Mysore/Mysuru: Senior Theatre artiste Srinivasa Kappanna lauded Rangayana’s decision to celebrate theatre legend B.V. Karanth’s birthday as ‘Bharatiya Theatre Music Day.’

Speaking as a chief guest at a programme organised by Rangayana at Bhoomigeetha, on the occasion of B.V. Karanth’s birthday here yesterday, Kappanna said, “Elected representatives and theatre artistes should come together and urge the State Government to officially declare Karanth’s birthday as Bharatiya Theatre Music Day.”

“B.V. Karanth is known to have composed music for a large number of plays in many Indian languages including Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali and others.  He not only infused desi touch to theatre but also introduced Indian theatre to the western world,” he said.

Later, senior artiste of Gubbi Drama Company Paramashivan read the slogan composed for Bharatiya Theatre Music Day and lauded the efforts of Rangayana Director Addanda C. Cariappa’s decision to celebrate Karanth’s birthday as Bharatiya Theatre Music Day (Bharatiya Ranga Sangeeta Dina). 

“After working all over the country in the field of theatre, Karanth returned here and established Rangayana in Mysuru. He has inspired a large number of junior theatre artistes and has also composed music to plays written by a number of senior littérateurs,” he said.

Rangayana Director Cariappa later addressed the gathering and Rangayana artistes rendered theatre songs composed by B.V. Karanth. Senior theatre artiste Srinivasa Bhat (Cheeni) was felicitated on the occasion. 

Joint Director of Rangayana Mallikarjuna Swamy and MLC A.H. Vishwanath were also present. B.V. Karanth has composed music to seven plays in Rangayana. 

These theatre songs have now been rendered by Rangayana artistes, which have been recorded and will be telecast today and tomorrow at Rangayana’s website www.rangayana.org.