Movie making

One fine day, YNK (Y N Krishnamurthy), the legendary journalist, invited me to the usual gund (liquor) party at his home and had also invited Girish Karnad, Prema Karanth and Gowri Sundar. Usually YNK’s gund parties started at 7 o’ clock and ended by 9 o’ clock, followed by dinner consisting of his famous hitakavare huli.

YNK started the conversation by saying "G V Iyer is shooting the film 'Hamsageethe'. Ananth Nag is playing the role of Bhairavi Venkata Subbaiah. It has been decided by all of us that you are tailor-made for the role of Tipu Sultan. We will be leaving tomorrow to Chitradurga where the shooting is taking place."

"The unit car has already been arranged by Gowri Sundar and will pick you up from your house at 9 o’ clock in the morning," he added.

I did not even get time to think about it. YNK, myself, Gowri Sundar and Prema Karanth left for Chitradurga the next morning. We landed at Chitradurga at 4 o’ clock in the afternoon and checked into Hotel Roopavani. The entire film unit were staying in that hotel. It was decided that YNK and I would stay in Ananth’s room.

Next morning, I was shocked when a barber shaved my head, to make me resemble Tipu. The forenoon was spent in doing make up and dressing up like the emperor. The clothes were curated by Prema Karanth. We were ready for a shoot by 3 o’ clock in the afternoon.

G V Iyer, the director, spotted an elevated rock —which had been converted into Tipu’s temporary throne — for me to sit on. The entire assemblage including Ananth (Bhairavi Venkata Subbaiah) stood in front of me.

I began the dialogue addressing it to Bhairavi Venkata Subbaiah, “I would like to hear you sing Bhairavi raga.” Venkata Subbaiah did not respond and just looked at me, the Sultan, with contempt. I responded saying “My desires and orders are one and the same. If the answer is yes you can sing Bhairavi to me before tomorrow evening otherwise I will instruct my commander to cut your tongue off.”

“I sing Bhairavi only in front of Devi,” Venkata Subbaiah answered.

“We will see about it tomorrow,” I said.

The next day we assembled in front of the Devi temple. Venkata Subbaiah was singing Bhairavi raga inside the temple. Essaying the sultan's role, I was sitting in front of the temple dressed like a common citizen. I was saying “bhale, bhale” (good, good) at Venkata Subbaiah's rendition of Bhairavi raga.

Suddenly, everything comes to a standstill when we hear a scream from inside the temple. An announcement is made Venkata Subbaiah has chopped off his tongue himself.

The last scene of the movie is Tipu Sultan beating his head in agony “Aiyyo, what did I do”.