With the government deciding to recover 10-acre land of Abhiman Studio, the brainchild of veteran actor late T.N. Balakrishna, near Kengeri, the film industry is worried over the future of the five-decade-old studio which was developed to behold the pride and self-respect of Kannada film fraternity.
If the district administration goes ahead with its plan to take back the land, Abhiman Studio will soon be a part of history.
Notice issued
Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner V. Shankar issued notice to Balakrishna’s family members in June for allegedly violating the conditions stipulated during the grant of land. The land will be taken back immediately after the government passes order, says B.R. Dayanand, tahsilar, Bengaluru South.
Balakrishna had approached the Karnataka government for suitable land for setting up a studio on the lines of similar facilities in the neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The S. Nijalingappa-led Congress government allotted 20 acres of land in two instalments at Rs. 300 per acre. The foundation stone for the studio was laid on September 5, 1965.
Some films shot
Though Balakrishna did not get the expected support from the film industry, some sympathetic producers have shot their films in Abhiman Studio regardless of lacunae in the infrastructure there.
In 2003, Balakrishna’s two sons — Ganesh and Srinivas — sought the permission of the Bengaluru Rural Deputy to sell 10 acres of the total 20 acres to raise funds for modernisation of the studio.
Modernisation
The Revenue Department permitted the request with a condition that the entire proceeds of the sale should be used for modernisation of the studio and cautioned the applicants against pledging, selling and transferring the remaining 10 acres of land.
However, Balakrishna’s sons allegedly violated the condition by not using the proceeds for developing the studio. Also, the dispute among siblings embarrassed the government when it sanctioned 2 acres of the remaining 10 acres for setting up the Vishnuvardhan memorial. The district administration then issued the notice and commenced the process to reclaim the land, according to Mr. Dayanand.
Film fraternity is urging the government to hand over the remaining 8 acres of land to any film-related institutions for developing facilities for cinema production so as to realise the dream of their beloved ‘Balanna’.
