In today’s Andolana, the Kannada broadsheet newspaper from Mysore, appears this small, single-column advertisement on its last page.
A dignified portrait, not looking into the camera, writ with decency and civility—the flowers reminding us of an era that was black and white, and sepia.
The text accompanying the ad reads:
“35th year remembrance.
Shri Sampath, film actor.
City Power Press”
Those nine words hide an infinity.
They don’t tell you that this man’s real name was Cheluva Iyengar, who ran his press on Hanumantha Rao Street.
They don’t tell you he was a good friend of R.K. Narayan, and was probably the inspiration for Mr Sampath, The Printer of Malgudi.
They don’t tell you that his printing press was the front office for his real passion, acting, which he did in countless plays and movies.
They also don’t tell you that the great Dr Raj Kumar, whom Kannadigas called Annavru, called him Appaji.
churumuri 
They don’t tell you that @ the age 20, he used to go to Lawrence school not as a student but to direct plays and also to seek orders for their annual school souvenirs, trained under the eminent D.Lakshmaniah a renowned stage personality those days
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I had seen Sri. Sampath (Cheluva Iyengar) during the 1940’s when I was a teen ager. He was a keen Table Tennis player and used to frequent the Students’ Union Hall of the Maharaja’s College, Mysore. It was indeed the Golden Era of both the Mysore State and the Maharaja’s College. Mysore was still a princely state with Sri. Jayachamaraja Wodeyar in the throne and the population of Mysore city was a little over 1 lakh. The old Mysore culture of civility, decency and respect for the elders and the learned were still very much in evidence. Sri. Sampath used to organize amateur drama plays at the College. If I recall correctly, he also produced a Kannada movie with the late Prof. M. V. Krishnaswamy (my mentor) in the lead and a telugu actress, T. Surya Kumari, as the female lead. The movie was shot in the Brindavan Gardens at KRS. Alas those days are gone for ever when life was simple and most everyone was happy and contented.
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Thanks for reminding. Mysore is indeed a joyous city;many of them have worn the joy on their faces and immortalized in their movies and their writings.
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Thanks for bringing back those memories.
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