Nikhil Gowda's Kannada movie Jaguar' screeches to a stop, blame it on elections

Bengaluru: The shooting of Nikhil Gowda's debut Kannada movie 'Jaguar' has been rescheduled in view of the dramatic political developments ahead of elections to the Rajya Sabha as well as to seven Council seats this month.

Sources close to state JD(S) President H.D. Kumaraswamy told Deccan Chronicle that he was supposed to go to Iceland and Bulgaria for the second round of shooting of his son's movie. If everything had gone off smoothly, Mr Kumaraswamy would have boarded a flight on May 31 along with his son.

But his plans went awry after five  party legislators threatened to vote for the Congress sponsored candidate and the ruling party reportedly wooed ten independent MLAs whose support is  essential for the JD(S) candidate’s victory.

The sources said that in the party, no other leader except Mr Kumaraswamy is capable of tackling a rebellion and forging an alliance with others to upset the calculations of his opponents. While JDS national president Deve Gowda is now in his Eighties, his son and former minister, Mr H.D. Revanna has not emerged from the rough and tumble of Hassan politics.

From the Congress, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has deputed energy minister D.K. Shivakumar to deal with fence sitters while Mr Deve Gowda has deployed Mr Kumaraswamy to what ever possible to see that JD(S) candidate,  B.M. Farookh enters the Rajya Sabha.

The sources said it has become necessary for Mr Kumaraswamy to stay back in Bengaluru at least for another ten days to counter any move by his bete noire Mr Shivakumar on the day of polling. Mr Kumaraswamy has been talking to disgruntled Congress legislators and independent MLAs to seek support for Mr Farooq.

Mr Kumaraswamy was supposed to be with his son for almost 25 days for the shooting of two films in Iceland and chasing sequences in Sofia City for which a Hollywood stuntman has been engaged. According to the earlier schedule, the shooting was supposed to start from June 1 and get completed on June 25. The movie was to hit the screens during Dasara. With his preoccupation with the polls, it is to be seen when Mr kumaraswamy will be able to leave for Bulgaria.