Bengaluru, Dec 11: Popular actor Sudeep met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah here on Monday and urged the State government to expedite the process of setting up a memorial dedicated to late Sandalwood actor Vishnuvardhan.
The meeting also gave rise to speculation that Sudeep may be considering taking a plunge into politics, a rumour that has been heard for sometime.
In a petition he submitted to the chief minister, Sudeep requested the government to grant one acre of land where a 'Dr Vishnuvardhan Punyabhumi' can be developed ahead of the legendary actor's eighth death anniversary on December 30. Vishnuvardhan, who died in 2009, was cremated at the Abhiman Studio in Uttarahalli.
The Karnataka High Court, in 2015, stayed a government order granting two acres of land for the construction of Vishnuvardhan's memorial at Abhiman Studio, based on a petition filed by the sons of late Kannada actor T N Balakrishna.
They argued that the government had granted 20 acres of land to Balakrishna for the construction of the Abhiman Studio in the 1970s.
"I request you to identify one acre of land where Dr Vishnuvardhan was cremated," Sudeep has stated in his petition to Siddaramaiah. "If government rules do not permit development of both a memorial and punyabhumi in the same place, the fans of Vishnuvardhan, including me, are willing to give in writing that we will take up the responsibility of development," Sudeep stated.
"If the government cannot suitably compensate the family of Balakrishna and buy the land, the fans of Vishnuvardhan may be allowed to buy it," Sudeep stated.
"You have given the state many bhagyas (schemes). By taking this request to its logical end, you can take credit for completing the memorial that was announced by the previous government and meet a long-pending demand of Vishnuvardhan fans," Sudeep stated.
The State government has already identified land for a Vishnuvardhan memorial in Mysuru, Sudeep pointed out. "But you are aware that it is the wish of Kannadigas and countless fans that a memorial should come up where Vishnuvardhan was laid to rest," Sudeep told Siddaramaiah.
He also stated that there will be no objection if a memorial comes up in Mysuru as per the wishes of Vishnuvardhan's wife Bharathi.
Comments
Add new comment