<p>At 60, Ambarish couldn’t have asked for more. All his friends, colleagues, loved ones and mostly his fans, had come together at Palace Grounds on Tuesday for just one reason — to convey their good wishes to the actor, who had completed 40 years in the Kannada film industry. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Hours before the gala event, Ambi Sambrama, could begin, thousands of people had gathered at the venue and cops were on high alert checking every single pass and ensuring the safety of people. <br /><br />In fact, so strict were they that actors like Tarun Chandra and Diganth had difficulty getting in as they had forgotten to bring their passes. <br /><br />“Every other person says he is a hero and demands that he be allowed inside,” revealed a cop. “With so many heroes in the industry, one cannot be sure who the real hero is. We have been given strict instructions and we are just following orders,” he added.<br />Nevertheless, the four-hour long cultural programme was professional and did not have too many people crowding the stage. Speeches were kept short and barricades protected the VVIP section. <br /><br />By the time, the event started, there were tens of thousands of people screaming out to the man of the moment. A galaxy of stars descended from various film industries to wish him. That included Rajnikanth, actors-turned-politicians Chiranjeevi, Shatrughan Sinha, Khushboo and Jayaprada; actors Sunil Shetty, Mohan Babu, Nandamuri Balakrishna, Jackie Shroff etc. <br /><br />The evening made way for energetic performances, interspersed with skits and videos, showcasing the actor’s life. And they left no stone unturned. Some even took a dig at Ambarish’s flamboyant lifestyle and ‘habits’. But it didn’t matter, as in true ‘Ambi style’ everyone just took it in the right spirit. <br /><br />Arjun Sarja kickstarted the evening with a classical dance, which was followed by more energising dances. Actors Vijay Raghavendra, Sri Murali, Ramesh Aravind, Sudeep, Darshan, Kitty, Sanjjanna, Aindrita Ray, Shivarajkumar, Chiranjeevi Sarja, Pooja Gandhi, Duniya Vijay and many others shook a leg to some of Ambarish’s songs. S P Balasubramaniam, who had lent his voice to 90 per cent of Ambarish’s movies, treated the audience to numbers like E Kannada Mannanu Maribeda O Abhimani and <br />Ede Nadu Ide Bhashe. <br /><br />The evening wouldn’t have been complete without the one line that gave Ambarish his big break in Nagarahavu. The line, en bulbul mathadakilva, performed through a skit, by Darshan and Ramya got the crowd excited. The highlight was when Puneeth Rajkumar and Ramya, along with some of Ambarish’s yesteryear heroines, shook a leg to a song composed by film-maker S Narayan. And the icing on the cake was when Ambarish took the stage. <br /><br />A teary-eyed Ambarish summed up rightly, “I couldn’t have asked for more. I am here because of my fans. This day was really about them and seeing them happy.”<br /><em><br />Loved by all <br /></em><em><br /></em>Rajnikanth <br /><br />“He is as sweet as Mandya sugar. A true palegara (leader) of the Kannada film industry, he has all the qualities of Arjuna, Bheema, Krishna and even Shakuni. He has tonnes of positive energy which he spreads wherever he goes. One thing I like about him is the fact that he lives in the present, not in the past or the future.”<br /><br />Shatrughan Sinha <br /><br />“Many people think that Ambarish and I are alike. Our behaviour pattern is same. For me, he will always be the ladla of not only the fraternity but of the masses.”<br /><br />Chiranjeevi <br /><br />“The saying, ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed’ holds true for Ambarish. Every time I come across a hurdle, I ask myself how would Ambarish handle this issue and a smile immediately comes to my face. I have never met a more jovial and a happy person like him.”<br /><br />Jayaprada <br /><br />“With Ambarish, one knows the real meaning of friendship. No matter what time of the day or night you call him, he is there for you. He has been more than a hero to many of us.”<br /><br />S P Balasubramaniam <br /><br />“One often sees actors act even in real life, but Ambarish is one individual who acts only in films.”<br /><br />Jackie Shroff <br /><br />“I made my debut in film industry in Kannada films and it was Ambarish who gave me my break with a small role of jaggu dada. Till today he has been an amazing inspiration. The best part about him is his hospitality. <br /><br />Every time I come to the City, I am always sent this big tiffin box from Ambarish’s house. Today to see him complete 40 years in the industry makes all of us proud.”<br /><br />Sunil Shetty <br /><br />“I have grown up watching his movies. Ambarish has been my inspiration to get into films. His generosity towards people and helpful nature is something I hope to imbibe.”<br /><br />‘Quit smoking for our sake’<br /><br />Ambarish’s friends wanted the actor to gift the people of Karnataka something else as well. They wanted him to quit smoking on May 31, which is observed as ‘Anti-Tobacco Day’. <br /><br />Actor Shatrughan Sinha in particular came up on stage and said, “Tobacco is a real killer. We want Ambarish to live long with us. He should quit smoking for the sake of his wife Sumalatha, people of Karnataka and friends like us. This will be a real gift.”</p>
<p>At 60, Ambarish couldn’t have asked for more. All his friends, colleagues, loved ones and mostly his fans, had come together at Palace Grounds on Tuesday for just one reason — to convey their good wishes to the actor, who had completed 40 years in the Kannada film industry. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Hours before the gala event, Ambi Sambrama, could begin, thousands of people had gathered at the venue and cops were on high alert checking every single pass and ensuring the safety of people. <br /><br />In fact, so strict were they that actors like Tarun Chandra and Diganth had difficulty getting in as they had forgotten to bring their passes. <br /><br />“Every other person says he is a hero and demands that he be allowed inside,” revealed a cop. “With so many heroes in the industry, one cannot be sure who the real hero is. We have been given strict instructions and we are just following orders,” he added.<br />Nevertheless, the four-hour long cultural programme was professional and did not have too many people crowding the stage. Speeches were kept short and barricades protected the VVIP section. <br /><br />By the time, the event started, there were tens of thousands of people screaming out to the man of the moment. A galaxy of stars descended from various film industries to wish him. That included Rajnikanth, actors-turned-politicians Chiranjeevi, Shatrughan Sinha, Khushboo and Jayaprada; actors Sunil Shetty, Mohan Babu, Nandamuri Balakrishna, Jackie Shroff etc. <br /><br />The evening made way for energetic performances, interspersed with skits and videos, showcasing the actor’s life. And they left no stone unturned. Some even took a dig at Ambarish’s flamboyant lifestyle and ‘habits’. But it didn’t matter, as in true ‘Ambi style’ everyone just took it in the right spirit. <br /><br />Arjun Sarja kickstarted the evening with a classical dance, which was followed by more energising dances. Actors Vijay Raghavendra, Sri Murali, Ramesh Aravind, Sudeep, Darshan, Kitty, Sanjjanna, Aindrita Ray, Shivarajkumar, Chiranjeevi Sarja, Pooja Gandhi, Duniya Vijay and many others shook a leg to some of Ambarish’s songs. S P Balasubramaniam, who had lent his voice to 90 per cent of Ambarish’s movies, treated the audience to numbers like E Kannada Mannanu Maribeda O Abhimani and <br />Ede Nadu Ide Bhashe. <br /><br />The evening wouldn’t have been complete without the one line that gave Ambarish his big break in Nagarahavu. The line, en bulbul mathadakilva, performed through a skit, by Darshan and Ramya got the crowd excited. The highlight was when Puneeth Rajkumar and Ramya, along with some of Ambarish’s yesteryear heroines, shook a leg to a song composed by film-maker S Narayan. And the icing on the cake was when Ambarish took the stage. <br /><br />A teary-eyed Ambarish summed up rightly, “I couldn’t have asked for more. I am here because of my fans. This day was really about them and seeing them happy.”<br /><em><br />Loved by all <br /></em><em><br /></em>Rajnikanth <br /><br />“He is as sweet as Mandya sugar. A true palegara (leader) of the Kannada film industry, he has all the qualities of Arjuna, Bheema, Krishna and even Shakuni. He has tonnes of positive energy which he spreads wherever he goes. One thing I like about him is the fact that he lives in the present, not in the past or the future.”<br /><br />Shatrughan Sinha <br /><br />“Many people think that Ambarish and I are alike. Our behaviour pattern is same. For me, he will always be the ladla of not only the fraternity but of the masses.”<br /><br />Chiranjeevi <br /><br />“The saying, ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed’ holds true for Ambarish. Every time I come across a hurdle, I ask myself how would Ambarish handle this issue and a smile immediately comes to my face. I have never met a more jovial and a happy person like him.”<br /><br />Jayaprada <br /><br />“With Ambarish, one knows the real meaning of friendship. No matter what time of the day or night you call him, he is there for you. He has been more than a hero to many of us.”<br /><br />S P Balasubramaniam <br /><br />“One often sees actors act even in real life, but Ambarish is one individual who acts only in films.”<br /><br />Jackie Shroff <br /><br />“I made my debut in film industry in Kannada films and it was Ambarish who gave me my break with a small role of jaggu dada. Till today he has been an amazing inspiration. The best part about him is his hospitality. <br /><br />Every time I come to the City, I am always sent this big tiffin box from Ambarish’s house. Today to see him complete 40 years in the industry makes all of us proud.”<br /><br />Sunil Shetty <br /><br />“I have grown up watching his movies. Ambarish has been my inspiration to get into films. His generosity towards people and helpful nature is something I hope to imbibe.”<br /><br />‘Quit smoking for our sake’<br /><br />Ambarish’s friends wanted the actor to gift the people of Karnataka something else as well. They wanted him to quit smoking on May 31, which is observed as ‘Anti-Tobacco Day’. <br /><br />Actor Shatrughan Sinha in particular came up on stage and said, “Tobacco is a real killer. We want Ambarish to live long with us. He should quit smoking for the sake of his wife Sumalatha, people of Karnataka and friends like us. This will be a real gift.”</p>
