The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Of Rajkumar’s statue and stature

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 20, 2007
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Karnataka - Bangalore

Of Rajkumar’s statue and stature

Staff Reporter

— Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

Icon: Rajkumar’s statue will be installed on the site in front of Town Hall in Bangalore .

Bangalore: Those passing by Town Hall on J.C. Road cannot help but notice a half-built structure, on which a statue of the late Rajkumar will shortly find a place. It is positioned beneath the statue of Kittur Rani Chennamma, the famed Kannada woman freedom fighter.

Many people think that installing this statue in the shadow of the existing statue of Rani Chennamma is nothing short of a folly that is likely to diminish the stature of either of them.

The architect of the proposed Rajkumar statue, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike(BBMP), has been maintaining a convenient silence even as the public debate rages.

The statue of the warrior queen has been left to the mercy of the elements. The BBMP had hurriedly organised a foundation laying ceremony on March 26 for Rajkumar’s statue which will be a 12ft bronze sculpture on a 80ft x 40ft vacant site, within the existing parking slot. Its estimated cost is Rs. 25 lakh.

According to sources, the BBMP is planning to form a panel to suggest the size of the statue. It is reportedly planning to seek suggestions from the public through various means, including SMSs.

Fans of Rajkumar have reportedly suggested that his majestic stance in the film, Kasturi Nivasa, in which a dove perches on the tragic hero’s right shoulder, is the right choice. There also appears to be a lot of support for d epicting the late actor as King Mallasarja, a character he played in the film Kittur Rani Chennama, in which he played the Rani’s husband.

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