After a 10-year wait, the time has come for the memorial of late Kannada actor Vishnuvardhan becoming a reality. The foundation stone for the much-awaited project was laid at a village near Mysuru on Tuesday.
Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa virtually laid the foundation stone from Bengaluru at Halalu village near Udbur, off H.D. Kote Road, in Mysuru taluk.
The late actor’s family members, including wife Bharati Vishnuvardhan, daughter Keerthi and son-in-law and actor Anirudh, former Ministers G.T. Deve Gowda and S.A. Ramdas, local representatives and many fans attended the event. The memorial will have a built area of 1,454.70 square metres.
A sum of ₹11 crore was allocated in the 2010-11 budget for constructing the memorial. A Bengaluru-based architect has designed the memorial in consultation with the late actor’s family, and the project has been awarded to a Mysuru-based contractor.
The memorial will have a gallery chronicling the late actor’s cine journey, a ‘kada’ sculpture (the late actor was wearing a ‘kada’ or a wristlet on his left hand), his statue and an auditorium.
Later, speaking to reporters, Ms. Bharati Vishnuvardhan described the day as memorable and thanked everyone who strove for the memorial.
Minister in-charge of Mysuru district S.T. Somashekar, in a statement here, said the late actor had a close bond with Mysuru as it was his native place and his fans too wanted the memorial to come up here. The work would take off soon.
A 6-ft.-tall statue of Vishnuvardhan and the branch of Film and Television Institute, Pune, are part of the project. A museumwith rare photographs will showcase Vishnuvardhan’s journey in the world of cinema. “The government will extend all support to Vishnuvardhan’s family in realising the memorial in honour of the late actor,” Mr. Somashekar said.
