by
Girish Nikam
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When he was driving back to Bangalore on Monday afternoon from Mysore, after his horse had lost the Mysore derby, he was naturally disappointed. But some major good news awaited him when he reached Bangalore. “I had won the life-time derby”, Ambareesh remarked his deep-set eyes glowing, recounting how he got the news about his induction into the Union Ministry.

The latest, and the fourth, Union Minister of State from Karnataka, Ambareesh had got a call from the Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh, asking him to come to Delhi, and that he would be inducted into the Union Ministry. “Don’t tell anyone”, the PM cautioned. Five minutes later, Congress President Sonia Gandhi called, to confirm.
“Late better, than never”(sic), that’s what he feels about his induction into the Ministry, which according to him was long coming. “Kadegu kannu thagadaralla”(at last they opened their eyes), he told this writer, barely able to conceal his excitement.

Amidst answering innumerable phone calls from his friends, well wishers and fans, dressed in shorts and a T shirt after his customary afternoon siesta, he says, “idella film industry inda ne sadya agiddu (all this has been possible because of film industry).

His fans have been arriving in droves from Bangalore ever since this morning’s first flight till late evening. “Every flight is full of his fans from Mandya, Bangalore and Mysore and also other places”, one of his staunch fans remarked. “yeeehh, inmelinda naanu delhile, akade jasthi barak agalla”( from now onwards I will be in Delhi I can’t come that side( constituency) very often), he warns in mock seriousness to one of his proud-as-a-peacock fan who has arrived from Mandya, whose eyes just cannot stop gleaming. Through the gleam, the fan mutters, “naanu ille pakkadalli ondu room madkondu bidthini.”(I will also take up a room somewhere nearby).

For the “rebel star” himself, it is right out of one of his films’ dream come true situation.

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For someone who once roamed the streets of Mysore as a youth living his first film role, of a road Romeo, it was unthinkable even a decade back. During those “Mysore days, which he recalls with fondness, the PUC drop out, had not even thought of a career in the films. One day when Puttanna Kanagal, who was an acquaintance through Film Director Rajendra Singh Babu’s family, asked one his assistants to trace “that boy” for a small role in “Nagara Haaavu”, he had gone and hid himself.

Babu’s brother finally traced him and forced him to meet Kanagal, who offered him a role, that of a streetside romeo, which he had to accept, though grudgingly. “It was all because I was supposed to have looked like Shatrughan Sinha” he recalled now. And one of the few persons he himself called up last night to inform about his “life time derby win”, was “Shotgun” Sinha himself, who is a close personal friend.

From those days to today, when he decided to wear a “Mandya special”(silk jubba and panche), to the swearing-in ceremony at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan to be the first film personality from Karnataka to become a Central Minister, Ambareesh’s journey has indeed been a varied and fascinating one.

Now that the vokkaligas of Karnataka, who had for long been nursing hurt about their neglect by the Congress, have been appeased, it will be a series of “abhinandana samarambhas” for their hero. Former Minister D.K.Shivakumar has already “warned” the Star of a “grand welcome”. “Ayyo bidanno, adella yaake”, Ambareesh reacted in humility, ‘Oh my brother, why all that now?’

But he knows no one can stop the “Mandyada Gandus” from celebrating. In fact, fans held a grand celebration at his bungalow, where a huge marquee was put up as he drove to Rashtrapathi Bhavan in a friend’s Mercedes Benz. It is a rather odd coincidence that the “Jaleel” of “Nagarahaavu” was celebrating his elevation as a Minister on the Eid.

26-10-2006