100/100 Karnataka | ನೂರಕ್ಕೆ ನೂರು ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ || Radio Azim Premji University

Rajkumar was not just a superstar. He was something far rarer — a presence that shaped how people thought, felt, and lived. In the second part of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka’s episode on Dr Rajkumar, writer and lyricist Jayanth Kaikini reflects on the man behind the icon, through moments that reveal Rajkumar’s humanity. When he was released after being kidnapped by Veerappan, he was asked how he felt...

In this episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, Jayanth Kaikini, one of Kannada’s most distinct voices, remembers Dr. Rajkumar in a way that feels less like history and more like memory. Rajkumar was not just someone you watched on screen. His films entered people’s lives and stayed there. In small towns where theatres were few, his stories still travelled. People carried them with them, long after t...

What does a sari carry? In this episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, we sit down with Pavithra Muddaya to explore the many lives of the sari in Karnataka—not just as fabric, but as memory, labor, identity, and inheritance. From the legacy of Vimor, started in 1974 with her mother Chimy Nanjappa, to working closely with weavers across the state, Pavithra traces how each sari carries a geography wit...

What connects a woman selling food door-to-door in 1947, a pioneering coffee exporter from a century ago, and one of Bengaluru’s most talked-about restaurants today? In this Women’s Month special episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, we trace the journeys of women who shaped Karnataka’s food culture across generations. The story begins with Subbammana Angadi, started in 1947 by a single mother from...

Love in Kannada has never stayed in one place. It has moved between poetry and song, slipped into everyday speech, lingered in silence, and sometimes arrived through cinema in ways no one quite expected. In this Valentine’s Day special of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, Kannada Premakavya explores how love has been imagined and reimagined in Kannada culture — with Mungaaru Male standing as one of the mo...

From Dharmasthala to Kantavara , the legend of Panjurli Daiva runs deep through the forests and coasts of Karnataka. Long before Kantara took the world by storm — and with Kantara 2 now expanding its universe — Bhoota Kola was already a living theatre: part spiritual ritual, part social conscience, part art. In this episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka , we explore the real tradition that inspired...

What makes us Kannadiga — the icons we admire, the stories we tell, or the language we live? In this Rajyotsava special, filmmaker T.N. Seetharam ( Mayamruga , Mukta , Matadaana ) reflects on five forces that shaped the spirit of Kannada — its icons, writers, films, songs, and language . From Dr. Rajkumar to Basavanna , he traces how literature, poetry, and cinema built a shared Kannada consciousn...

In this episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka , Varsha Ramachandra travels into the hills of Kodagu and into the ‘ainmane’ of Appacha Kavi — the first great playwright of Kodava Takk. Born in 1868 into the Appaneravanda family, Appacha Kavi grew up in a culture where song, story and ritual formed the backbone of community life. Kodagu’s oral traditions — from the Baalo Paat sung at festivals to the...

ಈ ಆಗಸ್ಟ್ 15 ರಂದು, ದೇಶಾದ್ಯಂತ ತ್ರಿವರ್ಣ ಧ್ವಜ ಹಾರಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಂತೆ, ಹುಬ್ಬಳ್ಳಿಯ ಬೆಂಗೇರಿಯನ್ನು ನೆನಪಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ ಏಕೆಂದರೆ, ಅದು ತನ್ನ ಪ್ರಯಾಣವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸುವುದು ಇಲ್ಲಿಯೇ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ, ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಖಾದಿ ಗ್ರಾಮೋದ್ಯೋಗ ಸಂಯುಕ್ತ ಸಂಘದ ಮಹಿಳೆಯರು ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಧ್ವಜವನ್ನು ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣವಾಗಿ ಕೈಯಿಂದ ನೂಲುತ್ತಾರೆ, ನೇಯುತ್ತಾರೆ ಮತ್ತು ಹೊಲಿಯುತ್ತಾರೆ ಹಾಗು ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯ ಹೋರಾಟದಲ್ಲಿ ಜನಿಸಿದ ಕರಕುಶಲತೆಯನ್ನು ಜೀವಂತವಾಗಿರಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಆದರೆ ಪಾಲಿಯೆಸ್ಟರ್ ಧ್ವಜಗಳಿಗೆ ಅನುಮತಿ ಸಿಕ್ಕ ನಂತರ,...

In this episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, we sit down with veteran Kannada actor Sundar Raj to explore the cultural legacy of Ravindra Kalakshetra — Bengaluru’s iconic theatre auditorium, only on Radio Azim Premji University. Like many of his generation, Sundar Raj’s journey into cinema began here, under the stage lights of Kalakshetra. For him and countless others, this wasn’t just a venue — i...

ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯವು ಆಳವಾದ ಬೇರುಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ವಿಶಾಲ ಶಾಖೆಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊಂದಿದ್ದು ನಾಟಕಗಳು, ಚಲನಚಿತ್ರಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ದೂರದರ್ಶನ ಧಾರಾವಾಹಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಸ್ಫೂರ್ತಿಯ ಶ್ರೀಮಂತ ಮೂಲವಾಗಿ ದೀರ್ಘಕಾಲದಿಂದ ಸೇವೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿದೆ. ಪುಸ್ತಕದಿಂದ ಪರದೆಗೆ ಅಥವಾ ರಂಗಭೂಮಿಗೆ ಈ ಪ್ರಯಾಣವನ್ನು ನಿಜವಾಗಿಯೂ ಆಕರ್ಷಕವಾಗಿಸುವುದು, ಕನ್ನಡ ಬರವಣಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ವೈವಿಧ್ಯತೆ ಮತ್ತು ಸ್ವಂತಿಕೆ. ಬರಹಗಾರರು ನಿರಂತರವಾಗಿ ಹೊಸ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಕೋನಗಳನ್ನು ತಂದಿದ್ದಾರೆ, ಅದು ಗ್ರಾಮೀಣ ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಬೇರೂರಿರುವಿಕೆ, ನಗರ ಪರಕೀಯತೆ, ಜಾತಿ ರಾಜ...

ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಲೋಕದಲ್ಲಿ, ಕೆ.ಪಿ. ಪೂರ್ಣಚಂದ್ರ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿ ಅವರು ತಮ್ಮ ಬೆರಗುಗೊಳಿಸುವ ಗದ್ಯ, ಅದಮ್ಯ ಕುತೂಹಲ, ಹಾಸ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಸ್ವಂತಿಕೆಯಿಂದ ಬಹು ಭಿನ್ನವಾಗಿ ನಿಲ್ಲುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಅವರ ಬಹುಮುಖ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿತ್ವ ಒಬ್ಬ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯಿಕ ಬಂಡಾಯಗಾರ ಮತ್ತು ಜೀವನ ಪರಿಶೋಧಕನಿಂದ ಹಿಡಿದು ಕೃಷಿಕ, ಛಾಯಾಗ್ರಾಹಕ ಮತ್ತು ಚಳುವಳಿಗಾರನದ್ದಾಗಿತ್ತು. ತಂದೆ ಕುವೆಂಪು ಅವರಂತಲ್ಲದ, ತೇಜಸ್ವಿಯವರ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯಿಕ ಧ್ವನಿಯು ವಿಶಿಷ್ಟವಾಗಿ ಆಧುನಿಕವಾಗಿದ್ದು, ವಿಜ್ಞಾನ, ಜಾನಪದ ಮತ್ತು ಸಾಹಸದಿಂದ ಕೂಡಿತ್ತು. ಅವರು ಅನ್ಯಲೋ...

In this special episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, we step into the heart of one of Bengaluru’s oldest and most vibrant traditions—the Bengaluru Karaga. New host Varsha Ramachandra is joined by historian and storyteller Dharmendra Kumar Arenahalli, who has spent years documenting this unique festival. Held in the lunar month of Chaitra, the Karaga is a spectacular night-time procession through t...

In October 2024, Ranga Shankara, Bengaluru’s beloved theatre space, celebrated two decades of bringing the stage to life with a month-long festival. Helmed by Arundhati Nag, the intimate 300-seat auditorium in J P Nagar stands as a tribute to her late husband, Shankar Nag, a celebrated actor, director, and theatre enthusiast. Known for its thrust stage—unique in South India—Ranga Shankara has beco...

In this special edition of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka in observance of Karnataka Rajyotsava, we celebrate Karnataka’s rich musical heritage with a selection of old classics and contemporary favourites. Hosted by Shraddha and peppered with special messages from the artists, Kannada Geetamale embodies the spirit of Kannada. This playlist of eleven soulful tracks span decades and emotions, showcasing t...

Episode 4 of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka focuses on the revered Kannada writer D V Gundappa (DVG). Bengaluru-based scholar Shashi Kiran B N, a contributing editor of Prekshaa and an award-winning Sanskrit scholar, joins the hosts to discuss DVG’s profound contributions. Born in 1887, DVG was largely self-taught, mastering multiple languages and gaining deep knowledge in Vedic literature and Western p...

Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya’s birthday is observed as Engineer’s Day in India. Born on September 15, 1861 in the village of Muddenahalli about 60 km from Bengaluru, Visvesvaraya was told that he was of poor health and would not live long. His parents, who had migrated from Andhra Pradesh, ignored the disturbing prophecy and gave him a good education. Young Visvesvaraya continued his studies in B...

“For the people of Dakshina Kannada, Bhootas are above god,” declares Umashanker Periodi. “Because, unlike gods, Bhootas talk to them.” Periodi, who hails from a family that is involved in Bhoota Kola, is a seasoned mentor and former Head of Karnataka State at Azim Premji Foundation. Although he grew up in a Dakshina Kannada village enveloped by the aura of rituals and traditions, as a college stu...

Places tell stories. Often, the story and the place are synonymous, as with Nanjanagudu. This town near Mysuru beside the Kapila river is famous for the Srikanteshwara temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, where devotees pray to be cured of disease. The temple earned the reverence of Tipu Sultan, who hailed the deity as ‘Hakim Nanjunda’ for miraculously curing his royal elephant's eye ailment. A variety...