Built on 3 acres of land near Mysuru city, the memorial will include some surprises that will be inaugurated on 29 January.
Published Jan 16, 2023 | 5:57 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 16, 2023 | 5:57 PM
The blue print of Dr. Vishnuvardhan Memorial build near Mysuru city.
It has been a long wait of 13 years for fans of legendary Kannada actor, the late Vishnuvardhan, to realise their dream.
They will finally get to witness a memorial built in the name of their matinee idol on 29 January.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will inaugurate the Dr Vishnuvardhan Memorial at the Halalu village near Mysuru city.
He will be accompanied by dignitaries like the family members of Vishnuvardhan and members of the film fraternity.
The Karnataka government had sanctioned five acres of land; the memorial itself is built on three acres.
Vishnuvardhan’s son-in-law Aniruddha Jatkar, himself an actor, spoke exclusively to South First on the 13-year journey to finally have a memorial built in the name of the Kannada icon, the facilities and plans ahead for the memorial, and much more.
“We are extremely happy that our 13 years of struggle have ended and that we can see Appaji’s fans cherishing and celebrating the life of their favourite actor and idol in a more meaningful way. It is going to be a real tribute to Appaji,” said Aniruddha.
He explained that the memorial would have many specialities, all of which celebrate the journey of the Sahasasimha — a moniker given to him following the success of the eponymous 1982 movie in which he starred.
Vishnuvardhan, known to his fans as Sahasasimha, made his acting debut with the blockbuster film Nagarahavu, directed by the noted filmmaker Puttanna Kanagal, which saw theatrical release in 1972. (Supplied)
“The memorial is being inaugurated on three acres of land, and will have a unique photo gallery with more than 600 exclusive photographs of Vishnuvardhan. It will depict his life journey and there will be few surprises for fans to cherish,” said Aniruddha.
A seven-foot-tall statue of Vishnuvardhan is also expected to be inaugurated on the occasion.
“A statue of Appaji made of black stone sculpted by one Arun will be inaugurated, too. Ashes of Appaji, retained by Amma (Vishnuvardhan’s wife Bharathi) will be placed below the statue in a sealed container,” said Aniruddha.
He added that the memorial would also have an auditorium with a seating capacity of 200, equipped with modern technology for film and theatre activities.
Workshops and classrooms relating to film and theatre are going to be regular features at the memorial.
Aniruddha explained that Vishnuvardhan’s family is reaching out to the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune to set up its branch on the remaining two acres of land.
“Right now, the FTII has no other branch elsewhere. We have spoken to the chief minister to start a branch of the FTII in South India. Basavaraj Bommai sir assured us that the state government would act on it,” said Aniruddha.
“I am told that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also been made aware of our request to have an FTII branch in Mysuru. We are hoping for a positive response, which will certainly help the film and television industry in South India,” he added.
Actor Aniruddha Jatkar with Sahasasimha late Dr. Vishnuvardhan. (Supplied)
Following repeated efforts over the past 13 years for the memorial at Abhiman Studio in Bengaluru, where Vishnuvardhan was cremated, Aniruddha explained that nothing positive came out of the dialogues with the family of Kannada actor TN Balakrishna, who owned the land.
After that, several other proposals in different locations landed in trouble before the state government finally granted five acres of land near Mysuru for the memorial, which will be overseen by the trust headed by the chief minister himself, along with other members.
“After all the hurdles faced by the fans and the family members for such a long time, we are finally happy that the memorial is built near Mysuru city, which had a special place in Appaji’s life. He hailed from the city, and it was also where he breathed his last,” said Aniruddha.
