Date:15/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/15/stories/2007031519890200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Obbattu and nine plays on a Sunday

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: How about ringing in Ugadi with some scrumptious obbattu and a series of plays? Celebrations of the Kannada New Year will begin a day earlier at Ranga Shankara on March 18 with some classic dishes on offer and the staging of nine plays, including a scene from the company drama "Sadaarame" presented by Master Hirannayya and Chiranjivi Hirannayya. While the tickets will be priced at Rs. 100, the kosambari, chitranna, panaka and the variety of obbattus on offer will be easily affordable to all.

The plays to be staged include two modern plays, "Artha" written and directed by B. Suresh, and "Traffic Jam" written and directed by Prakash Belavadi; two by noted writers, "Polisariddaare Eccharike" written by P. Lankesh and directed by Rithwik Simha, and "Gandaskathri" written by Kailasam and directed by B.V. Rajaram; two based on short stories, "Suryana Kudure" based on U.R. Ananthamurthy's story and directed by Balaji Manohar, and "Mallinathana Dhyana" based on Vaidehi's stories and directed by Nataraj Honnavalli; an absurd play, "Kodegalu" written by Chandrashekar Patil and directed by Sihikahi Chandru, and "Bendre Darshana" enacted by Umesh Kulkarni. The event will begin at noon on Sunday and will go on till 9 p.m. Each play will take an hour and will be followed by a round of interaction with writers, including Vasudhendra, Ashok Hegde, S. Diwakar, V.M. Manjunath, Pratibha Priyabhashini, Bharathidevi, Ankur Betageri, C.H. Raghunath, Jahangir and Nagaraj Vastare.