The `young poet' turns 60
YOUNG AT HEARTPoet B.R. Lakshman Rao will be felicitated on September 10
Till very recently we counted him among the yuva kavis (young poets) of Kannada. So it's hard to believe when you learn B.R. Lakshman has turned 60! But if the spirit of his poetry is anything to go by, Lakshman Rao will surely remain "young" forever in the minds of people who love all of those witty poems of his — from "Gopi mattu gandhalini" to "Subbabhattara magale".
But while those familiar with Lakshman Rao's poetry through the numerous CDs and cassettes would know the naughty side of the poet, serious readers of literature would also know that he is a poet groomed in the tradition of Navya poetry. Many of his poems carry an angst-ridden modernism that characterises this phase of poetry even as he retains his characteristic witty style. "Devare agadha ninna karuneya kadalu... ", for instance, leads you through in the rhetorical style of a Tatwa Pada to make a comment on the sceptical mind of the modern man.
To mark the 60th birthday of this unique poet in the Kannada literary tradition, his well-wishers in Bangalore are felicitating him on September 10 at Ravindra Kalakshetra. The programme that starts at 3 p.m. will have a discussion on Lakshman Rao in which Narahalli Balasubrahmanyam, Subraya Chokkadi and G.N. Ranganatha Rao will participate.This will be followed by the release of a book of his short poems brought out by Ankita Pustaka and an MP3 of his songs brought out by Lahari.
A felicitation volume called Chintamani will be released at 6 p.m. by Dr. G.S. Shivarudrappa. Dr. H.S. Venkateshamurthy will speak about Lakshman Rao. This session will be chaired by Dr. U.R. Ananthamurthy.
This will be followed by the rendering of Lakshman Rao's songs by both veteran and young Sugama Sangeeta singers.
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