JOIN USMany Bengaluru groups thriving on Clubhouse
Literary and cultural Kannada clubs are thriving on Clubhouse, the voice chat app that has become all the rage. Metrolife spoke to hosts of some popular chat rooms.
Half Circle
Half Circle (15.7k followers) is mostly exploring the world of films and literature. Jogi, writer and founder of Half Circle, says, “We have hosted roast sessions and also occasionally shared screenplays and dialogues with young writers.”
In the 14 sessions conducted so far, Half Circle has featured Anant Nag, Rakshit Shetty, Upendra, Ramesh Aravind, Vasishta Simha and other eminent names. “From Upendra’s political views to Rakshit Shetty’s take on cosmic science, we try to cover the unexpected interests of celebrities,” he says. Actor Upendra’s session was the biggest draw, with 2,800 active listeners.
Half Circle slowly gravitated towards Clubhouse after being active offline for two years.
“We would like to call ourselves cultural tastemakers,” says Jogi, also a well-known writer of fiction and screenplays.
Literary chats are becoming wildly popular. A session with novelist S L Bhyrappa, hosted by a Kannada newspaper, garnered close to 5,000 listeners, and became the world’s most listened-to show on Clubhouse on that day.
About 2,000 people attend Half Circle sessions including dignitaries like director T N Seetharam, police officer Ravi D Channannavar, and editors of various newspapers.
Half Circle chats are scheduled at 7 pm on weekends. On weekdays, timings usually depend on the speakers’ availability.
Avadhi Mag
Avadhi Mag (2.7k followers) concentrates on literature, art, theatre and music. Gaana Vimaana is a popular music show hosted by the magazine.
G N Mohan, media expert and founder of Avadhi Mag, says, “We are a window to Kannada culture and literature.” ‘Meet the Author’ sessions are well-liked. “B A Viveka Rai and Purushottama Bilimale have done sessions with us. We also introduce first-time writers from time to time,” he says.
Avadhi was the first to introduce the Kannada literary world to Clubhouse. “We started on the second day of the launch of Clubhouse in India,” he says. The group has also aired studio-recorded plays. Avadhi Mag sessions are held from Monday to Friday at 7.30 pm.
Aalapana Studios
Aalapana Studios (230 followers) is a musical club that promotes Kannada sugama sangeeta.
Nava-Bhaava, a show featuring less-known bhavageete compositions, had 800-plus listeners earlier this week, says Mangala Ravi, playback singer, performer and founder. She hosts the shows with another popular singer, Supriya Raghunandan.
“We cover new compositions other than old mainstream ones,” she says.
Artistes such as Ravi Krishnamurthy, Upasana Mohan, Ratnamala Prakash, and Pancham Halibandi, and poets such as H S Venkateshamurthy have participated in the sessions. “I’m moved by how youngsters are showing interest in sugama sangeeta,” she says.
Aalapana Studios sessions are usually slated for 9 pm on the weekends. On Sundays, it even holds morning sessions.
Munnota Books
Munnota Books Talk (500 followers) is a club with discerning readers talking about Kannada literature. Vasant Shetty, president of Munnota Trust, says, “We host discussions where a speaker talks about a book for about 40 minutes and listeners ask questions for 10 minutes.”
Munnota has a special interest in federalism, and picks books that talk about aspects of Karnataka history, such as the division of the coastal districts, the Gokak report on medium of instruction, and the Vijayanagar empire.
The sessions are slated for 9 pm on Fridays and Mondays and a weekday.