Now online: AIR’s interview treasures

The Bengaluru station of All India Radio has posted on YouTube its conversations with a galaxy of writers and actors

Da Ra Bendre

The Bengaluru station of All India Radio is mining its archives and has put online interviews with all-time greats.

Dating back to 1971, they feature many stalwarts. Writers interviewed include Da Ra Bendre, Kuvempu and U R Anantha Murthy.

Among the film personalities featured are director Puttanna Kanagal and actors Rajkumar and Bharathi. Theatre stalwarts interviewed are K V Subbanna and Master Hirannayya.

The interactions go back to the pre-TV era, when radio was the only means of entertainment and medium for famous personalities to connect with people.

Shivarama Karanth and Gokak, both Jnanpith laureates, were interviewed by poet Chennaveera Kanavi in 1991. S Ramaswamy interviewed the legendary actor Rajkumar in 1971. The actor says: “I feel lucky to have got an opportunity to talk to my fans which I otherwise rarely get to do.”

In the conversation between M Nagaraj Rao with Da Ra Bendre, the day after he won the Jnanpith award in 1973, the poet says that the fact that this award has made all our people happy gives him more happiness.

The first Kannada writer to win the Jnanpith award in 1967, Kuvempu, was interviewed by D Javare Gowda.