Mangaluru : Filmmaker, Richard Castelino was the icon of the coastal belt in the State. He has made films in Kannada, Tulu, Konkani and Kodava, said B.A. Vivek Rai said here on Saturday.
Speaking at the ‘Belli Hejje’ programme organised by Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy to felicitate film producer and director Richard Castelino at the University College.
Mr. Castelino, through his movies, has showcased the integrated culture of the coastal belt to others.
P. Subrahmanya Yadapadithaya, Vice-Chancellor, Mangalore University, called Mr. Castelino was a thorough professional.
Mr. Rai, who was the first and second chairperson of Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy from 1994 to 1998, said that the last Congress government in the State did wrong by first resorting to such a step. The BJP government which took charge recently continued to make the same mistake by setting a trend.
Taking objection to the government changing the chairpersons of art and literature academies, scholar B.A. Vivek Rai said here on Saturday called it a wrong step.
Mr. Rai, who was formerly Vice-Chancellor of Kannada University and Karnataka State Open University, said that whenever there was a change in the political leadership in the government, there naturally would be some changes. However, this should not be applied to literature and art sectors.
He went on to add that the State had never witnessed such changes since the period of political leaders like Ramakrishna Hegde, S.R. Bommai till that of S.M. Krishna.
Mr. Rai said most littérateurs kept themselves away from political parties and politics. They always looked at the latter with an iota of suspicion. It was wrong to politicise the cultural sector.
The former Professor of Kannada said that Nagatihalli Chandrashekara was the chairperson of Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy till Friday. When the same academy was organising its Belli Hejje programme in the city on Saturday he became its former chairperson. Mr. Chandrashekara has not identified himself with any political party and never shown any political leanings. Is it appropriate to change such a person, Mr. Rai questioned.
Mr. Chandrashekara and the Registrar of Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy H.B. Dinesh spoke on the occasion.