Rs. 100 million for a memorial?
As is my usual practice, I load a couple of links in multiple tabs and start reading those news items that I feel are interesting. And today morning I was taken in for a surprise when each of the tabs proclaimed this headline – “Karnataka to build Rs. 100 million memorial for Dr. Rajkumar”. This actually got me thinking… is it really necessary to incur this kind of expenditure? There are, probably, 100 million more worthy causes for using that kind of money. But a memorial? I know, Annavaru has done a lot for the propogation and safe-guard of Kannada language, Kannada culture and the Kannada Film Industry. I respect the departed soul for what he was. But then, this kind of expenditure in his name is not quite justified.
Many such proposals which ultimately do lead to realisation as well are more a result of political propoganda. Political parties are only too happy to derive their own mileage out of it. I need not add here the extent to which his fans are impressionable. Not only that, they are gullible as well. Sorry to say that, but that is how it has shown up to be! A political party that backs the building of this memorial is sure to get the vote bank of Rajkumar fans. Only because their idol has been enshrined. Is this not a cheap tactic?
Let us keep politics aside. Let us look at worthy causes. Infrastructure development is the biggest pain point of the city. Rs. 100 million – in Indian tongue, that would be 10 crores. How many roads can be laid where none exist today? How many drains can be cleaned which cause flooding in low lying areas with a little more than drizzle of a rain? How many free housing can be constructed so that the slum dwellers can be relocated? There are plentiful of causes, certainly no dearth of it. But – all these would get a blind eye. Because these would not get the kind of attention that a memorial may get.
As per the news article, this is what Kanteerava Studio is now.
// Launched as a joint stock company in 1966 with the state government holding 93 percent of the share capital and the remaining seven percent by individual shareholders from the film industry, mostly producers and directors, the studio could not keep pace with modernisation in terms of equipment and facilities due to lack of fresh investments. //
Can they not start a film institute or a class for film production, making etc? Are there not many directors and film producers who do not have enough funds for a good studio but have a good script for a film? A script that may get them much needed attention and maybe awards? The studio is lying decrepit for want of funds, being used none. The same studio that Rajkumar himself used a lot in his hey days.
Hold on! There is more…
// The memorial will have a permanent exhibition to showcase the actor’s contribution to the Kannada film industry over the last five decades. It will also have a stock of movies, dialogue, scripts, songs and other memorabilia associated with the actor who passed away here Wednesday. //
I know there would be people who are going to stand up and ask – aren’t there Elvis Presley memorials? Aren’t there memorials dedicated to singers, actors and other culturally influential stalwarts? My answer to them would be – there sure are such memorials. Only that, in this context, I feel that spending Rs. 100 million on such a venture is not justified.
Kannada Film Industry wants the Government to contribute this amount towards this museum. Well, we all know the film industry makes money in crores each year. 10 crores can be collected in barely as much as 1-2 month by them. Let them collect it on their own and build a monument on their own. Let it be the film industry’s dedication to their greatest showman. Not the Government’s! The Government can acknowledge it and honor the effort. But spending 10 crores of public money over this monument is definitely not justified.
What would he like as a living monument to his contribution to Karnataka? An endowment for the same amount that helps the needy children studying Kannada, probably? Or, a residential complex for slum dwellers and name it in his memory? There are so many better and more honorable uses for the same money!
I rest my case. You tell me what you think!
I second your ideas. Absolutely.
a film industry kind..like ramoji film city is always agoo didea..cant they spnd something like that,,,which would infact safegaurd kannada film industry, and increase the facility too..
and a memorial which would exbit all abt raj kumar can be a part of the film city..
but 100 million is too much….
if anyone says dont someon actor has memorial..i would say first make good roads to reach him..
All said and done, utilitarian arguments such as yours don’t stand a chance because people are not perfectly rational. Again, you neglect the value people accord to symbols.
Look at it this way – there is nobody else in Karnataka who will ever get so much attention from say, past two generations. Karnataka simply has no other big icon. So let the govt. do what it wants. This is the last time they can indulge.
a ramoji film city kind of project would be a wonderful idea… the project could be named after Dr.Rajkumar and include a small museum to start off with… the produce from the project i.e. the rent, etc, could be used to improve the musuem on an incremental basis rather than using public money for the museum alone…
I dont quite see what the problem is if they’re building a modern and user-friendly museum – not a ramshackle old structure.
After all his movies, fan following and stature are part of history, and Karnataka arent they? That they co-incided with the state’s creation and evolution adds to that.
If public money can be spent on restoring and preserving historical works, on a Film Institute, on maintaining film archives, then why not?
I do hope the government contributes the least money to it, and has the least say in it. The bureaucracy is very resourceful in destroying such projects.
DEAR FRIEND, I AM DR AHMED KHAN FROM KARNATAKA INDIA
BASE IN EUROPE. I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE IGABRIEL
VENTURE FUND AND FINANCE FIRM IN LONDON. I AM THE SON
OF A VERY GOOD CHILDHOOD FRIEND AND ASSOCIATE OF OUR
LATE ANNAVARU, DR RAJ KUMAR. MY LATE FATHER KHAN WAS
HIS FRIEND AND MATE AND MY FATHER INTRODUCED HIM TO ME
SHORTLY BEFORE HE WAS KIDNAPPED BY VEERAPPAN. INFACT
WE WERE ALL IN DIVERSTATING MOOD WHEN WE HEARD OF HIS
KIDNAP AND WHEN WE HEARD OF HIS RELEASE WE WERE ALL
HAPPY. AFTER THEN I LOST MY FATHER. MY FATHER WAS
CO-FOUNDER OF THE CONTINENTAL CREDIT BANK OF MALAYSIA
WHERE I AM ALSO HEADING THE BOARD. WE HAVE BEEN
ASSISTING INDIANS IN ABROAD AND WE HAVE FINANCING
PROJECTS SET UP BY FELLOW INDIANS ESPECIALLY IN THE
MOVIE INDUSTRY. WE FINANCE FILMS ABOUT INDIAN AND MADE
BY INDIANS IN COUNTRIES LIKE USA, ENGLAND ETC. SO THE
DEATH OF THIS FILM ICON CAME TO ME A VERY BIG SCHOCK
BECAUSE I RECENTLY MET HIM WHEN HE TOLD ME THAT HE IS
NOW INTO PRODUCING OF FILMS WHICH I INTRODUCED A
TRANSACTION TO HIM WHICH HE ASSISTED. ALSO WE WERE TO
MEET AT THE GANDUGALLI KUMARA RAMA FILM WHERE HE TOLD
ME THAT HE WOULD SING A SONG BUT NOW DEATH HAS TAKEN
HIM AWAY FROM US. THOUGH HE TOLD ME ABOUT HIS SONS WHO
ARE ALL INTO MOVIE LIKE SHIRAJ AND CO BUT WE HAVE NOT
MET AND I AM HOPING TO MEET THEM SOME DAY IN MY TRIP
TO INDIA. BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT MY FIRM IS INTO
GRANT MAKING BY GETTING FINANCIAL GRANTS THROUGH OUR
BANK, I TOLD DR RAJ THAT I WANT TO USE HIM TO OBTAIN
SOME FINANCIAL GRANTS TO BE USED TO SUPPORT AND
FINANCE FILM PROJECTS AND MOVIES OF INDIAN ORIGIN
WHICH HE ACCEPTED AND EVEN ASSISTED, THEN I MADE THE
GRANT PROPOSAL AND EVENTUALLY GOT THE GRANT OF $13
MILLION DOLLARS MEANT TO BE SUPPORTING FILMS AND
MOVIES OF INDIAN ORIGIN. SO SINCE HE IS NO MORE AND WE
HAVE GOTTEN THE FUND ALREADY I NOW CONTACT YOU BASE ON
THE RELATIONSHIP WITH DR RAJ TO NOTIFY YOU OF THIS.
THE FUND IS NOW UNDER MY CARE AND DEPOSITED IN THE
CONTINENTAL BANK OF MALAYSIA. SO WE NEED TO TRANSFER
THE FUND TO INDIA OR ANY PLACE WHICH I WILL TAKE CARE
OF IT. BEFORE WE COMMENCE I NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU VIA
,MAIL THEN I GIVE YOU FULL DETAILS. REPLY BACK DR AHMED
DEAR FRIEND, I AM DR AHMED KHAN FROM KARNATAKA INDIA
BASE IN EUROPE. I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE IGABRIEL
VENTURE FUND AND FINANCE FIRM IN LONDON. I AM THE SON
OF A VERY GOOD CHILDHOOD FRIEND AND ASSOCIATE OF OUR
LATE ANNAVARU, DR RAJ KUMAR. MY LATE FATHER KHAN WAS
HIS FRIEND AND MATE AND MY FATHER INTRODUCED HIM TO ME
SHORTLY BEFORE HE WAS KIDNAPPED BY VEERAPPAN. INFACT
WE WERE ALL IN DIVERSTATING MOOD WHEN WE HEARD OF HIS
KIDNAP AND WHEN WE HEARD OF HIS RELEASE WE WERE ALL
HAPPY. AFTER THEN I LOST MY FATHER. MY FATHER WAS
CO-FOUNDER OF THE CONTINENTAL CREDIT BANK OF MALAYSIA
WHERE I AM ALSO HEADING THE BOARD. WE HAVE BEEN
ASSISTING INDIANS IN ABROAD AND WE HAVE FINANCING
PROJECTS SET UP BY FELLOW INDIANS ESPECIALLY IN THE
MOVIE INDUSTRY. WE FINANCE FILMS ABOUT INDIAN AND MADE
BY INDIANS IN COUNTRIES LIKE USA, ENGLAND ETC. SO THE
DEATH OF THIS FILM ICON CAME TO ME A VERY BIG SCHOCK
BECAUSE I RECENTLY MET HIM WHEN HE TOLD ME THAT HE IS
NOW INTO PRODUCING OF FILMS WHICH I INTRODUCED A
TRANSACTION TO HIM WHICH HE ASSISTED. ALSO WE WERE TO
MEET AT THE GANDUGALLI KUMARA RAMA FILM WHERE HE TOLD
ME THAT HE WOULD SING A SONG BUT NOW DEATH HAS TAKEN
HIM AWAY FROM US. THOUGH HE TOLD ME ABOUT HIS SONS WHO
ARE ALL INTO MOVIE LIKE SHIRAJ AND CO BUT WE HAVE NOT
MET AND I AM HOPING TO MEET THEM SOME DAY IN MY TRIP
TO INDIA. BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT MY FIRM IS INTO
GRANT MAKING BY GETTING FINANCIAL GRANTS THROUGH OUR
BANK, I TOLD DR RAJ THAT I WANT TO USE HIM TO OBTAIN
SOME FINANCIAL GRANTS TO BE USED TO SUPPORT AND
FINANCE FILM PROJECTS AND MOVIES OF INDIAN ORIGIN
WHICH HE ACCEPTED AND EVEN ASSISTED, THEN I MADE THE
GRANT PROPOSAL AND EVENTUALLY GOT THE GRANT OF $13
MILLION DOLLARS MEANT TO BE SUPPORTING FILMS AND
MOVIES OF INDIAN ORIGIN. SO SINCE HE IS NO MORE AND WE
HAVE GOTTEN THE FUND ALREADY I NOW CONTACT YOU BASE ON
THE RELATIONSHIP WITH DR RAJ TO NOTIFY YOU OF THIS.
THE FUND IS NOW UNDER MY CARE AND DEPOSITED IN THE
CONTINENTAL BANK OF MALAYSIA. SO WE NEED TO TRANSFER
THE FUND TO INDIA OR ANY PLACE WHICH I WILL TAKE CARE
OF IT. BEFORE WE COMMENCE I NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU VIA
,MAIL THEN I GIVE YOU FULL DETAILS. REPLY BACK DR AHMED