GLOOM AND GLORY OF YEAR 2000
Controversies, Accidents, Deaths, Merry Moments

CONTROVERSIES
The year 2000 witnessed more controversies than any of the previous years. Dr.Rajkumar’s abduction was itself a major controversy and his release after 108 days the controversies not come to an end. 

In the year beginning there was a tiff between producer of Deepavali and director Mahesh Sukadhare. Director Dinesh Baboo provided the story for that film and he even took over from Mahesh Sukadhare of Sambrama fame leading to inconvenience atmosphere.

The famous audio house Lahari recording company picked up a quarrel with producer Swagath Babu for the bouncing of cheque of Rs. 90000. The fans of Dr.Rajkumar went out of mood when the Kapali theatre picked up snags in screening of  ‘Shabdavedi’.

It was at State awards distribution at Mandya the hometown of Karnataka Chief Minister S.M.Krishna superstar Vishnuvardhan gave back the award for best performance he shared with actor Ramesh Aravind. The award is still lying with the Karnataka State Government.

Vishnuvardhan was again in the controversy when he did not turn up for the Silver jubilee celebration of his own film ‘Suryavamsha’. Vishnuvardhan disagreed later with the invitation extended by the producer Kumaraswamy. 

The quality tag committee announcement of 20 films was a major controversy in 2000. The producers of children film ‘Vyuha’ Mr M.S.L.Murthy and director of ‘Hagaluvesha’ Baraguru Ramachandrappa attacked the quality tag committee but it was in the later half of the year producer Shanker of ‘Janani Janma Bhoomi’ put a stay order to the announcement of subsidy for 20 films by quality tag committee as his film did not figure in the list. 

Producer Dhanraj and financier Nanjundi’s clash come out open over a remake rights issue. Nanjundi gave back the rights to producer Dhanraj and decided to stop financing for films. There was a harsh clash between cinematographer Sundarnath Suvarna and music director V.Manohar.

The State government’s announcement of taking back of 100 percent ET on remake films caused disturbance for many in the industry. The government set deadline for it from November but the actual GO is yet to be passed. The Government announcing 100 percent Entertainment Tax on non kannada films and later coming down to 80 percent was yet another controversy. 

The imposition of Bundh in Kannada film industry for three months with Dr.Rajkumar abduction created a room for exhibitors to break out from Film Chamber of Commerce. The non-kannada films exhibitors formed a parallel association.

The film Chamber of Commerce took a daring step in sending the Sanketh studio after 15 years of clearance of lease period without any gratitude. The place is still vacant and no progress is taking place at the vacant space.

For gobbling a whopping Rs. 8 lakhs from giving away the rights to local Udaya TV the Film chamber was attacked for its poor usage of brain. This has lead to channel war on the streets. 

ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS
The industry lost some valuable veterans in the field. Music directors T.G.Lingappa, Nagendra, singer composer G.V.Atri, director Dorai, senior actor Direndra Gopal and Sudhir, writers P.Lankesh and Usha Navarathnaram, Kannada film producer Pokuri Prasad have left us in the year 2000. There was a tragic bomb explosion at the time of shooting of Kannada film ‘Ticket Tickets’ that took the life of three persons including the bomb specialist Ravi of Chennai. 

MERRY MOMENTS
Kannada film ‘AK 47’ made on a grand scale was shown at the International Film Festival in New Delhi in January 2000. It is at this 47th IFFI that the change in conducting of IFFI has been announced. The Union Information Minister announced the next IIFI to be held in October at Bangalore. This means the usual IFFI in January got postponed by nine months. The three days All India Cinema workers conference was held in Bangalore. 

The first DTS recording studio ‘Hrudayadinda’ with dream merchant Ravichandran as captain started functioning in April 2000 on the birth anniversary of N.Veeraswamy the father of V.Ravichandran.

The successful producer of the year 2000 Rockline Venkatesh distributed costly gifts to three audience on his film ‘Preethse’ completing 50 days. Rockline film ‘Preethse’ surpassed silver jubilee. He started another multi star film starring Vishnuvardhan and Ambarish titled as ‘Diggajaru’. 

It was a home coming for actress Sudharani. She married a localite leaving her husband Dr.Sanjay Shastry in California. She has settled now in Bangalore and set her eyes strongly in Kannada films. 

The debutant director Kavitha Lankesh had a wonderful beginning. The first film she directed ‘Deveeri’ starring Nandita Das and Kannada actress Bhavana bagged the prestigious Aravindan Puraskar award and also got an entry into London Film festival. 

Two other Kannada films that made its entry into London film festival is ‘Kanooru Heggadathi’ directed by Girish Karnad and ‘Hoomale’ directed by Nagathihalli Chandrasekhar. 

While Thara, Shivrajkumar, Upendra and Kalyan bagged the Film Fare award, Dr.Rajkumar’s ‘Shabdavedi’, director S.Narayan, Thara and Ramesh figured in the list of 20th cinema express awards.