Which Main? What Cross?: We Work On Bangalore Streets Series

Showing posts with label We Work On Bangalore Streets Series. Show all posts

May 16, 2023

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February 9, 2020

September 21, 2016

July 30, 2009

Beere Devara Gudi Street, Jolly Mohalla

The Iron Lady of Jolly Mohalla and her workspace.

July 28, 2009

July 3, 2009

1st Main, Kalasipalaya

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Sandalwood Friday Release Series: Sticky Fingers

Finally caught up with the guy who does one of the most important tasks ahead of a Sandalwood Friday release. For the full (and ongoing) series of life around Sandalwood, click here.

May 15, 2009

Hanumanthappa Road, Gandhinagar

Sandalwood Friday Movie Release Series:
Character Artists Outside Namma Theatres - The Snake Charmer

This guy is a charmer and not just of snakes. Every Friday, the day movies release and the fans hit the streets of Gandhinagar, he mesmerises them with his show that begins at 9am outside Sam's Fashion, opposite Sukh Sagar and National Market.

He draws in the crowd with stories about how he took his Cobra personally to visit Sandalwood star homes to bless them just before a movie release. The star is usually the one who is having a release that week much to the delight of the fans.

With a snake hidden in his basket, he engages the crowd with stories of the captive reptile's miracles and roles it has played in movies. He also uses props like pigeons, colourful seeds (blessed ones again) which he hands out to people, to keep the audience glued to his show.

Once the audience is starry eyed with stories about how stars became stars and made their crores with reptilian blessing, he makes his few rupees blessing the audience.

But the most interesting part of the performance are the stories around the snake he weaves, before he reveals it to the audience. The climax. (He didn't allow me to photograph the snake - he said that my eyes would be go blind if I looked into the snake's eyes with my camera)

I have seen his show thrice and each time he had a different performance. With his charming way with words and innovation, he would most probably be able to write better scripts than the multiple copies of the same violence filled scripts being dished out these days.

Another character artist found outside Gandhinagar theatres - Dasappa

The Which Main? What Cross? The Exhibition - Is on until May 31st.

F&B Restaurant, Papanna Street, St Marks Road (on the right, soon after SBI).
Ph: 080 - 40 333 888

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May 8, 2009

Kempegowda Road

Sandalwood Friday Movie Release: 'Hat-trick' Hodi Maga.

The gang wars and related slayings of last month has got the Government getting tough with rowdyism and its glorification on the silver screen in Benglur.

The fightback started with an 'encounter', then the Sunday market where the favorite weapons of 'rowdy-sheeters' and Sandalwood stars alike - the choppers and knives, was targeted. And last week, the censor board got tough with the name of this Friday's release - Hodimaga (Hit him - a name inspired by a 'hit' song) . Following trouble with the censor board, the name of the movie was cleverly changed to 'Hat-trick Hodimaga' (it's cricket season + the hero is also known as the Hat-trick Star for his string of hits).

However, the controversy is probably welcome for the producers. Fans of Shivrajkumar were present in full force to lap up the tickets outside Sapna for the first-day first-show.

Also present in full force were the usual black marketeers and in Gandhinagar, black marketeers are no longer the taporis that movies and advertising stereotypes. They are mostly old men and women who live on the street in this part of town or handicapped. Sometimes even the cops turn a blind eye.

However, the theatre staff do not look at the black-market ticket sellers kindly. They are only allowed to buy a set number of tickets. This poor old man was shooed away when he went back to buy more tickets.

And here's a frail old man selling the crispest snacks to the fans who have come early to get tickets and soak the excitement of a Friday release. I hope his chaklis are a Super hit!