Mangaluru: Film shoot at University College’s heritage building criticised

MANGALURU: The heritage building of the University College in Hampankatta, has become a sought-after shooting location among film production houses in recent years.
However, a Kannada film crew currently on the campus, came under severe criticism from the faculty and public, after they removed fans, tied plastic sheets to the windows, and stored equipment and wooden pieces inside Ravindra Kala Bhavana. Faculty members also accused the crew of hammering nails into the wall.
The groundwork for the shooting began on October 7, which included creating a set, and the shoot began on October 10. “Apart from causing concern over the heritage building, the film shooting activities are also causing a disturbance for undergraduate classes that began on Monday,” said a guest lecturer at the college.
In 2015, the University Grants Commission (UGC) bestowed a special heritage status on the college. The UGC had granted heritage status to 19 colleges across the country, and this was the only college in Karnataka.
It was renovated and inaugurated at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore, on February 26, 2019. In 1996, on the occasion of the 125th year of the college, the academy hall was renamed Ravindra Kala Bhavana, in memory of Nobel laureate, poet Rabindranath Tagore’s visit to the college in 1922.
Former Union minister M Veerappa Moily, an alumnus of the college, who played an important role in the renovation of the structure, said that it is disheartening to know that a heritage building is being used for a film shoot. It was decided that this particular structure should not be given for any film activities and must be preserved well, he said. “I will raise a complaint with vice-chancellor PS Yadapadithya,” said Moily.
Satya Prakash Varanashi, conservation consultant, INTACH, who was a member of the advisory committee of Ravindra Kala Bhavan renovation, said that there is a high chance that the film shoot could damage heritage flooring, as they use heavy equipment.
Meanwhile, changing the structure into a police station or any other set, also gives the wrong image of the heritage building to viewers. “The viewers, who are unaware of the structure, perceive it as per the film set or props. In total, movie filming in a heritage building comes with its own baggage,” stressed Varanashi.
“We have officially given permission for a week’s time, for the film crew to shoot at the Ravindra Kala Bhavana. I myself inspected the spot, and found no damage. The shoot will wind up on Wednesday.
If any damage is noticed post shooting, Mangalore University will take action against the film production crew,” said Kishore CK, registrar, Mangalore University. Vice-chancellor PS Yadapadithaya said over that he was in Delhi at that moment, and would visit the spot soon after his return.