Karnataka bandh: Sandalwood Actors and artists join hands in support of Cauvery struggle

Various personalities from the Kannada film industry, including actors, directors, actresses, and producers, have joined the Karnataka bandh in protest of the Cauvery water dispute. A press conference was held at the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce on Crescent Road in Bengaluru to express their support for the protest. The statewide bandh, initiated by pro-Kannada organizations and farmer unions, has seen protests across various parts of Karnataka. Vatal Nagaraj, a pro-Kannada activist, called for this protest. The Sandalwood Actors and Crew board has also backed the bandh and protest, announcing the postponement of all scheduled shootings and no release of Kannada movies on September 29. This protest comes amidst ongoing tensions and disputes related to the release of Cauvery River water to Tamil Nadu.Photo credit - Veeramani, Suresh, Ravi. Kannadaprabha.

Kannada cinema has come together to support the Cauvery struggle, with numerous artists gathering at the Film Chamber to advocate for Cauvery water. Prominent figures from the industry, including Chinne Gowda, Laharivelu, Hamsalekha, Upendra, Vijayaraghavendra, Sri Murali, Dhruva Sarja, Vinod Prabhakar, Srujan Lokesh, Duniya Vijay, Vasishtha Simha, Darshan, Umashree, Padma Vasanthi, Girija Lokesh, Shruti, Pooja Gandhi, Anushree, and many others, participated in the movement.

Actor Shivaraj Kumar came in and delivered a few words regarding the ongoing Cauvery dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. He emphasised the support of all Sandalwood actors to the Cauvery protest. 

Kannada cinema industry exhibited unity, surpassing political affiliations, as seen with actress Umashree, who is known for her involvement in politics, standing alongside Actress Shruti.

Esteemed actors such as Srinath, Srinivasa Murthy, Pramila Joshai, Umashree, and Shruti, as well as veteran actors Sundar Raj, Naveen Krishna, Anirudh, Biradar, and many more actively participated in the protest for Cauvery water.

Actress Pooja Gandhi, known for her deep affection for Kannada, participated in the protest held at the Karnataka Board of Film Commerce. Veteran actress Padma Vasanthi was also present, and she will soon appear in an upcoming film.

Not only the actors and actresses of Sandalwood but also supporting artists and technicians of the Kannada film industry participated in the protest and showed their support.

Actor Vijay Raghavendra and his brother Sri Murali were present at the protest, stating their participation and support towards Karnataka bandh and Cauvery struggle. 

Actress and Politician Umashree was present at the present, sitting beside Pramila Joshi. They spoke about their active involvement in the Cauvery struggle and stressed that the whole Sandalwood must come together in this protest. 

Television and film actresses, including Rupika, also demonstrated their support for the Cauvery struggle. The protest received backing not only from lead actors and actresses in the Sandalwood industry but also from supporting artists and technicians.

Sandalwood Actress Anu Prabhakar, Raghu Mukherjee, and Bhavana also joined the protest and emphasised about their involvement in the bandh.