Veerappan brings the industry to a grinding halt
The latest photographs of Dr Rajkumar and three others taken in the thick forest have been made available to the media and these have provided solace to the innumerable fans and family members of the veteran star. Dr Rajkumar says he is “hale and hearty” and has requested for the early fulfilment of demands by the two state governments. In addition to the ten demands already made, the dreaded Veerappan is now hell bent on a huge ransom, the release of five Tamil terrorists, serious action on Shanker Bidri, the cop who gave sleepless nights to him and, last but not the least, a definite answer for the ten demands. Veerappan has given three days’ time during which his demands have to be fulfiled.

In the morning of Day eleven of Dr Rajkumar’s kidnap, the director-general of police made available in Chennai the audio cassette sent by Veerappan. It contained his fresh demands and the humble request of Dr Rajkumar to the two state governments. Shivrajkumar heard the contents in the tape in Chennai when the DGP, FC Sharma, briefed the media. He rushed to Bangalore in fit of anger.

Addressing his fans and family, Dr Rajkumar has said, “I am completely happy in this environment. There is no need to get tensed and I am getting good food and treatment and I sleep very well. I am extremely happy as chief minister SM Krishna has said that ‘I am the asset of the State’.

The abduction of thespian Dr Rajkumar by brigand Veerappan has now taken a political turn. When the cassette sent by Veerappan reached the Karnataka, chief minister SM Krishna refused to divulge the contents. Smt Parvathamma, wife of Dr Rajkumar, spent the whole day in the prayer room at their Sadashivnagar residence in Bangalore. When Raghavendra Rajkumar, the second son of Dr Rajkumar, contacted the Karnataka chief minister, the CM requested him not to ask about the contents of the tape. The CM spoke in similar fashion to the media when he was contacted after a high power committee meeting was held at Vidhana Soudha in the evening. He had said he would be able to disclose the contents of the tape on his return from Chennai after holding talks. The developments of Saturday, the sixth day of kidnapping, has turned out to be very unsavoury for the admirers of Dr Rajkumar and the Kannada film industry as well. It will be 195 hours of stay (as on Sunday night 9.30 pm) of Dr Rajkumar, SA Govindaraju, his brother-in-law cum son-law, assistant director Nagappa and Nagesh, a distant relative of the family in the clutches of Veerappan.

The key demands for the precious catch are said to be very costly and in all probability would turn out to be a major political issue. The reason seems to lie in the fact that Dr Rajkumar is a close relative of the former chief minister of Karnataka, S Bangarappa. Shivrajkumar, Dr. Rajkumar’s elder son, who is the current superstar of Kannada films, is married to Bangarappa’s daughter. In the regime of S Bangarappa, the Cauvery water issue had turned out to be very violent in Karnataka.

A week full of prayers
Most of the temples, churches and mosques in Bangalore, in particular, and in Karnataka in general, prayed for the safety of the Dadasaheb Phalke award-winner Dr Rajkumar. People belonging to all the communities prayed for the safe return of Dr Rajkumar from the clutches of Veerappan.

The KFCC conducted a ‘homa’ in their office. A ‘mrutyunjaya homa’was also held at Dr Rajkumar’s house in the morning on Thursday. Artistes V Ravichandran, Jaggesh and producer Rockline Venkatesh held a three-hour ‘yagna’ and offered a ‘gold sword’ to one of the Devi temples in Bangalore. The Actresses’ Association of Kannada films held a ‘urulu seve’ at the Banashankari temple in Bangalore for the health and safe return of Dr Rajkumar. Actresses Umasri, Jayanthi, Mamatha Rao, Pramila Joshai and Abinaya rolled around the temple premises folding their hands.

The fans of Dr Rajkumar were not far behind in expressing their adulation. From the Rajarajeswari Nagar temple to the Ghali Anjeneya temple, the admirers expressed their full support and solidarity.

The Kannada Film Directors Association, at its new office in Srirampuram, started a relay hunger strike. The hunger strike started on Friday morning and it will continue till brigand Veerappan releases Dr Rajkumar.

Family confirms voice of
Dr. Rajkumar in the cassette
Before any inferences are drawn, the prestigious family of Dr Rajkumar confirmed that the voice in the cassette is definitely that of Dr Rajkumar. With this confirmation, the issue relating to the safety of Dr Rajkumar has been sorted out and normalcy has been restored in the social life of the citizens. With the arrival of the tape containing the demands made by the brigand, a tense situation has built up all over Karnataka.

Before the reach of emissary of two governments RRGopal, the tape containing the message of Dr Rajkumar has reached to put down the tension. It was through a close associate of Veerappan that the tape first reached the Pondicherry Government first. Later the tape reached the Tamil Nadu Government and the first to hear the voice of Dr. Rajkumar after his abduction was his son Shivrajkumar who has been in Chennai awaiting news about his father’s safety.

Then the tape reached the Udaya TV office in Bangalore, after which Smt Parvathamma heaved a sigh of relief on hearing her husband’s voice. A ray of happiness was experienced by his family members on hearing the tape who also confirmed the voice of Dr. Rajkumar in the tape.

In the cassette, Dr. Rajkumar appealed to his fans to keep peace and harmony in the state. “I am not afraid here. Veerappan is looking after me like his brother. I needed this type of change in my life. I am hale and healthy. Veerappan has got some demands which the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu States have to meet. There is no cause of worry.”

Karnataka industry joins hands
To meet the ransom amount demanded for by the sandalwood smuggler, killer and poacher brigand Veerappan for the release of Dr Rajkumar, the Karnataka film industry has come forward to give away the Rs 30 crore rebate it gets annually from the Karnataka state government. The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce president, KCN Chandrasekhar revealed this soon after learning of the demands made by Veerappan through the cassette. The KFCC president met the Karnataka CM and briefed him about the united opinion of the Kannada film industry.

The annual subsidy amount of Rs 10 lakh each for 20 Kannada films and the 100 percent entertainment tax exemption to Kannada films and the infrastructural facilities come to around Rs 30 crores every year. The two crore subsidy amount belongs to producers of Kannada films given on the basis of quality and the remaining 28 crores come in the form of 100 per cent entertainment tax exemption and infrastructural facilities. Giving back to the government the 100 per cent entertainment tax exemption will be a strain on the audience. From the present rate of admission to the theatres, the audience will have to shell out double the amount for watching a Kannada film.
The cause is appreciable but not the decision as the present state of Kannada films is poor. Further, increasing the ticket rates will be a very cumbersome situation for the producers.

Kannada industry’s loss per day estimated at Rs 3.5 crores
The Karnataka film industry suffered an estimated loss of Rs. 27 crores as the abduction of Dr. Rajkumar entered its eighth day on Sunday.
The abduction of Dr. Rajkumar has stalled all the activities in the Kannada film industry. Screening of not only Kannada films, but other language films are also banned. Most of the theatres in the state have been shut down. With this, Dr. Rajkumar has proved that he is a ‘one man industry’. Had it been some other actor in place of Dr. Rajkumar, the situation would not have been so tensed in Karnataka. There can never be another Rajkumar ever in the history of the Kannada film industry.

The estimated loss from stopping the screening of films and halting the activities in all areas concerned to filmmaking in Karnataka is about Rs 3.5 crores per day. This is inclusive of the small screen too. The small screen with the advent of two more channels in the last three months has drawn much of artistes and technicians into its side. The estimated loss from the stopping of production of television serials and its screening comes to Re.75 lakhs a day. Half a dozen Kannada films are ready for screening. Prior to Dr. Rajkumar’s abduction, films like Sparsha, Yaarge Saalathe Sambala, Preethse and Shabdavedi were have good collections. It is a definite blow to the first time producer Sarovar Sanjeev as Sparsha, starring his son was making 90 percent collections in all the theatres in Karnataka. Now he will have to start the publicity and marketing of his film afresh. He had invested nearly Rs.2 crore for the film.

A medium budget film Yaarge Salathe Sambala made a surprisingly thumping success. Producer Gangadhar collected his share of profit but when everything was going good for him, came the news of the kidnap.

The Shivrajkumar-S Narayan starrer big budget venture Ghalate Aliyandre produced by HD Kumaswamy was ready for release on August 11. Another big budget film ready for release on the same day was Independence Day which was to see the light of the day after being in cold storage for two years. V. Ravichandran’s Oh Nanna Nalle and BC Patil-Ramesh and Anu Prabhakar starrer Shaapa too were ready for release. All these films have to find a new date for release.

Nearly a dozen films like Bhagwan Daada, Naxalite, Yaarivalu, Aunty Thumba Thunti, Kanoonu, Ganesha Banda Enyen Thanda, Nannavalu Nannavalu, Andhra Hendethi, Sarovara and Swalpa Adjust Madkolli were on the verge of completion.

The biggest blow is for producer Jayasri Devi’s Sri Manjunatha. Top stars like Arjun, Sarja, Chiranjeevi, Soundarya, Ramya Krishna, Rambha and a dozen other known faces in the industry feature in her her multi-crore, multi-lingual and multi-starcast film. After ten days of shooting, the film, directed by K Raghavendra Rao, came to a standstill.

There are nearly 2000 cinema workers in the Karnataka Film Workers Federation and hundreds of the employees in theatres are hit by the ban.
The three Kannada channels, Udaya, Suprabhata and Asianet Kaveri, have stopped shooting of their serials. The work at studios and colour labs have also been effected. All the activities concerning shootings have come to a grinding halt.

In 1993, the Kannada film titled Veerappan bagged the state award. And now the same Veerappan is ‘killing’ the box office of Kannada films industry in real life.

Producers urge for cut in interest rate
The Kannada film producers who depend on outside finance are contemplating on stopping interest for the number of days lost. The producers association will issue a memorandum to this effect shortly to the concerned financiers. Producer Jayasri Devi who has taken crores of finance from different financiers is the person heading in urging the financiers to stop their interest for the number of days lost.

Non-Kannada filmmakers
win the battle
Protesting silently and using the strong clout they possess, non-Kannada filmmakers have won their battle against the Karnataka Government. The 100 percent entertainment tax imposed in the last state budget has now been reduced to 70 percent. It may be recalled that the former financier minister Siddarmaiah had increased the ET from 70 to 110 percent but later he reduced it to 70 percent. Now the SM Krishna government has once again increased it to 10 percent in the February’s state budget and in just four months it was again brought down to 70 percent.