BENGALURU: Nearly four decades after the death of iconic Kannada filmmaker Puttanna Kanagal, the Chalanachitra Academy is proposing to the State Government to convert his ancestral house at Kanagal village in Periyapatna taluk of Mysuru district into a museum and a library. Once this century-old, dilapidated structure is rebuilt, it will be a tourist attraction and a study centre for cinema enthusiasts, stated members of the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, which is pushing for the project with the government.
Puttanna Kanagal, who gave some of the most enduring classics and iconic movies of Indian cinema, had worked in many languages, including Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. His Gejje Pooje and Sharapanjara won three national awards, while he was honoured with a number of state awards. Some of the stars of Kannada cinema, including Vishnuvardhan, Ambareesh, Kalpana, Arathi and more, owed their careers to him.
Puttanna Kanagal’s movies, which were family entertainers, touched upon socially relevant subjects that were considered unusual and bold in the early 60s and late 70s. He was just 52 years old when he passed away in 1985.Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy Chairman Suneel Puranik told The New Sunday Express that Kanagal’s cinematic oeuvre is appreciated at the international level and every Kannadiga is proud of him.
“We learnt about his ancestral house in Periyapatna taluk which is close to Cauvery river. It is in a serene place. We want to turn it into a memorial, similar to Kavimane in memory of Kuvempuat at Kuppalli in Shivamogga ,” he said.
Puranik said they may need Rs 10 crore to take up the work initially. The decision was taken after a photo that showed the dilapidated state of Kanagal’s house went viral on Twitter. Soon after, the Academy passed a resolution to develop the house into a memorial.