Film on Kittel, author of first major Kannada-English dictionary, to screen in Bengaluru on July 27
Bengaluru: A new film chronicling the life and legacy of Rev. Ferdinand Kittel, the 19th-century German missionary who compiled the first comprehensive Kannada-English dictionary, will be screened this weekend in Bengaluru. The screening will be followed by a talk by director Prashant Pandit.
Titled The Word and the Teacher, the trilingual documentary—made in English, Kannada, and German—delves into Kittel’s significant contributions to Kannada linguistics, particularly his landmark 70,000-word dictionary.
The project is a result of three years of research by Pandit, a filmmaker from Mysuru, who was first introduced to Kittel’s work in school, as reported by Deccan Herald.
Pandit initially struggled to find more information than what he had learnt in his childhood. “Indians don’t believe in documentation,” he remarked. In contrast, he found extensive records and archival material in Germany, which helped unearth what he describes as “many surprises” for the audience.
The film uses a first-person narrative, crafted from Kittel’s letters and reports. It has been shot across locations in South India and Germany and features archival footage. Notably, it also showcases an early Kannada typeface created by Kittel himself, which Pandit has now digitised. Once widely used in the 1860s, this typeface has been revived and made publicly accessible, DH added.
Reflecting on Kittel’s commitment to language and meaning, Pandit observed, “We live in a post-truth world where words have no fixed meaning,” adding that Kittel’s efforts to define language offer a striking contrast to today’s ambiguity.
Pandit hopes the film will prompt reflection, noting that in today's world, people are divided by numerous boundaries—politics, religion, and language—whereas Kittel had the courage to transcend them all.
The screening will take place on July 27, 2025, at 11:00 AM at the Bangalore International Centre, Domlur. Entry is free. For more details and registration, visit bangaloreinternationalcentre.org
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Pune airport runway restored after IAF aircraft snag; ops resume
Pune (PTI): The runway at Pune airport, which was temporarily unavailable due to an incident involving an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft, has now been restored and declared operational, the Air Force said on Saturday.
The authorities at the Pune International Airport had earlier said that around 10.25 pm on Friday, a fighter aircraft experienced an undercarriage failure during landing, causing the runway to be blocked.
As many as 91 flights of airlines, including IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, Akasa, and Air India Express, were affected due to the incident, they said.
Earlier on Friday night, the Air Force had stated that the runway at Pune airport was temporarily unavailable following an incident involving one of its fighter aircraft. The aircrew are safe, and there is no damage to civil property, it had said.
"The runway at Pune Airport, which was temporarily unavailable due to an incident involving an Indian Air Force aircraft, has now been restored and declared operational. All necessary safety inspections and clearances have been completed. Operations are resuming in a phased manner," it said in a post on X.
Flight operations at Pune airport are being gradually restored. The situation has been brought under control with the highest priority given to the safety of citizens, a Defence PRO said.
