MYSURU: Kannada Development Authority (KDA) chairman Prof Purushotham Bilimale has sparked a controversy, saying that most Yakshagana artistes are homosexuals.
Speaking at a function of the release of the books ‘Dharege Doddavara Kavyagala Elu Patyagalu’ and ‘Navu Kooguva Koogu’, organised by the University of Mysore’s Prasaranga in association with the Arivu Shaikshanika Mattu Samskruthika Trust, at Kuvempu Auditorium on Tuesday, Bilimale referred to ongoing discussions about the Supreme Court’s views on homosexuality.
“In Yakshagana, homosexuality is unavoidable,” he said, adding that men performing female roles often face intense pressure. “Today’s youth say Deepika Padukone is their first crush. For us, our first crush was often the men portraying female characters. When we were young, we admired the beauty of those playing these roles. This form of relationship between artistes is also in a crisis,” he remarked.
Bilimale claimed that artistes who travel for six to eight months for performances often struggle to find marriage partners. He alleged that some of them develop crushes on those performing female roles, and often rejections could impact professional retaliationships.
“If an artiste in a female role resists, the Bhagavatha (stage manager) may deny them dialogues during the play, effectively taking revenge. Losing dialogues and losing opportunities in future fairs and festivals affect their livelihood,” he said.
According to him, many Yakshagana artistes returning home after resisting such demands “do not even have a place in their own village”.
Bilimale said the internal realities of the artform are vastly different from public perceptions. “Janapada experts and writers must understand these complexities and write sensibly. This will bring a new dimension to their work.”
“I did not mean to insult them. Yakshagana is an artform, not part of Hinduism. I only described the challenges the artistes face. If my words have hurt anyone, I apologise,” he said.