This event took place 42 years ago. It was engineered and created by the legendary journalist Y.N. Krishnamurthy (YNK). He invited me to the usual “Gund” party in his house 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 his world famous “hitakavarehuli.” YNK started the conversation by saying that G.V. Iyer is shooting the film “Hamsageethe” and I believe the progress is fantastic and Ananth Nag is playing the role of legendary Bhairavi Venkata Subbaiah. It has been decided by all of us that you are tailor made for the role of Tipu Sultan and for your information, we leave tomorrow to Chitradurga where the shooting is taking place. The Unit car has already been arranged by Gowri Sundar and will pick you up in your house at 9 O’ Clock morning.
I did not even get a time to think about it. That’s the kind of total decision making by YNK. The group of four consisting of YNK, myself, Gowri Sundar and Prema Karanth left for Chitradurga next morning. We landed at Chitradurga at 4 O’ Clock in the afternoon and checked into their usual hotel Roopavani (which I am sure still continuing its services). The entire film unit were staying in that hotel. It was decided that both of us, YNK and I, will stay in Ananth’s room for the night.
Next morning, I started off with a shock when a barber made me a complete “bola” which was the way the Tipu was supposed to look like. The forenoon was spent in one hour make up to me and also my emperor dressing plans by Prema Karanth. I/We were ready for a shoot by 3 O’ clock in the afternoon.
G.V. Iyer, the Director had spotted an elevated rock which had been converted as Tipu’s temporary throne for me to sit on. The entire assemblage stood in front of me sitting on the rock, dressed like Sultan Tipu. All the others including Ananth (Bhairavi Venkata Subbaiah) who had positioned in places in front of me standing. I began the dialogue addressing it to Bhairavi Venkata Subbaiah, “I would like to hear Bhairavi raga sung by you with all your expertise.” Venkata Subbaiah did not respond and just looked at the Sultan with contempt for which the reaction from Tipu was “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,” for which Venkata Subbaiah answers “I sing Bhairavi only in front of Devi.” Tipu’s answer for that is,“we will see about it tomorrow”. The next day the shooting was in front of Devi temple from inside of which Venkata Subbaiah is singing a magnificent exposition of “Bhairavi” raga. We also see the Sultan sitting in front with a change over clothing of a common citizen but “bhale, bhale” at the singing of Bhairavi raga by Venkata Subbaiah. Suddenly the whole thing comes to a stop when a scream comes from inside the Devi temple and an announcement is made saying that music has stopped because Venkata Subbaiah has chopped off his tongue himself. The last scene of the movie come on when Tipu Sultan is beating his head in agony “Ayyoyyo, what did I do.”
—R.S. Krishnaswamy
This post was published on September 12, 2019 6:32 pm