BIFFES 2020: After participants complained long queues organisers print more passes

Film Festival

Even though tickets for Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFES) were booked online, participants still had to pick up their passes at the venue, which led to long queues.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Scores of movie buffs in Bengaluru turned up early at the Orion Mall in Rajajinagar on Thursday to pick up their passes for the 12th edition of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFES). The screening of the first movie, Iranian movie The Charcoal, began at 9.20 am. The participants had registered their tickets online days before the film festival began and had arrived early to collect these passes from the organisers at the venue. While long queues are not uncommon at film festivals, the queue on the first day of movie screening BIFFES at this venue was so long, with many claiming they missed the movies they had planned to watch. Many complained that they had to wait for more than 30 minutes to get passes, without which they could not enter the screening halls.  Some of them whom TNM spoke to said took leave from work to attend the festival. "I waited for 45 minutes in the queue to get my pass. Finally, I got it around 12 pm, after the crowd began to abate. I needed a break from work, and took the entire week off," said Shruti, one of the participants who were attending the film festival. There were also senior citizens in attendance at the film festival. Unlike the previous editions, this year, there was no dedicated line for senior citizens. "I have been coming to the film festival for several years. I never had to go without the printed schedule. Those with smartphones can show the tickets on their smartphones, but I am an old man now and can't use them," said Ravikumar, one of the participants at the festival who is in his late 60s. Following the growing discontent, the organisers quickly printed a few passes and gave it out to people waiting in the queue. In the previous editions, both online and in-person registrations were allowed. This year, there was no system of physical booking. Even though tickets were booked online, participants still had to pick up their passes at the venue. According to the organisers, there were a total of 11,000 people registered for the film festival this year. In this scenario, the organisers said they thought issuing daily passes would be logistically difficult, as the number of seats to accommodate participants were less. The Orion Mall has 11 screens, with seats ranging from 48 to 323 (maixmum).    "We chose Navarang Theatre (one of the four venues) as it has more seats. That is why films that have a huge public demand are being screened here,” said Suneel Puranaik, Chairperson of the film festival. “Since Monday is a weekday, we will consider selling daily passes, if the footfall is less that day," he added. Puranaik, while addressing the media, also said that the film festival was organised within 48 days of its notification. "Usually, such big festivals take up to a year to organise. However, we were able to quickly put together the festival, including selecting the 220 films for the festival to the jury. However, we have to admit that we faced a lot of problems with the logistical side of things." Despite the challenges, he added, he ensured that they would not compromise on the quality of the content. “We have done an India premiere for 40 different foreign films. When we see the crowds milling around, and the chaos, we really feel like it is a successful festival." Many regular participants had pointed out that every year the festival faces the same logistical issues, even 12 years since beginning the festival, including the issuance of passes and schedules. "All these years, there were no specific staff or officers to organise the festivals. Private organisations undertook the work,” said Suneel, adding that he hopes to change the system in the future.

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‘Mayabazar 2016’ review: This clean comedy thriller is a jolly ride

Review

Wonderful performances by Achyut Kumar, Raj B Shetty, Vasishta N Simha, Prakash Raj and Sadhu Kokila ensure that there isn’t a single dull moment in the whole film.

Aravind Shwetha

Clean cinema, that too in the comedy genre, is a rarity in Sandalwood. Too often we see filmmakers blending double entendre jokes and offensive sequences to pass it off as comedy. But Mayabazar 2016 is here to make a difference. The movie is not only hilarious, but the story is entertaining too. Set in the backdrop of the 2016 demonetisation, Mayabazar is the comic relief that Sandalwood needs right now, after a series of boring films in the last two months. Joseph (Achyut Kumar) is a sincere police officer who is known for his honesty among his seniors. So, during demonetisation, he is entrusted with one of the most important jobs – to track phone calls of the big fish trying to exchange demonetised currency. But, his wife Usha (Sudha Rani) is diagnosed with cancer and Joseph has to arrange a huge amount by hook or crook. He chooses the crook Kubera (Raj B Shetty). Both hatch a plan to track rich men trying to exchange black money and succeed to some extent. Kubera, with a team of men from a theatre group, goes from one house to another posing as an I-T officer, conducts raids and steals black money. But Usha’s health pushes Joseph over the edge, so they decide to knock on the wrong door to pull off their biggest robbery. Carpenter Raji (Vasishta N Simha), who is in love with a rich girl (Chaitra Rao), joins the heist in the second half for his own reasons. Can too many cooks spoil the broth? Well, not always. In the case of Mayabazar, too many crooks create a very delectable treat that is best savoured with friends and family. The movie takes off on a jolly note with Raj B Shetty as the thief keeping the audience hooked with his weird antics and dialogues. Achyut’s perfect planning, aided by Raj’s comic timing and Vasishta’s charm keep the audience glued to the screen for a good two hours. The movie is not just a comedy thriller; it has a takeaway for everyone. Achyut Kumar’s helplessness and his lengthy dialogue about his unending love for his wife are sure to bring out some waterworks. Among the three leads, he stands out for his wonderful acting. Raj is his usual self, spouting quirky one-liners with perfect comic timing. Vasishta charms as a lover boy who is desperate to do anything to keep his girlfriend happy. Among the three, somehow Raj fails to bring any freshness as he sticks to his signature ‘smile when in trouble’ reaction throughout. Two other value additions include Prakash Raj as corrupt police officer ACP Ashok, who rules the second half with his villainous grin, and councillor Pataki Pandu, played by Sadhu Kokila. Sadhu with his comic rage is a revelation here. The perfect five ensure that there isn’t a single dull moment in the whole film. Debutant director Radhakrishna Reddy’s attempt to serve clean comedy is heartening. For all the introduction scenes, there is an immediate backgrounder about each character. This new attempt is commendable. The director has brought in a certain freshness with a unique comic narration while also keeping the emotional connects intact. The film’s climax, however, lacks punch and leaves you wanting for more. Made under Puneeth Rajkumar’s banner, PRK productions, Mayabazar, meaning a market of illusions, is entertaining as well funny. This is Puneeth’s second film as a producer after Kavaludaari, and hence there isn’t a single glitch in the making. The movie looks and feels rich in terms of production. Puneeth’s climax dance in the Loka mayabazaru song is a crowd-puller. The fast song in SP Balasubramanian’s voice brings a smile. Midhun Mukundan’s music is pleasing. The movie banks heavily on comic tonic and the occasional familiar faces. It does a thorough job of entertaining the audience. The movie is all about money, money, money, honey! And is worth every penny. Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the series/film. TNM Editorial is independent of any business relationship the organisation may have with producers or any other members of its cast or crew.

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Two people dead as compound wall collapses in Mangaluru

Accident

The incident occured near Bunts Hostel Junction in Karangalpady, Mnagaluru.

Soumya Chatterjee

Two construction workers were killed on Friday in Mangaluru after a wall collapsed on them. The wall which collapsed was built on an adjacent plot to the land where the workers were engaged in construction of a multistorey building. Fire officials said the retaining wall collapsed during excavation work for the basement of the building. The incident occured near Bunts Hostel Junction in Karangalpady part of the city at around 1:15 pm. Fire and Emergency Personnel from Pandeshwar and Kadri who rushed to the spot were able to rescue at least four persons with one person severely injured.  The Karnataka Fire Department said that the two bodies had to be extracted from the debris of the collapsed wall. The two deceased have been identified as Bheemesh and Masirgul, both from Bagalkote and West Bengal respectively, police officials said. District Fire Officer Mohammed Nawaz told TNM that while one person escaped safely out of the debris, they rescued two other persons. After that as per protocol, they excavated the surrounding area both manually and with earthmovers to ensure there was no other persons trapped.  two dead bodies extracted from the debris of collapsed wall in under construction building. In Mangalore, Pandeshwara. @SunilagarwalI @beyondcarlton pic.twitter.com/Cz9lRN3YNF — Karnataka Fire Dept (@KarFireDept) February 28, 2020 Mangaluru South MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) Vedavyas Kamath was on the spot overseeing the rescue efforts.  “The state government will provide compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and all medical costs of the injured will be borne by the government,” Karnataka Labour Department Secretary Captain Manivannan told TNM. Friday’s incident comes after at least three persons were killed in Bengaluru and another 15 were injured when an under-construction water tank had collapsed in June 2019. In a large-scale tragedy, 19 persons had died and several were injured after they were buried alive under the debris of an under-construction building in north Karnataka’s Dharwad. That incident took place in March 2019.

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Will set aside funds for Kalasa-Banduri project in budget: CM Yediyurappa

Mahadayi water dispute

Yediyurappa's statement comes after the Central government notified the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal’s final award.

Prajwal Bhat

PTI/ File Image

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday stated that funds will be set aside in the upcoming budget for starting work on the Kalasa-Banduri project on the Mahadayi river.  "The Central government has issued a notification on the Mahadayi river. This will solve the drinking water issues of Hubballi and Dharwad. This is a long-pending demand and I would like to say that in the upcoming budget, we will set aside funds and expedite the work immediately," Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said in Bengaluru.  Yediyurappa's statement comes after the Central government notified the final award of the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal on Thursday. The Mahadayi river flows through Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra. The notification comes after the Supreme Court directed the Central government on February 21. In the August 2018 judgement of the  Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal, Karnataka was allocated 13.42 tmcft of water, while Goa was allocated 24 tmcft and 1.33 tmc ft to Maharashtra. "We are happy that upon the Supreme Court's directive, the gazette notification was issued. This is a huge step in the decades long agitation," activist Ashok Chandargi based in Belagavi told TNM. The Kalasa-Banduri project aims to bring water to the drought-prone regions of Hubballi, Dharwad, Belagavi and Gadag districts by diverting water from the Mahadayi river to the Malaprabha river in Karnataka. However, any construction work on the Kalasa-Banduri project will be subject to the final verdict in the Supreme Court. This is after the Goa government moved the Supreme Court for interim relief, seeking to restrain neighboring Karnataka from carrying out any construction on the Mahadayi river.  Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the state government had filed for interim relief to restrain Karnataka from carrying out any activity or construction on the Kalasa-Banduri dam project until the hearing in the Supreme Court was completed.  The matter will be taken up in the Supreme Court on Monday. On the same day, Yediyurappa is slated to present the state budget for the ensuing fiscal in the Legislative Assembly. Out of the 13.42 tmcft water, 5.5 tmcft will be used in the river basin and for diversion into the depleted Malaprabha reservoir while the balance 7.92 tmcft will be utilized for hydel power generation instead of allowing the water to go into the Arabian Sea on the state's west coast through Goa.

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Coffee plantations to history and nature: Chikkamagaluru is a charming getaway

Travel

Within a radius of 100 km, Chikkamagaluru offers culture in the form of temple architecture, history and myth as well as coffee plantations and insights into coffee processing.

Susheela Nair

All photos by Susheela Nair

The journey to Chikkamagaluru was an exhilarating experience as we cruised past verdant coffee, pepper, cardamom, ginger and coffee plantations that dot its scenic landscape. Rows of coffee bushes covered with sparkling white blossoms greeted us and the whole area was heavenly with their exquisite fragrance. It was a heady experience walking through the coffee plantations at blossom time. Chikkamagaluru means ‘the place of the younger daughter’. The district takes its name from the headquarters town of Chikkamagaluru, which is said to have been given as dowry to the younger daughter of Rukmangada, the legendary chief of Sakrepatna. Situated in a fertile valley south of the Baba Budan range, Chikkamagaluru became the focus of global media attention when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her historic 1977 election campaign entreated the voters of the little township, “Please treat me as you would your own little daughter; I am your Chikmagalu”. They gave her a thumping victory, and Chikkamagaluru has since attracted the attention of adventurous travellers and nature enthusiasts. The Coffee Museum No trip to Chikkamagaluru is complete without a visit to World of Coffee, a coffee experience café, where we saw the world’s first interactive Coffee Wall. Here we had a 4D experience of seeing, touching, smelling and tasting coffee. The Coffee Yatra Museum, an initiative of the Coffee Board of India, is equally interesting. The museum had a thematic display of coffee history and processing of coffee like picking, drying and grinding, providing an insight into the painstaking procedures. As we left Chikkamagaluru town and began our ascent into higher climes, there were pleasant surprises at every hairpin bend – towering peaks, delightful dales, meandering rivers, sparkling streams, sprightly falls, verdant scenery and the invigorating mountain air. Set against a mountainous canvas, one can experience the best of Western Ghats in the picturesque Malnad district. One can discover trekking trails in the Kudremukh range and pristine nature in the form of forests, wildlife, mountains and hill stations, picnic in the unpolluted countryside, and ramble in coffee plantations. Whether one would like to see culture in the form of temple architecture, history and myth, or coffee plantations and the delights of coffee processing, Chikkamagaluru offers it all within a radius of about 100 km. Coffee berries and sparkling coffee blossoms The district offers a fabulous mix of ancient temples and forts besides wildlife in the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary and Kudremukh National Park. The drive to Bhadra took us past coffee plantations, dense green bamboo thickets and the picturesque village of Muthodi. Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, 38 km north-west of Chikkamagaluru, takes its name from the eponymous river, its lifeline. Wildlife sighting is very rare due to the dense forest cover. But if luck is on your side, you might sight the ferocious tiger, observe the Indian bison, hear the strange calls of the striped hyena, and see the rare flying lizard glide amidst the huge trees, while driving through dense tropical forests interspersed with lush grassy slopes. The flora here is a taxonomist’s delight. This includes the Terminalia tomentosa or the Mathi tree which acts as a natural fire extinguisher and the 300-year-old teak tree which stands like a sentinel guarding the sanctity of the precious forest and its denizens. Chikkamagaluru is also a convenient base to explore the hill station of Kemmanagundi, located 53 km away and surrounded by thick evergreen forests and coffee estates. It is known for its ornamental gardens and sylvan atmosphere. It is no wonder that the Mysore Maharaja Krishnarajendra Wodeyar IV chose this place as his summer camp. The area is littered with waterfalls such as Hebbe, located just 8 km from Kemmanagundi amidst fascinating scenery. The other falls is Kalhatti, which has associations with the sage Agastya. There is a temple, supposedly built during Vijaya Nagara time, situated in a narrow gap between rocks. You can also trek to Z-Point, a splendid place to watch sunsets. Mullayyanagiri, the highest peak in Karnataka The next day, shivering in the biting cold, we set out at the crack of dawn. Heaving and panting, we clambered up to the top of Mullayyanagiri, the tallest peak in Karnataka (at 6,317 ft above sea level). We were treated to mesmerising views of majestic mountain passes. En route we stopped by Seethalayyangiri. A holy temple here adds to the spiritual ambience. The temple at Seethalayyangiri From here, you can look towards the Baba Budan hills, where Hazrat Dada Hayat Mir Khalander, a famous Muslim saint, first introduced coffee cultivation to these parts. In 1650 he smuggled a few berries of coffee from the famous port of Mocha, on his way back from Mecca. He planted them on the high ridges of the mountains that rise above Chikkamagaluru, giving India her first coffee plantations. Revered as Baba Budan for his healing powers, Mir Khalander made the mountain range his home and it came to be called after him. The Inam Dattatreya Peetha, which is venerated by Hindus and Muslims alike, is located in this range. A laterite cave is believed to have been sanctified by the residence of Dattatreya Swami as well as Mir Khalander. Both Muslims and Hindus celebrate the annual jatra or urus here with great aplomb. The vanadevathe statue On our last day at this charming getaway, we stopped by Siri Coffee, a coffee house at Siri Nature Roost, which stands to speak the proud history of the district. One cannot afford to miss the sculpture of a lady draped in greenery and decked with plants and flowers. The aesthetically carved statue of the vanadevathe is the most Instagrammed spot in Chikkamagaluru. She is Chikkamagaluru personified – she is nature, she gives all she has to you, all she asks in return is to keep her clean, green and ever flourishing. Susheela Nair is an independent food, travel and lifestyle writer, and photographer based in Bangalore. She has contributed content, articles and images on food, travel, lifestyle, photography, environment and ecotourism to several reputed national publications. Her writings constitute a wide spectrum, including guide books, brochures and coffee table books.

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Grand birthday bash for CM Yediyurappa, rival Siddaramaiah attends and hails him

Politics

Former Chief Minister and Congress leaderSiddaramaiah was the lone Opposition leader who attended the event.

TNM Staff

Arch rival and Congress leader Siddaramaiah heaped praises on veteran BJP leader and Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa at an event celebrating the latter's 78th birthday in Bengaluru's Palace Grounds on Thursday. Besides Siddaramaiah, the felicitation function also saw Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and former Chief Minister SM Krishna in attendance.  Siddaramaiah hailed Yediyurappa and said that their political differences should not come in the way of their personal lives, the Times of India reported. He was taking part in a felicitation ceremony in which a coffee table book depicting the life and achievements of Yediyurappa was released by Siddaramaiah. Yediyurappa was similarly thrilled to receive Siddaramaiah during the ceremony. The duo sat next to each other before they were invited on to the stage. Yediyurappa appreciated Siddaramaiah's gesture. "Opposition leader Siddaramaiah taking part in this event is unique. Taking part in this programme has made this special,"said Yediyurappa. Hailing Yediyurappa, Siddaramaiah, in turn, said, "He is someone who has a background of a fighter. He came from an ordinary family and he fought his way up and became the Chief Minister. Only those who have come from this background will understand the lives of people.”  Siddaramaiah also added, “Politics and human relations are different. Even if we have political differences, this cannot affect our personal relations because we are human beings. Our differences are limited to politics. We will place our ideas in front of the people and the BJP will place their ideas. It is the people who will decide." Siddaramaiah was the lone Opposition leader who attended the event. Although Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy was invited, he was not present at the event. Union Ministers DV Sadananda Gowda, also a former chief minister, Pralhad Joshi and Suresh Angadi also attended the event. BJP leader and national general secretary BL Santhosh released a felicitation volume in Kannada with 78 articles from a cross-section of people, including politicians, writers, bureaucrats and spiritual leaders. The birthday function organised by "Yediyurappa Abhinandana Samiti" (Yediyurappa Felicitation Committee) was seen as an attempt by Yediyurappa and his loyalists to send a message to the party leadership that he was still "strong".  The BJP's current dispensation under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah has retired several senior party leaders who crossed the age of 75. However, an exception was said to have been made in Yediyurappa's case  With PTI inputs  

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More passenger trains from Bengaluru after Baiyappanahalli terminal opens: MoS Railways

Railway

The terminal in Baiyappanahalli is expected to be completed within three months after missing several previous deadlines.

IANS

With the opening of the third railway terminal in Baiyappanahalli soon, more long-distance passenger trains would be introduced from Bengaluru, Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi said on Thursday. "I have directed the South Western Railways (SWR) to run more train services to and from Bengaluru once the third terminal in the city at Byappanahalli (in the eastern suburb) commences with 7 platforms," Angadi told reporters in Bengaluru. With 10 platforms at the Bengaluru city terminal and 6 platforms at the Yeshvantpur terminal in the northern suburbs congested due to heavy traffic, the SWR will soon convert the Cantonment station in the city centre into the fourth terminal. "The two new terminals at Byappanahalli and Cantonment will enable us to decongest the Bengaluru city (Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna station) and Yeshvantpur terminals through which 80 per cent of the traffic passes through daily," an official said. The terminal in Baiyappanahalli is expected to be completed within three months. The railways has set a deadline of May 2020 after missing several previous deadlines to complete work on the terminal.  As the Bengaluru metro rail stations are located adjacent to Bengaluru city, Yeshvantpur and Byappanahalli railway stations, long-distance train passengers will be able to commute to their destinations conveniently and faster. "The proposed suburban passenger train service around the city will offer integrated transport service to the 11 million people of Bengaluru, which is the fastest growing metropolitan city in the country," said the official. Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa assured the railways of providing adequate funds in the budget for 2020-21 to speed up the pending rail projects across the state. "The state government will jointly work with the railways to increase the rail network density in the state to provide safer and economical transport service to the people," he said after flagging off, by remote control, the by-weekly Shivamogga-Chennai Tatkal Express, connecting his hometown in the Malnad region to Chennai via Bengaluru. Angadi asked the state government to speed up land acquisition for extending train services, doubling lines and laying new tracks for running more passenger and freight services.  

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