MYSURU: Mahileyare matthu mahaniyare (ladies and gentleman)!” blares an announcement from a speaker fixed atop an auto moving up a road in a residential area in Mysuru. The announcement catches the attention of a young girl sitting inside her house, who shouts, “Amma, Mike Chandru uncle is here!” and runs to open the door. For the next two minutes, mother and daughter listen curiously to the flawless announcement made by Mike Chandru aka Exhibition Chandru, who gives them a pamphlet and continues on his announcement journey.
Meet N Chandrashekhar, the 69-year-old town crier of Royal City Mysuru, who has been delivering information and messages in his rich baritone for more than five decades. It is a voice that every Mysurean recognises. A well-known face, Mike Chandru has earned the people’s recognition for his flawless announcements.
Chandru says he is probably the only person in the state to spend his entire life making announcements and earning a livelihood out of it.
The son of N Narayan Rao and Vishalakhamma from T Narasipura, Chandru completed his schooling in Mysuru district and later his commerce degree from D Banumaiah’s College. It was his passion for theatre and the arts which made him venture into this field.
As a young lad of 10, he had played a small role in ‘Bhaktaprahlada’, a drama staged in his school, and the field attracted him so much that he decided to continue with theatre. It was in 1968 that he first donned the hat of a ‘Town Crier’ and made an announcement for the famous drama ‘Sadarame’, produced by Gubbi Veeranna Company. It was Yoga Narasimhamurthy who gave Chandru a chance to make his first public announcement.
“I still recall my first announcement when I rolled a paper folder, stood in front of Krishnaraja Circle and made the announcement on Sadarame, inviting people to watch the famous play that was being staged at Town Hall,” says Chandru.
Following this, Chandru became a popular choice for drama companies to rope him in as announcer. He maintained a close relationship with all drama troupes of yesteryear and gave huge publicity to all the noted plays and dramas staged in Mysuru in the ’70s and ’80s.
Chandru, who by then had mastered the art of announcement, honed his skill with modulation and flow of voice. He would pen appealing sentences on his own and tried to add “catchy words” to attract the public, and finally, took up the mike as a career.
Back then, Chandru would get 25 paise per day for the announcement he made for a drama company, however, today he charges thousands of rupees, depending on the type of announcement. But he makes announcements for free if it is for a social cause or charity.
It also gives him an opportunity to present himself in various attire, and is a great attraction. If he is making an announcement on a drama, he dresses like an artiste, and if it’s to do with a wrestling match, he sports a turban.
He began his town crier rounds on a bicycle, pedalling across the city with his loudspeaker. Later, he started making public announcements from atop bullock carts, tongas, cars, autos and other vehicles.
Mike Chandru is in high demand when there is a football match or hockey tournament, an election campaign or political convention, a polio campaign or traffic awareness drive. Organisers call and book him to go on his publicity rounds. Strange, considering that communication has reached hypersonic speed and the ways of reaching out to people have changed. Yet, it is his diction, clarity of voice, presentation and catchy phrases that attract the public.
ANNAVRU’S ANCHOR
He not only makes public announcements but also dons the hat of an anchor during any prominent event or programme.
“In the 1980s, a Rajkumar Musical Nite was organised in Mysuru. Generally, SK Bhagavan, actor and film director, would anchor any Rajkumar event. Due to an unavoidable situation, he could not attend the event and I was given a chance to be the anchor. Being a hardcore fan of Rajkumar, it was a dream come true for me. I gave my best for that day. Impressed by my speech and announcement, Rajkumar sir gave me a chance to take the role of anchor for all his shows in Mysuru after that,” said Chandru, recalling his good old days. Chandru not only makes announcements in Kannada but is well-versed in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu, and chooses the language, depending on the venue and event.
He is also the lone announcer during the Dasara Exhibition. For the past 45 years, he has been making the Dasara Exhibition announcement, attracting lakhs of people during the season. Even today, whenever there is a musical evening, he is invited as anchor and master of ceremonies.
POLL SEASON DEMAND
During election season, Chandru’s demand rises manifold. He is invited by all parties to campaign for them or to be their party candidate, and can be quite challenging.
“I read newspapers a lot and this helps me prepare a script that can attract people. I have made announcements and done publicity rounds for almost all politicians in Old Mysuru region and almost all the chief ministers of Karnataka in the past two or three decades,” says Chandru.
He campaigned and did the announcements for former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, former Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa during their visits to the state, and for almost all state politicians.
MV Ramprasad, a political leader serving as a council member of Mysuru City Corporation says, “I know Chandru for more than four decades, and he has campaigned for me during my elections. The interesting thing about him is that he comes up with a unique and creative concept every time. Last time, when I was denied the ticket from BJP and contested the corporation election as an independent candidate, he campaigned for me and made the announcement in favour of me in an auto, using the famous lines ‘Nyaya Ellide’ (Where is justice) from a Kannada film. This actually played a pivotal role in getting me some votes.”
Nearly 25 years ago, to create awareness about the importance of voting, he launched a campaign on his own, making the announcement across Mysuru in an auto and sensitising people to cast their votes during the election without fail.
Chandru’s wife Sulochana S stands as a great support in his journey. Expressing her happiness, she says, “Almost everyone in Mysuru recognises my husband. He is doing his best even at this age. That is the passion and zeal he has for his work.”
Today, modern communication tools might appeal to young audiences, but Chandru says the demand is no less for public service announcements. “I am not idle even at this age. I make public announcements or lend my voice. I will soon get busy with Dasara related announcements,” he said. However, he said that the youth were not interested in getting jobs as town criers.
Giving his suggestions to people who wish to make a career as anchors or making announcements, Chandru said, “Practice is the only thing that makes one perfect. One needs to be disciplined and down-to-earth. This definitely helps one reach great heights.”
Recognising his unique skill, the department of posts, Mysuru division, released a special cover on Mike Chandru. Very recently, he was roped in by the police department to make announcements at a flood-hit village in the district.
Mike Chandru has been a lone crusader in the modern age of technology and communication, keeping his dying art alive, as he rides through the lanes and bylanes of Mysuru, his voice ringing out loud and clear.
PLEA FOR RAJYOTSAVA
Though various organisations and NGOs have awarded him and conferred on him various honours and titles, many in the city complain that the government has failed to recognise Chandru’s unique skill.
Veterans in the cultural and social fields say he deserves the Kannada Rajyotsava award.