Daijiworld News Network - Mangalore with inputs and pics from Raymond D’Cunha Taccode

Moodbidri, Feb 14: Govardhan Hosmane, a senior journalist and a well-known actor was felicitated at the Nandikeshwar Nataka Sangha's camp on Swarajya maidan here on Monday night. P B Rai, owner and organizer of Nandikeshwara Nataka Sangha, the only surviving professional theatre group in the coastal Karnataka, was also honoured. Hosmane has been the reporter of Udayavani Kannada daily right from the days of its inception.

MLA Abhayachandra and art promoter and educationist Dr Mohan Alva did the honours. Abhayachandra said that it was fortunate to have been born in a place where several of such talents have come up and flourished, who have successfully enlightened the people on different aspects of life.

Dr Alva said he was priviliged to honour a dramatist of Hosmane's status and considered him to be no less than any great actor. He also said that Hosmane's simplicity was a model for everyone.

The Nandikeshwara Nataka Sangha is the only professional theatre group operating in the coastal Karnataka region and it is being run by P B Rai and children. They pitched camp in Moodbidri and they have stage about 120 shows of different plays.

Some important names are Mudukana Maduve, Apta Mitra, Manege Banda Mahalaxmi, Mr Gundu Rao, Bus Conductor, Appa Nanjappa Maga Gundappa, Prema Kadambari, Kalinga Sarpa, Pavitra Prema, Halli Meshtru, Gaudra Gadla, Hendati Gulama, Bayya Mallige, Rakta Kanneeru, Anna Tanda Attige, Sose Tanda Bhagya and others.

The players in the main cast are P B Rai, Raghavendra Rai, Deepak Rai, Nataraj Chidanand Rai, Ashok, Manjula, Kavita, Roopa, Jayakumar and others. Shobha Rai and Sanket Rai take care of the playback.

The theatre camp will move on to Shirtady on February 14.