Kannada film industry felicitates Chief Minister

B'lore, Aug.27 (NR): The Karnataka Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa and five of his cabinet colleagues were felicitated by the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday night in a big event that was held in the Palace Grounds.

The Kannada film industry was represented by several big wigs and it was a great event which also had some entertainment programmes.

The Kannada film industry had decided to felicitate Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa and five of his cabinet colleagues for their active interest in bringing out amendments to the Goonda Act to include the audio and video pirates who have been crushing the revenues of the industry.

The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce was happy that a long standing demand by the film industry has been met and as a thanks giving guestrue it organised the big event which included a two hour entertainment capsule of skits, songs and dances.

The Karnataka Government has now passed a stringent act against audio and video piracy which empowers the law makers to put the pirates behind the bars and also impose heavy fines. And since the video and audio pirates are included in the provisions of the act, it would mean that a non bailable warrant can be enforced against the people connected to piracy.

Besides the Chief Minister, the film industry also felicitated Home Minister V.S.Acharya, Information Minister Kata Subramanya Naidu, Transport Minister Ashok, and Law and Parliamentary Minister Suresh Kumar for their efforts to bring in the necessary amendments in the existing Goonda Act.

Sudhakara Rao, Chief Secretary of the Government and Jayaramaraje Urs, Secretary to the Information Department and Vishukumar, Director of Information who were invited as special guests for the function were also felicitated.

Well known film producer Ms. Parvathamma Raj Kumar, veteran actors Dr. Vishnuvardhan, Ambareesh were present at the function along with actors Dr. Srinath, Mukyamanthri Chandru and Jaggesh who belong to the ruling BJP.

The Kannada film industry and the audio and satellite industry had taken personal interest in the function. The entertainment programme which was much appreciated by the large crowd was organised by actor and director Ramesh Arvind. Young actors like Puneet Raj Kumar, Yesh, Radhika Pandit, Sharmila Mandre and others participated in the dance programmes organised during the event.

Film trade analysts feel the results of the newly amended act is already showing and the audio piracy has come down sharply since the last one month. The Video piracy of Kannada films has also been brought down sharply in recent days as the increasing level of vigilance from the Kannada film producers has led to many police raids.