The Hindu : Karnataka News : KFCC `renamed' Kannada film chamber

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 27, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

KFCC `renamed' Kannada film chamber

By Our Staff Reporter

Parvathamma Rajkumar, wife of thespian Rajkumar, and other members of the Karnataka Film Producers' Association distributing sweets after changing the signboard of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, in Bangalore on Friday. — Photo: K. Gop inathan

BANGALORE, NOV. 26. The Karnataka Film Producers' Association (KFPA) today replaced the signboard of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce with a board that said, "Kannada film chamber of commerce," at the chamber's premises here.

The KFPA president, Basanthkumar Patil, many members of the association, and some volunteers of a Kannada organisation entered the premises of the chamber (KFCC) and replaced its signboard with a board that said "Kannada film chamber of commerce," amid protests by the KFCC president, H.D. Gangaraj, and a couple of its executive members.

Mr. Gangaraj said: "It is an outrageous and undemocratic act by people who lost their face in the KFCC elections."

Closed door meeting

Parvathamma Rajkumar, wife of thespian Rajkumar, along with other members of the KFPA and KFCC members held a closed door meeting with Mr. Gangaraj.

All of them, barring Mr. Gangaraj and his supporters, came out after "rahukala" and performed puja. Ms. Rajkumar declined to talk to presspersons as she was indisposed.

S.V. Rajendra Singh (Babu), former president of the Kannada Film Directors' Association and film producer, told presspersons that producers and others in the industry were apprehensive that the KFCC was not restricting some exhibitors from releasing new non-Kannada films.

A general body of the KFCC would be convened soon to change the name of the KFCC to Kannada Film Chamber of Commerce in accordance with its bylaw, he said.

The episode was peaceful in the presence of the police.

Incidents regretted

The spokesperson of the Kannada film industry, `Mukhyamantri' Chandru, has thanked the organisations that supported the agitation organised by the industry. He has also thanked the Government for responding to the demands of the industry.

In a release here today, he said that the industry regretted the unsavoury incidents that occurred when the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, was addressing the gathering.

The general secretary of the Janata Dal (U), B. Shreepathy Rao, said in a release that it was unfortunate that some people threw slippers at the podium from which the Chief Minister was addressing the gathering without understanding the implications of their action. He felt the incident had tarnished the image of Rajkumar and wanted the thespian to keep himself away from programmes such as the one on Thursday.

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