Attenborough's Gandhi: Can Karnataka CM find a Kingsley to play Urs?
The government plans to make its film for a modest 3 crore.
Bengaluru: The state government plans to make a film on the late Devaraj Urs, an iconic political figure of the seventies and a champion of the backward classes, on the lines of Richard Attenborough’s “Gandhi.”
But while the renowned filmmaker spent 20 years and 22 million dollars on making his film, the government plans to make its film for a modest 3 crore.
Announcing its plans after a review meeting of the Devaraj Urs Birth Centenary Committee, social welfare minister, H. Anjaneya said it would be a feature film produced on the lines of Gandhi.
"Kannada director Nagabharana has come forward to make it and we want artistes to work in the film for a nominal fee," he added, revealing that his department had also held a meeting with primary and secondary education minister, Kimmane Rathnakar to request him to introduce a chapter on Devaraj Urs in school textbooks.
"If the books have already been printed, the chapter on Urs can be introduced as non-detailed text," Mr Anjaneya suggested. The department, which has decided to rename its hostels after Devaraj Urs , has also recommended that KMF milk packets carry a centenary logo of Urs and KSRTC buses carry stickers of the former chief minister.