I didn’t expect it to happen. It was a very happy surprise. Today is one of the most unforgettable days in my life. I am much bigger fan of him now.

I knew he was in Bangalore. I knew he was here for a private secretive conference. But he was not really secretive about it on Facebook:). I knew it was almost impossible to meet him. Also I didn’t want to disturb him in any way.

I just wanted to leave a fan letter at hotel reception. But like any other hotel they denied he was there. Reception refused to pass on my letter. I literally had to wait there for an hour or more. At last they accepted it. The last line in my fan letter was “let me know if you have time. I would really like to meet you.”. I was just trying my luck.Like anybody I couldn’t wait, so I sent him a mail inquiring about my letter. He replied very promptly that he got it and offered to meet me. It was the OMG moment. I was so happy and high that I couldn’t sleep properly. Read the rest of this entry »

T was very young then to understand how the world worked. Even though his parents were Govt employees, they lived in a village outside Bangalore. T was very fond of his mama G (mama means uncle. G was actually his Chikappa, fathers cousin brother but T always called him mama). Well actually he was more fond of his Mama’s autorikshaw which he could rarely see in his village. His mama used visit his parents once in a while mostly in late evenings. But T never missed a chance to get a free ride.

T always overheard his parents discussing about his mama. How his mama left going to school after 8/9th due poverty. How he relocated himself to Bangalore and started earning to support his family etc. They were proud of him because now he owned an auto. T always thought driving auto was cool and love grew much more because of Shankar Nag.

As years passed by visits by his mama reduced. He heard more stories of his mama working as a night watch man in a factory along with driving auto. He heard that his mama works almost 18 hours a day. T wasn’t really happy about it.

What T really didn’t know at that point of time was…

That G was a very curious young man. While he watching the gate at night, he didn’t have much to do, he used to sneak into the factory and watch engineers working with lathe machines. This continued for a while. Then somebody in the factory noticed this curious young man and asked him to work as helper. He was happy.

Years later engineers in the factory were searching for this practically illiterate G to fix a machine. He couldn’t read english text much but he could follow engineering drawings! That is when the owner of the factory noticed him and promoted him. Now he was an engineer.

A few days later this curious young man found an old lathe machine lying in the backyard of a closed down factory. He bought that machine on per kg basis. He fixed it and started using it in his garage.

Ten years later T’s mama owns one of Bangalore known company called Garuda Gears. T now thinks his mama was born to be an engineer and more that an entrepreneur. All it needs is a chance for T to talk about his mama, but this time he just blogged about it.

This last week of 2009 is probably the worst week of this decade for Kannadiga’s. We lost two really big artists and more than that great human beings.
C. Ashwath
Much before Kodagana Koli Nugitta became famous outside Karnataka (thanks to Raghu Dixit), it was introduced to Kannadigas by C.Ashwath. He made all those poems which were in just books to reach common man. If I say major credit of popularizing bhavageethe and sugama sangeetha goes to him, I wouldn’t be wrong. Last time I saw him was in a Kanndada music show along with SPB. He looked very fit and sung few songs too. But then he passed away on his 71st birthday. His bhavayaana remains uncompleted :( May his soul rest in peace.

Dr. Vishnuvardhan
The biggest shocker of the year is his death. He looked very healthy, calm and peaceful. He was still 58 years and it’s not the age to die. But then death is a big cheater.
Much before Mungaru Male’s Anisutidhe became national anthem of heart-broken lovers, it was his Bandhana song “Noorondu Nenapu” (“ನೂರೊಂದು ನೆನಪು ಎದೆಯಾಳದಿಂದ” ). It still is. His offscreen life partnership with Bharathi was as romantic and strong as his on-screen pairing with Suhasini. Anybody could tell they were in Love and was such a big role models to other cine pairs in Kannada industry. Unfortunately they could not have a biological kid but then that never came in between. They lived their love life full. And I always thought them as the hottest pair in Indian Cinema. But then one death takes away everything. May his soul rest in peace and may god give his family strength.
Read the rest of this entry »

Wanted to write this post from yesterday night. But didnt know what to write.  26/11 was just one of those incidents which got world (media) attention but I see one such happening every day.  I go through various  emotions every time I read about such violence.

This post is not only for remembering 26/11 heroes but all those great souls which have fought against the violence from the beginning. I salute you all.

To all others

ಓಂ ಅಸತೋಮ ಸದ್ಗಮಯ,
ತಮಸೋಮಾ ಜ್ಯೋತಿರ್ಗಮಯ,
ಮೃತ್ಯೋರ್ಮಾ ಅಮೃತಂಗಮಯ
ಓಂ ಶಾಂತಿ, ಶಾಂತಿ ಶಾಂತಿಃ

om asathoma sadgamaya
tamasoma jyothirgamaya
mruthyorma amrutangamaya
om shanthi shanthi shanthi hi

Rough translation:
From false to truth
From darkness to light
From death to immortality
O kindly light..let there be peace