenever I went to KA, (and my relatives in Hubli speak really fluent Kannada) I never got that feeling. I guess you guys have a different impression. I’m honestly surprised at the depth of feeling in your posts.
The problem is that people in KA/MH face is that they are so accustomed to being laid-back, jaane do, jaane do about their language and culture that when someone stands up for it, he is seen as a fanatic. We are so used to sidelining ourselves and our language to accomadate other people from other states that when someone does speak up for our language, he is immediately branded as a fanatic, KRV, Shiv Sena et al. In Tamil Nadu or West Bengal, the average person has an absolutely fanatical attitude towards his culture, his language and identity. Therefore, there is no question of expecting any kind of adjustment. In our states, the local people think “We must adjust” because other people have come,
wheras in WB/TN/AP, the local peope think “other people must adjust” because we are already here.
The funny thing is the same attitude in KA/MH which is branded as fanaticisim, chauvanism, gundagiri, in TN/WB, it becomes pride in ones culture, pride in ones language, pride in ones identity. Then it becomes something highly praiseworthy and commendable. So it is pride in TN but fanaticism in KA/MH. I have seen this many many times.
Be glad, Kannada is not as badly off as Marathi is. BTW, are there reservations for Kannadigas in educational institutes in KA especially professional colleges in Karnataka? I know in MP, Punjab, Chattisgarh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu (the 69 % reservation is ONLY for natives of TN) there is reservation for localites.
P.S. So I full support any move in Maharashtra if they truly want to preserve their culture as long as it is done in an acceptable manner. ”
Aye there’s the rub. A manager rudely asks you not to speak in your language in YOUR OWN state, a student makes fun of someone speaking in Marathi, a Railway Manager forces you to speak in Hindi/English in your own state, a shopkeeper flatly tells you not to speak in your own language because HE does not understand it, all and sundry from other states whine all the time about local culture/local language with a “how dare they speak their language” tone, (the same people who impose their language/their culture on you in their own states), whine and whine (I think the situation is the same in KA) and keep trying to foster a message that their arrival has improved the city and that it is because of them that the city has become more liveable-the English media is packed them. Every attempt is made to denigrate your culture and your language, to downgrade it and even to make fun of you.
First you call 8 crore (5 crore) people names and make fun of them and their culture, then when they react, brand them as chauvanists.
That is the real problem: what is acceptable when people act in such an obnoxious manner with you?
Vikas, the situation in Maharashtra is regrettable, that much I know. As I stated in one of my earlier posts my relatives live in north Karnataka and Kannada is still predominant there. But if you extrapolate the situation in Bengalooru to Hubli given that it is growing you might witness a similar situation in a few years time. Some might say that I am ringing the alarmist bell but from what you tell me regarding Marathi’s fate all over Maharashtra I may not be jumping to premature conclusions.
Anectodal evidence to me is a good indicator about what people are thinking or feeling. In my masters program in the US there was a sizeable Marathi population and everywhere they went they spoke in Marathi. They fostered pride in their language even in America. But I never saw that among the Kannadigas. I had to prod the Kannada Sangha here to get them to show Mungaaru Male which was a blockbuster hit all over Karnataka. Two Tamil speaking colleages asked me if I spoke either Tamil (or another language) even though I said I was from north Karnataka. On another occassion of them asked me if I was going to watch the “Shivaji” movie and I said heck no! He asked me if I was going to watch the Telugu dubbed version of Shivaji and I reminded him that I was a Kannada fan and no way in hell would I go out of my way to watch a Tamil or Telugu movie living in America. Get a grip fool! This is the most I can do being a fan of my own language or culture.
I do not have good answers to the vexing questions you posed regarding people’s obnoxious behaviors but I believe these very same issues face many in Bengalooru and other towns in Karnataka. Your attempts are the first baby steps towards resurrecting your language and culture and only a united people can bring fruition to any worthy cause. The only thing we can do as individuals is to just be a stauch supporter for own languages and cultures.
Regaring reservations in education institutions I am not sure of this. I would defer to someone more knowledgable living in Karnataka to get an accurate answer.
Whath a Beauthiful Posth. KP hates Pranoy Roy and NDTV. What about other channels. MungaruMale was forced released in other states, which was the first time for Sandalwood. It was indeed a good movie but couldn’t just force itself to other Woods. Simple. Maybe it is a beginning. Perhaps Ganesh’s next movies: Galipatta, MannuMasi will arouse the curio of NDTV’s new channels launched yesterday!