Rajkumar-Vishnuvardhan's contribution questioned by a poet

The contributions of Dr Rajkumar and Vishnuvardhan, the two iconic figures of Sandalwood, to Karnataka and Kannada films were questioned by poet Mukundraaj on Thursday (September 13). The poet, at a seminar, which was attended by many dignitaries including journalist-film director Agni Sridhar, expressed his anger for rating them high in the state.

DNA reports that while addressing the gathering, Mukundraaj said that all the guest praised Annavaru but nobody ever realised that his films like Swami Raghavendra and Ayyappa mislead the people. According to him, those movies were superstitious and pushed the people into the darkness rather than enlightening the audience.

The movies of Rajkumar did not make the audience think twice, adds Mukundraaj. Dr Rajkumar and Vishnuvardhan were not freedom fighters to respect them with the memorials, which are being built at Kanteerava Studios and Abhiman Studios. "Both of them were not freedom fighters. Their contribution is nothing for Karnataka,'' the DNA quoted the poet as saying.

Later, he criticised the government for their double standards in treating the writers at the World Kannada Summit held in Belgaum in 2010. While the cinema fraternity enjoyed luxury amenities, the writers from the literary field were given ordinary rooms.