Karnataka - Mysore   

Rangayana pursues Karanth Museum plan

MYSORE: State-run theatre repertory Nataka-Karnataka Rangayana is all set to make the name of its founder-director B.V. Karanth long lasting by setting up B.V. Karanth Theatre Museum.

Rangayana has identified a place for the museum and written to State Chief Architect to inspect it.

B.V. Karanth had collected anything and everything related to theatre, including 15,000 books, a variety of posters designed in the past four decades, rare musical instruments, costumes and set properties.

After Karanth's demise, his wife Prema Karanth, formed Babukodi Karanth Theatre Trust and planned to preserve Karanth's priceless collection by setting up a “theatre museum”.

However, Rangayana and theatre lovers of Mysore had also planned to set up a museum in the name of Karanth at the repertory.

When approached, the Government accepted the proposal. According to previous Rangayana director, Chidambara Rao Jambe, a committee was formed to work out a plan for the museum. It was planned to set up multi-storied- theatre museum at an estimated cost of Rs. 2.5 crore. The committee had sent the plan and estimation to the Government.

The then Minister for Kannada and Culture, H.S. Mahadeva Prasad, took keen interest in the museum project and met Ms. Prema Karanth in July 2007 and appealed to her to hand over valuable theatre collection of Mr. Karanth to the museum, for which she readily agreed.

In fact, the Government had sanctioned Rs. 10 lakh to pay token honorarium to Ms. Karanth to part with the theatre collection. Preparations were made for laying the foundation stone for the project. However, the Government collapsed leaving the proposal in limbo.

Although Rangayana showed initiative in taking possession of the theatre artefacts, trust members refused to part with them in the absence of a building to protect the priceless collection. The Government announced a plan to set up a theatre museum in Hampi by making use of Karnath's collection, but the plan met with stiff opposition from theatre lovers.

Rangayana, which got revitalised after appointment of Lingadevaru Halemane as its new director, has decided to aggressively pursue the museum plan.

Prof. Halemane told The Hindu that the process of setting up the museum had commenced and place had been identified for the purpose.

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