The Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy is organising its ‘Belli Hejje' programme in all districts starting with Mysore. The interaction programme will be held at Vanaranga in Rangayana here at 5.30 p.m. on Saturday, chairperson of the academy Tara, actress, announced here on Thursday.
She told presspersons here that the main objective of the programme was to unravel the life and achievements of senior artistes and technicians in the Kannada film industry through interactions.
Lyricist and composer Hamsalekha will be the guest at the event in Mysore. Hamsalekha had written over 3,000 songs and composed music for over 300 films, Ms. Tara said. A documentary on Hamsalekha, who has won several State and national awards, would be screened on the occasion.
State Bank of India had come forward to sponsor Belli Hejje programme, she said.
Other programmes of the academy, including ‘Belli Arivu', ‘Belli Mandala' and ‘Rasagrahana', too would be organised in districts in the coming days.
Film personalities such as Parvathamma Rajkumar, P.B. Srinivas, Jayanti, Bharati Vishnuvardhan, Anant Nag and Ambareesh have taken part in the programme earlier.
Awards
For the first time, the academy had decided to give awards for film personalities, Ms. Tara said to a question on the agenda of the academy.
She said there were also plans to make documentaries on the life and achievements of those who had carved out a niche for themselves in the Kannada film industry. About 25 books were ready to be unveiled during the Belli Hejje programme scheduled to be held all over the State, she said.
The government's grant for the academy — just over Rs. 1 crore — would not suffice for all these activities, she added.
The academy intends to set up a DVD library, bring out a book on the Indian Cinema Act and endeavours to get Kannada films released simultaneously in the neighbouring States, Ms. Tara added.
Regional Manager of SBI T.R. Ugalvat and Deputy Director of the Department of Information, Mysore, Prakash, were present.
