Google honours Kannada poet Kuvempu with doodle
Bengaluru: Search engine Google on Friday honoured eminent Kannada poet and Jnanpith awardee Kuvempu with a doodle on his 113rd birthday.
"It's a great day for Kannadigas and Karnataka, as Google joined us in celebrating 'Rashtra kavi' (national poet) Kuvempu's birthday with a sketch on him in a locale that reminds us of his scenic native place Kuppali (in Shivamogga district," an official told IANS here.
Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa, who wrote as Kuvempu, was the first Kannada writer to win the prestigious Jnanpith award for his epic poem "Sri Ramayana Dashanam" in verse form five decades ago.
The occasion also coincided with the golden jubilee of Kuvempu's famous novel "Malegalalli Madumaglu" released 50 years ago on his birthday in 1967.
"Day-long celebrations, including reading of Kuvemu's select poems and writings in the lawns of his ancestral house 'Kavi Mane' at Kuppali in the presence of about 1,000 people from the region," said the official of the state Kannada and Culture Department.
Located in the heart of the picturesque Malnad area near Thirthahalli in central Karnataka, Kuppali is a cultural centre and a popular tourist spot.
Born on December 29, 1904, Kuvempu spent his childhood at Kuppali and moved to Mysuru in his teenage years to study. He graduated in Kannada and English literature from the Maharaja College at Mysuru.
"Though education and teaching profession forced Kuvempu to live at Mysuru, Bengaluru and other cities in the state, he visited Kuppali every year and spent a few weeks to relive his childhood, as he was so captivated by the Sahyadri mountains around and the breathtaking view of the Malnad region," said the official.
Kuvempu taught Kannada literature in Maharaja College and National College in Bengaluru in the 1930s-40s before he became Vice-Chancellor of Mysore University in 1956.
"Besides poetry, Kuvempu penned short stories, plays, novels and articles in Kannada and English. His beautiful poem 'Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate' is sung as the state anthem," added the official.
Awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1988, he passed away at the age of 90 on November 11, 1994.
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Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol unveil ‘DDLJ’ sculpture at London’s Leicester Square
London (PTI): Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol huddled under an umbrella on a rainy Thursday in London to unveil their bronze likeness from an iconic ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ scene.
The sculpture of the duo joins Leicester Square’s ‘Scenes in the Square’ trail depicting memorable shots from some of the world’s most famous films, with ‘DDLJ’ marking a Bollywood first and the 30th anniversary of the 1995 box-office hit. It is in this popular London square that SRK as Raj and Kajol as Simran first cross paths unknowingly.
“DDLJ was made with a pure heart. We wanted to tell a story about love, how it can bridge barriers and how the world would be a better place if it had a lot of love in it, and I think this is why 'DDLJ' has had a lasting impact for over 30 years now," said Khan.
“Personally, 'DDLJ' is part of my identity, and it is humbling to see film, and Kajol and me, receiving so much love since it was released,” he said.
He expressed his gratitude to the Heart of London Business Alliance, behind the cinematic trail at Leicester Square, for celebrating ‘DDLJ’ and “immortalising” its lead stars.
“Seeing ‘DDLJ’ become the first Indian film to be honoured in the iconic Scenes in the Square trail is an emotional moment and has brought back so many memories.
"I feel immense pride knowing the film has been embraced around the world, and I want to share this moment with the entire cast and crew of ‘DDLJ’, my friend and director Aditya Chopra and the Yash Raj Films family. This is a moment I will never forget,” added Khan.
Kajol, joined by her daughter Nysa and son Yug, posed with Khan in front of the statue as she braved the rain in a green saree.
“It’s incredible to see ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ continue to receive so much love, even 30 years later. Watching the statue being unveiled in London felt like reliving a piece of our history - a story that has truly travelled across generations,” said Kajol.
“Seeing it find its rightful place in Leicester Square, a location of such enormous significance to ‘DDLJ’, makes this moment even more special. For the film to be honoured in this way in the UK – the first Indian film to receive such recognition – is something that will forever stay in the hearts and minds of all the ‘DDLJ’ fans across the world,” she said.
Their statue, captured in a dancing pose from the hit song ‘Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna’, joins the likes of Harry Potter, Bridget Jones, Mary Poppins, and Batman in what is dubbed as an ever-growing celebration of movie magic in a square packed with multiplex cinema screens.
“When ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, DDLJ, was released 30 years ago, the film became a defining moment for Indian cinema and changed the face of the industry, capturing the hearts of everyone who saw it all over the globe," said Akshaye Widhani, CEO of Yash Raj Films.
“We’re thrilled to be the first Indian film to be represented in ‘Scenes in the Square’. It also marks 30 years of DDLJ, a film that has spread love and joy globally, and shows the cultural impact it has had in UK.
“We are honoured that our superstars and our film are being recognised on the world stage alongside the Hollywood elite, from Gene Kelly to Laurel & Hardy to Harry Potter. This statue will be a great way to express the international appeal of Indian movies and build bridges amongst communities through cinema,” he said.
Since its release in 1995, ‘DDLJ’ has become the longest-running film in Hindi cinema history.
Ros Morgan, Chief Executive at Heart of London Business Alliance, said: “We’re proud to welcome global megastars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol to our Scenes in the Square trail.
"Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is a cinematic phenomenon that has shaped generations, and London’s first tribute to Indian cinema honours a story whose magic continues to captivate audiences worldwide.”
It is a particularly special year for the film, with a musical based on the romance playing to packed houses at Manchester’s Opera House earlier this year. Aditya Chopra reprised his role as director of the English language stage production, ‘Come Fall In Love – The DDLJ Musical’, which revolved around the love story of Simran and Roger.
The script was a nod to the original as it followed Simran as a young British Indian woman who finds herself engaged to a family friend in India in an arranged marriage. However, the plot thickens when she falls in love with a British man named Roger.
