Sudeep’s memorial plan for Vishnuvardhan: Are statues the best way to honour our heroes?

Fans of Kannada actor Vishnuvardhan are upset that a mantapa-like structure in his memory was razed recently. They have been demanding that the memorial — it came up at the spot where he was cremated in Bengaluru — be restored. 

Vishnuvardhan, who acted in over 200 films mostly in Kannada, died on December 30, 2009, in Mysuru. He was cremated at Abhimaan Studio in Kengeri. T N Balakrishna, the comedy stalwart, set up the studio against difficult odds. It was built in the 1960s on a 20-acre land alloted by the government. Balakrishna died in 1995. The property has been under dispute, and the Vishnuvardhan memorial had been removed in the dead of the night, fans said. 

Vishnuvardhan’s fans, including actor Kiccha Sudeep, are now planning to instal a statue in his honour. Sudeep recently announced that he had bought half an acre of land to build a centre in Vishnuvardhan’s memory in Kengeri. It will house a 25-foot statue and a photo gallery and library. 

A quiet actor rarely seen in public, Vishnuvardhan was known for his intense performances. Most of his films did well at the box office. Films such as ‘Nagarahaavu ‘, ‘Gandhada Gudi’ (in which he co-starred with Rajkumar), ‘Bhootayana Maga Ayyu’, ‘Bangarada Jinke’, ‘Bandhana’ and ‘Muthina Haara’, have achieved classic status. However, when one asks about the condition of the films’ negatives, there is no answer.

In 2017, the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy (KCA) announced plans to restore and digitise about 1,500 Kannada films. The BDA had reportedly released Rs 1 crore to fund the restoration project. But there has been no news since. At the KCA office in Nandini Layout, an entire floor dedicated to archiving and restoring films remains empty and unused. When it comes to restoration, preservation and archival of Kannada films, the KCA has done little, and the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) has not shown much interest either. 

The state of film education in Karnataka is a matter of concern. Few acting schools are dedicated to acting for the screen. In this context, an acting wing in Vishnuvardhan’s name at one of the government institutions — Bengaluru City University or Government Film and Television Institute could be a meaningful way to remember him. 

With the active participation of actors such as Sudeep, centres can conduct courses and workshops that make a difference to the quality of films being made in Karnataka. The fans association could perhaps open a film club to screen great cinema, and build an auditorium with all the comforts of a multiplex. Filmmaking contests, workshops, and masterclasses can perpetuate memories of an actor better than symbolic monuments.

What is also baffling is the government allotting land for the cremation and burial of actors. Is that the only way to honour our cinema greats? How many of Rajkumar’s films are restored, preserved and archived? What are we doing to promote the art we love so much? There are hundreds of statues of actors across Karnataka, but neither the government nor the fans’ associations are doing anything beyond such symbolism. If fans come together, with or without the support of the government, they can screen retrospectives to showcase and remember their heroes’ finest works. 

The government says finding land for burial grounds is becoming difficult even in the villages, but it is giving away prime real estate to bury celebrities in an overpopulated city like Bengaluru. While it is indeed the government’s duty to honour our cultural icons, building statues and erecting memorials isn’t the best way to go about it.