The delay in building a memorial for the late Kannada actor Vishnuvardhan came to the fore again when Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy announced a memorial for actor Ambareesh near the one of Dr. Rajkumar at the State-owned Kanteerava Studio, where the actor-turned-politician was cremated on Monday.
The fans of Vishnuvardhan have expressed displeasure over the government's apathy in building a memorial for the actor at Abhiman Studio, where the actor was cremated in 2009. Vishnuvardhan is a part of the triumvirate of Kannada cinema along with Rajkumar and Ambareesh.
According to sources in the government, the memorial for Vishnuvardhan is inching closer to reality, with the owners of Abhiman Studio expressing their willingness to provide the needed land. However, B. Karthik, grandson of actor Balakrishna, who owns the studio, has asked the government to sort out the legal hassles connected to the land.
After the death of Vishnuvardhan, a Trust was formed to develop the memorial for which the government earmarked ₹5 crore of the ₹10 crore promised.
With the plot facing legal hassles, the government allocated alternative land at Mylasandra in Kengeri. This piece of land too got embroiled in a controversy, as it came under the buffer zone of Turahalli forest.
Bharathi Vishnuvardhan, widow of the actor, got frustrated and decided to shift the memorial to Mysuru, his native place. The government readily agreed and allotted five acres on Manandawadi Road and a date was fixed for laying the foundation stone by the then chief minister Siddaramaiah.
However, Vishnuvardhan's Fans' Association got upset with the move. “No question of shifting the memorial from Bengaluru," said Veerakaputra Srinivasa, president, Vishnu Sena Samithi.
Ambareesh, who was part of Siddaramaiah’s cabinet, had promised to clear the legal hurdle in developing the memorial for his friend Vishnuvardhan. Unfortunately, he is not with us to take the issue forward. Now, actor Sudeep is supporting our cause, said Mr. Veerakaputra. "We have sought an appointment with the Chief Minister next week to get a concrete decision on the memorial before the 9th death anniversary of Vishnuvardhan on December 30," he said.
Expressing regret over the delay, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said that it was natural for Vishnuvardhan's fans to get upset, as the project was envisaged nine years ago. "I will discuss with all concerned on developing the Vishnuvardhan memorial and take a decision," he said.
