Gubbi Veeranna
Encyclopedia
Gubbi Veeranna was an India
n theatre director, one of the pioneers and most prolific contributors to Kannada theatre. He established the drama company, Gubbi Veeranna Nataka Company that played a crucial role in promoting the Kannada theatre. Some of the stalwarts that have emerged out of this company include Dr. Rajkumar
, B. Jayashree and G. V. Shivananda. He is conferred the title Nataka Ratna meaning jewel in the theatre world. Gubbi Veeranna Nataka Company is the first theatre company in Karnataka
to employ female artists to portray female characters on the stage. There is a popular saying that the story of Gubbi Veeranna's company is the story of the Kannada theatre which indicates the standing of this company in the theatre world. Apart from theatre, Gubbi Veeranna has also produced films and acted in them as well.
in the Tumkur district
of Karnataka in the year 1890. He started a drama company called Gubbi Shree Chenna Basaveshwara Nataka Company and started producing plays in which he also acted sometimes. He had four wives, three of them being Sundaramma, Bhadramma and Jayamma. He had an unnerving commitment towards the theatre. An incident to corroborate this is when his second wife Sundaramma who was also an artist with the company died on the stage while enacting a play. It is said that Gubbi Veeranna who was also acting in the play along with his children, did not stop the play but allowed it to continue till the end. He and his children attended to her dead body only after the play stopped. Veeranna also is credited for having groomed people like Rajkumar
and B. V. Karanth
. He not only helped them groom their career in the theatre field but also provided them with other financial help. As an example, Veerana provided financial contribution towards B. V. Karanth
's graduation and masters degree at Banaras Hindu University
.
, the company started to travel to different places and stage plays in those locations. The company had a troupe of more than 150 artists and backstage workers. Some popular plays staged by the company included Sadaarame and Yechamma Nayaka. These plays consisted of innovations like trick scenes, floods, clouds and rain. In those days, dramas used were staged for free with people only paying according to their liking at the end of the drama. However, Gubbi Veeranna's dramas were an exception with people willing to buy tickets to watch them. Most of the actors and actresses that entered the Kannada cinema world in those days were from this drama company. Later the company opened branches in different places. An important branch of the company was the Mysore branch which staged popular plays and the finances generated from this branch actually sustained the whole company. The humorist Hirannaiah was one of the persons responsible for the popularity of the Mysore branch. Gubbi Veeranna's company first came to Bangalore
in the year 1916. Later Gubbi Veeranna constructed his own theatre in Bangalore on the Subedar Chatram Road in 1924 and the Shivananda Theatre (now called as Movieland) in 1930. Probably, the most famous artist to emerge out of the Gubbi Veeranna company was Rajkumar
. Rajkumar's father Singanallur Puttaswamiah was an actor in the company and Rajkumar and his brother joined the company as child artistes. Rajkumar actually attributed his command over the Kannada language and his singing skills to the training he underwent under the watchful eyes of Gubbi Veeranna.
in the lead. In 1942, he produced Jeevana Nataka with Kemraj Urs in the lead. He again acted in the lead role in the film Hemareddy Mallamma, in 1945. He produced Sathya Shodhanai in 1953, which was a Tamil Film and had again starred Honnappa Bhagavathar
. Karnataka Gubbi Productions was later called as The Karnataka Films Ltd., it is attributed to have started the film career of Rajkumar
when it agreed to offer him the lead role in his first film Bedara Kannappa. He has also produced silent movies like His Love Affair which was directed by a foreigner, Raphel Algoet. In this film, the lead role of the actor was played by Gubbi Veeranna himself and the actress was none other than his wife, Jayamma.. In 1956, he produced Sadaarme, which had T.N. Balakrishna in lead and also had Kalyan Kumar
. It was the remake of 1936 movie with the same name. In 1959, he produced Sagothari, a Tamil Film which had K. Balaji
in the Lead.
is a recipient of this award.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n theatre director, one of the pioneers and most prolific contributors to Kannada theatre. He established the drama company, Gubbi Veeranna Nataka Company that played a crucial role in promoting the Kannada theatre. Some of the stalwarts that have emerged out of this company include Dr. Rajkumar
Rajkumar
Rajkumar , born as Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju was a popular actor and singer in the Kannada film industry...
, B. Jayashree and G. V. Shivananda. He is conferred the title Nataka Ratna meaning jewel in the theatre world. Gubbi Veeranna Nataka Company is the first theatre company in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
to employ female artists to portray female characters on the stage. There is a popular saying that the story of Gubbi Veeranna's company is the story of the Kannada theatre which indicates the standing of this company in the theatre world. Apart from theatre, Gubbi Veeranna has also produced films and acted in them as well.
Biography
Gubbi Veeranna was born in the town of GubbiGubbi
Gubbi is a panchayat town in Tumkur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located 75 km from Muddenahalli, Kanivenarayanapura, and Chikballapur....
in the Tumkur district
Tumkur district
Tumkur district is an administrative district in the state of Karnataka in India. The district headquarters are located at Tumkur. The district occupies an area of 10,598 km² and had a population of 2,584,711, of which 19.62% were urban as of 2001...
of Karnataka in the year 1890. He started a drama company called Gubbi Shree Chenna Basaveshwara Nataka Company and started producing plays in which he also acted sometimes. He had four wives, three of them being Sundaramma, Bhadramma and Jayamma. He had an unnerving commitment towards the theatre. An incident to corroborate this is when his second wife Sundaramma who was also an artist with the company died on the stage while enacting a play. It is said that Gubbi Veeranna who was also acting in the play along with his children, did not stop the play but allowed it to continue till the end. He and his children attended to her dead body only after the play stopped. Veeranna also is credited for having groomed people like Rajkumar
Rajkumar
Rajkumar , born as Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju was a popular actor and singer in the Kannada film industry...
and B. V. Karanth
B. V. Karanth
Babukodi Venkataramana Karanth was a renowned film and theatre personality from India...
. He not only helped them groom their career in the theatre field but also provided them with other financial help. As an example, Veerana provided financial contribution towards B. V. Karanth
B. V. Karanth
Babukodi Venkataramana Karanth was a renowned film and theatre personality from India...
's graduation and masters degree at Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
.
Theatre company
Initially located in GubbiGubbi
Gubbi is a panchayat town in Tumkur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located 75 km from Muddenahalli, Kanivenarayanapura, and Chikballapur....
, the company started to travel to different places and stage plays in those locations. The company had a troupe of more than 150 artists and backstage workers. Some popular plays staged by the company included Sadaarame and Yechamma Nayaka. These plays consisted of innovations like trick scenes, floods, clouds and rain. In those days, dramas used were staged for free with people only paying according to their liking at the end of the drama. However, Gubbi Veeranna's dramas were an exception with people willing to buy tickets to watch them. Most of the actors and actresses that entered the Kannada cinema world in those days were from this drama company. Later the company opened branches in different places. An important branch of the company was the Mysore branch which staged popular plays and the finances generated from this branch actually sustained the whole company. The humorist Hirannaiah was one of the persons responsible for the popularity of the Mysore branch. Gubbi Veeranna's company first came to Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
in the year 1916. Later Gubbi Veeranna constructed his own theatre in Bangalore on the Subedar Chatram Road in 1924 and the Shivananda Theatre (now called as Movieland) in 1930. Probably, the most famous artist to emerge out of the Gubbi Veeranna company was Rajkumar
Rajkumar
Rajkumar , born as Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju was a popular actor and singer in the Kannada film industry...
. Rajkumar's father Singanallur Puttaswamiah was an actor in the company and Rajkumar and his brother joined the company as child artistes. Rajkumar actually attributed his command over the Kannada language and his singing skills to the training he underwent under the watchful eyes of Gubbi Veeranna.
Film production
Gubbi Veeranna also started Karnataka Gubbi Productions which was a company to produce films. He first produced Sadarame in 1935, in which he acted in the lead role. The film had C.I.D. Sakunthala, Ashwathama, B. Jayamma in the cast and was directed by Raja Chandrasekar. He then produced Subhadra which had Honnappa BhagavatharHonnappa Bhagavathar
Honappa Bhagavatar/C. Honnappa Bhagavathar , was a Kannada - Tamil theater artist, film actor, producer, musician, singer. He was not only a great actor but excellent musician. He was a renowned singer of his times, and had sung many songs. He was one of the pioneers of Kannada Cinema...
in the lead. In 1942, he produced Jeevana Nataka with Kemraj Urs in the lead. He again acted in the lead role in the film Hemareddy Mallamma, in 1945. He produced Sathya Shodhanai in 1953, which was a Tamil Film and had again starred Honnappa Bhagavathar
Honnappa Bhagavathar
Honappa Bhagavatar/C. Honnappa Bhagavathar , was a Kannada - Tamil theater artist, film actor, producer, musician, singer. He was not only a great actor but excellent musician. He was a renowned singer of his times, and had sung many songs. He was one of the pioneers of Kannada Cinema...
. Karnataka Gubbi Productions was later called as The Karnataka Films Ltd., it is attributed to have started the film career of Rajkumar
Rajkumar
Rajkumar , born as Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju was a popular actor and singer in the Kannada film industry...
when it agreed to offer him the lead role in his first film Bedara Kannappa. He has also produced silent movies like His Love Affair which was directed by a foreigner, Raphel Algoet. In this film, the lead role of the actor was played by Gubbi Veeranna himself and the actress was none other than his wife, Jayamma.. In 1956, he produced Sadaarme, which had T.N. Balakrishna in lead and also had Kalyan Kumar
Kalyan Kumar
Kalyan Kumar was a Kannada film actor. During 60s and 70s there were three prominent Kannada Film actors and among them Kalyan Kumar was one; the others being Rajkumar and Udayakumar. He was the protagonist in the first ever full length Kannada film in colour. Kalyan Kumar along with Udaykumar,...
. It was the remake of 1936 movie with the same name. In 1959, he produced Sagothari, a Tamil Film which had K. Balaji
K. Balaji
K. Balaji was a South Indian producer and actor whose work included Billa.-Early Life:Balaji was born in a prominent Tamil Brahmin family and was the grandson of a very prominent colonial era advocate T...
in the Lead.
Filmography as an Actor
| Film | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| Gunasagari | 1953 | H. L. N. Simha |
| Hemareddy Mallamma | 1945 | S. Soundararajan |
| Hari Maya | 1932 | Y. V. Rao |
| His Love Affair | 1931 | Raphael Algoet |
| Song Of Life | 1930 | G. P. Pawar |
| Subhadra | 1941 | P. Pullaiah |
| Jeevana Nataka | 1942 | Wahab Kashmiri |
| Sadarame | 1956 | K. R. Seetarama Sastry |
| Sadarame | 1935 | Raja Chandrasekhar |
Recognition
The Karnataka government has instituted the Gubbi Veeranna award for excellence in theatre in his memory. B. V. KaranthB. V. Karanth
Babukodi Venkataramana Karanth was a renowned film and theatre personality from India...
is a recipient of this award.