Ambareesh
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Contents |
Contributions
November 25, 2018: The Times of India
Ambareesh was a former Union minister as well as a minister in the Karnataka government.
Ambareesh made his silverscreen debut as a villain in 1972 in ‘Nagarahaavu’ directed by Puttanna Kanagal. He became a hero with the movie ‘Amarnath’ in 1978 and went on to rule the Kannada industry along with Dr Rajkumar and Vishnuvardhan. He has acted in 208 movies and his hits include ‘Paduvaraalli Pandavaru’, ‘Shubhamangala’, ‘Masanada Hoovu’, ‘Ranganayaki’, ‘Antha’, ‘Chakravyuha’, ‘Barjari Bete’, ‘Odahuttidavaru’ and ‘HongKong Nalli Agent Amar’.
Political career
Pretence wasn’t his cup of tea, November 26, 2018: The Times of India
Carefree Lifestyle Didn’t Suit His Political Career
MH Ambareesh was one of the leading lights of Sandalwood when he decided to plunge into politics. His political foray was not as sparkling as his 208-film career in tinsel town. Unlike in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, in Karnataka filmdom and politics are uneasy bedfellows.
Dr Rajkumar, the tallest of the state’s thespians, was hailed for staying away from electoral politics and while Ananth Nag, Umasree — both ministers at one time — Jaggesh and Mukhyamanthri Chandru won an election or two, those successes were interspersed with ignominious defeats. Jayamala, who is currently a minister, Tara and Arathi made it to the legislative council by nomination.
Ambareesh faced bitter defeat in his first shy at active politics. He was instrumental in the Janata Dal — undivided then — getting 16 seats in the 1996 Lok Sabha elections. The polls also catapulted HD Deve Gowda to the Prime Minister's seat and he had to resign from the Ramanagara assembly seat, resulting in a bypoll. Ambareesh contested the bypoll on a JD(S) ticket and lost to CM Lingappa of the Congress. If ever Ambareesh needed reminding that his on-screen image would be of little help in convincing voters, this was it.
“A remarkable thing about Ambareesh was that he was firm on a political career despite the initial setback and voters’ scepticism,” says political observer NK Mohanram. Caste dynamics helped. He belonged to the Vokkaliga community, whose stars were on the ascendancy when he entered politics in the mid-1990s. Deve Gowda had just then become CM and shortly later, PM. The carefully coined moniker Mandyada Gandu, which was also the title of one of his films, gave Ambareesh iconic status, helping him win back-to-back elections from Mandya, a Vokkaliga citadel. His first victory was in 1998 as a JD(S) candidate and he won elections in 1999 and 2004 as a Congressman. After suffering a defeat in 2009, he entered the state assembly from Mandya in 2013 and became a cabinet minister. The carefree-lifestyle that suited his image as a film star, proved a stum- bling block for his political career. People of Mandya adored his friendly nature, but hated his nonchalance. Ambareesh though was not one to change his spots. Pretence wasn't his cup of tea.
“It was his style of living and no one could change that,” said S V Rajendra Singh Babu, his closest friend and filmmaker. Ambareesh was a stranger to political chicanery and quite often came across as odd in politics. After demanding a ministerial post in the Union government in 2008, he barely attended office in New Delhi as a junior minister for information and broadcasting. He then threw up the post, quitting over the Cauvery river water dispute, a move which farmers did not appreciate.
“His commitment to the Cauvery issue was unquestionable, but he could have done better had he learnt the ropes in politics,” says G Made Gowda, former MP from Mandya.
True to his on-screen sobriquet, Ambareesh was a ‘Rebel Star’ in politics too. He clashed with the likes of SM Krishna and Deve Gowda on issues. He was unhappy when chief minister Siddaramaiah allocated the horticulture ministry to him in 2013 and continued to sulk even after getting the housing portfolio. In protest against his unceremonious removal from the cabinet in 2016, he refused to contest the assembly elections in 2018. Health too was an issue.
“He was not made to be a politician,” said CM Lingappa, who had humbled Ambareesh in his first electoral foray. “He was a good man who strayed into the badlands of politics.”
On Cauvery dispute
2002: Impression on SC advocates
Brijesh Kalappa, On Cauvery, he impressed SC advocates, November 26, 2018: The Times of India
I had not joined the Cauvery legal team in 2002 when the contempt petition filed by Tamil Nadu was taken up. I was just one of the curious young lawyers at the courtroom. One person stood out in the visitors’ gallery: Actor-politician MH Ambareesh, who was busy sending messages to then advocate general AN Jayram.
When Ambareesh was told that senior advocate Anil Divan had argued the Cauvery contempt case for Karnataka, he was keen on meeting him to share some thoughts on the petition filed before the Cauvery water disputes tribunal. A meeting was fixed for that same evening.
The meeting lasted two hours and after Ambareesh left, Divan impressed by the actor, wanted some VCDs of the actor’s movies. Ambareesh obliged. A few months later senior advocate Fali Nariman happened to be in Bengaluru and there was a meeting with Ambareesh. Once again Ambareesh explained farmers’ issues with the greatest ease and felicity.
Personal life
WHEN KUSHBOO BEAT HIM AT CARDS
Multilingual actor Kushboo recalled an incident when she and Ambareesh played cards. “I was rushing to the airport to catch a flight when Ambareesh learnt that I play cards,” she said. “He immediately called me back and asked me to play a game with him. From one game it went to three games and luckily I won all,” Khusboo said, adding, “He then called me and said that I might have cheated because it is impossible to win against him. But I assured him that I never cheat. It was just a lucky day for me.”
