Mukhyamantri Chandru
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Honnasandra Narasimhaiah Chandrashekar (born 28 August 1953), known popularly as Mukhyamantri Chandru, is an Indian actor and politician. As an actor, he is known for his work in
Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
theatre and
cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ...
. The sobriquet ''Mukhyamantri'' (Chief Minister) stuck to his name after the play of the same name that sees him portray the titular role became widely popular. Having portrayed mostly comic and negative roles throughout his career, Chandru is a
character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...
, and has acted in over 500 films since making his debut in 1983. Chandru joined the
Janata Party The Janata Party ( JP, lit. ''People's Party'') was a political party that was founded as an amalgam of Indian political parties opposed to the Emergency that was imposed between 1975 and 1977 by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of the Indian Nati ...
in 1985 and won the year's assembly elections from Gauribidanur. Switching to
Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...
(BJP), he became a member of the legislative council in 1998 and 2004. He served as the chairperson of the Kannada Development Authority till 2013 before quitting the party to join the
Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
(INC) in 2014. Eight years later, he joined the
Aam Aadmi Party The Aam Aadmi Party (; AAP) is a political party in India, as one of the national political parties. The AAP was founded in November 2012 by Arvind Kejriwal and his then-companions following the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, popular ...
.


Personal life

Chandru was born on 28 August 1953 into a family of farmers of Narasimhaiah and Thimmamma in Honnasandra, a village in the taluk of Nelamangala of Bangalore Rural district, in the Indian
State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
of
Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
(now called
Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
). He completed schooling at
Siddaganga Matha Sree Siddaganga Matha (also called Siddaganga Kshetra) is a Lingayat matha with an attached educational institution. The matha was established by Sri Haradanahally Gosala Siddeshwara Swamigalu in the 15th century in a village in the southern ...
in
Tumkur Tumkur, officially renamed as Tumakuru, is a city located in the southern part of Indian state of Karnataka. Tumkur is situated at a distance of northwest of Bangalore, the state capital along NH 48 and NH 73. It is the headquarters of the ...
He is a follower of Jainism before obtaining his bachelor's degree in science from Government Arts and Science College in
Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
in 1974. There he was drawn to theatre after being a regular viewer of plays at the
Ravindra Kalakshetra Ravindra Kalakshetra is a cultural centre in Bangalore which provides a home for musical and theatrical performances. Located in heart of Bangalore city, it was built to commemorate the birth centenary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Many ...
. He subsequently worked as a clerk in
Bangalore University Bangalore University (BU) is a public state university located in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. The university is a part of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and affiliated by Univer ...
and also acting in plays at the same time. Chandru married actress Padma in June 1983. They appeared as a couple in the ''Oohh Lalaa'' and the latter played Chief Minister in the 2000s
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''Maneyondu Mooru Bagilu''. They have two sons together, Bharath and Sharath. Recognizing his contribution to Kannada theatre and activism in promoting and safeguarding Kannada-language, Chandru was awarded an honorary doctorate by the
Gulbarga University GUlbarga University is a public university located in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India. The university is recognized by University Grants Commission (India), University Grants Commission and accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Counci ...
.


Acting career

In 1978, Chandru, then a part of the troupe Kalagangotri, was chosen to play Krishna Dwaipayana Kaushal, the Chief Minister of a fictitious Indian State of Udayanchal. The role went to him after
Lohithaswa Lohithaswa T. S. (5 August 1942 – 8 November 2022) was an Indian Kannada film actor and playwright and an English professor. He acted in more than five hundred Kannada movies, stage plays, and television serials. He was popularly known for h ...
, the actor who was to play the role, fell ill. Titled ''Mukhyamantri'', Chief Minister in Kannada, the play is an adaptation of a 1976 book of the same name written by Ranjit Kapoor. In the play, the Chief Minister's role is shortened to KD Kaushal or ''KeDi'', a word used to refer to a
delinquent Delinquent or delinquents may refer to: * A person who commits a felony * A juvenile delinquent, often shortened as delinquent is a young person (under 18) who fails to do that which is required by law; see juvenile delinquency * A person who fai ...
. Chandru "incorporated isown dialogues while acting, eventually turning the serious drama into a comedy". The play became widely popular and the sobriquet 'Mukhyamantri' stuck to him. As of January 2020, the play completed its 700th show across India and outside. Chandru's career in films began in 1983 when he was cast by producer N. Veeraswamy to play a supporting role in '' Chakravyuha''. His other notable role came in the comedy ''
Ganeshana Maduve ''Ganeshana Maduve'' () is a 1990 Kannada romantic comedy-drama film directed by Phani Ramachandra. It stars Anant Nag, Vinaya Prasad, Mukhyamantri Chandru, Ramesh Bhat among others. It was a big box-office hit in its time and is considered to ...
'' (1990) that saw him play an overbearing landlord, alongside
Anant Nag Dr Anant Nagarkatte (born 4 September 1948) is an Indian actor whose predominant contribution has been in Kannada cinema. He has acted in over 300 films which include over 200 Kannada films as well as Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, Malayalam and En ...
.


Political life

Chandru accepted the
ticket Ticket or tickets may refer to: Slips of paper * Lottery ticket * Parking ticket, a ticket confirming that the parking fee was paid (and the time of the parking start) * Toll ticket, a slip of paper used to indicate where vehicles entered a tol ...
offered by the ruling
Janata Party The Janata Party ( JP, lit. ''People's Party'') was a political party that was founded as an amalgam of Indian political parties opposed to the Emergency that was imposed between 1975 and 1977 by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of the Indian Nati ...
to contest the assembly elections from Gauribidanur. This followed after actors
Anant Nag Dr Anant Nagarkatte (born 4 September 1948) is an Indian actor whose predominant contribution has been in Kannada cinema. He has acted in over 300 films which include over 200 Kannada films as well as Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, Malayalam and En ...
and
Shankar Nag Shankar Nagarakatte (9 November 1954 – 30 September 1990) was an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, and producer known for his work in Kannada-language films and television. A popular cultural icon of Karnataka, Nag is often referred to as ...
denied. Chandru won the seat by a margin of over 6,600 votes. Speaking about an incident to ''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'' of his stint as the
Member of the Legislative Assembly A member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to a legislative assembly. Most often, the term refers to a subnational assembly such as that of a state, province, or territory of a country. S ...
, he said that the officers who assisted him when he "decided to get tough with the sand-mining mafia controlled by a liquor baron in his constituency" were transferred, and when he complained to Chief Minister
Ramakrishna Hegde Ramakrishna Mahabaleshwar Hegde (29 August 1926 – 12 January 2004) was an Indian politician who served as the tenth Chief Minister of Karnataka for three terms between 1983 and 1988. He was elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 1 ...
, he was to told to "get practical". Following the term, he contested unsuccessfully from the
Chikballapur Chikkaballapur is the district headquarters of the newly created Chikkaballapur district in the state of Karnataka, India, which is carved out from Kolar district. It is located within 3 km of Muddenahalli (the birthplace of eminent enginee ...
constituency in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections. His party merged with two other parties at the time to become
Janata Dal Janata Dal (“People’s Party”) was an List of political parties in India, Indian political party which was formed through the merger of Janata Party factions, the Lok Dal, Indian National Congress (Jagjivan), and the Jan Morcha united on 11 ...
. In the early 1990s, with "rift between amakrishnaHegde and
Deve Gowda Haradanahalli Doddegowda Deve Gowda (; born 18 May 1933 in) is an Indian politician from the state of Karnataka. He served as the List of Prime Ministers of India, 11th Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India from 1 June 1996 to 21 Apri ...
worsening", Chandru quit the Janata Dal. In 1991, he joined the
Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...
. He was nominated as a member of the
Karnataka Legislative Council The Karnataka Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of Karnataka state in South Western India. Karnataka is one of the six states in India, where the state legislature is bicameral, comprising two houses: the Le ...
in 1998 and for the second time in 2004, completing the term in 2010. In 2008, he was appointed the chairperson of the Kannada Development Authority. The position was the same rank of a cabinet minister, and Chandru was retained by the subsequent governments, despite his resignation from BJP in 2013. He cited "dedicat ng himselffor the cause of the State and Kannada language" as the reason for the quitting. In March 2014, he joined the
Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
(INC). In his tenure as the chairperson of the Kannada Development Authority (KDA), Chandru advocated very strongly for the protection and promotion of the Kannada-language. The beginning of his tenure saw a significant development in that, on 31 October 2008, Kannada was given the status of a
classical language A classical language is any language with an independent literary tradition and a large and ancient body of written literature. Classical languages are typically dead languages, or show a high degree of diglossia, as the spoken varieties of the ...
. Recommendations made by him in view of promoting the language in Karnataka were met with both praise and criticism. In December, he called for a compulsory display of
vehicle registration plates A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate (British English), license plate (American English), or licence plate (Canadian English), is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identificatio ...
of all vehicles of the State government in Kannada starting January 2009. In 2011, under Chandru's chairpersonship, the KDA recommended to the Karnataka government to make it mandatory for immigrants in the State to clear the Class VII-level tests of the language. Chandru felt that if "outsiders ... live off the resources here, they should also learn to understand the culture, history and language of the land". Other recommendations included the use of Kannada software in cellphones, and to take over all ancient
palm-leaf manuscripts Palm-leaf manuscripts are manuscripts made out of dried palm leaves. Palm leaves were used as writing materials in the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia reportedly dating back to the 5th century BCE. Their use began in South Asia and sp ...
in private possession and declare them state property. Chandru was instrumental in the Kempegowda International Airport authorities agreeing to display signboards and nameplates in Kannada, in 2012. Chandru pitched for making Kannada a compulsory subject from Classes I to V. In an interview with ''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'' in 2009, he had declared that his goal was to successfully implement Kannada as an administrative language in all government offices, and push for a legislation that mandates compulsory learning of Kannada from Classes I to IV. Disappointed with not being nominated by the INC to the
Karnataka Legislative Council The Karnataka Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of Karnataka state in South Western India. Karnataka is one of the six states in India, where the state legislature is bicameral, comprising two houses: the Le ...
, Chandru quit the party in May 2022. He stated, "The party also did not give me any position. Just as an eyewash, I was made the president of the cultural cell, which I rejected." On 7 June 2022, he joined the
Aam Aadmi Party The Aam Aadmi Party (; AAP) is a political party in India, as one of the national political parties. The AAP was founded in November 2012 by Arvind Kejriwal and his then-companions following the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, popular ...
.


Activism

In the first decade of the 21st century, Chandru is involved in various Kannada language activities concerning to the public, government and the mass media, has been instrumental in setting up bodies for the classical language's enhancement & encouragement.


Partial filmography

* '' Chakravyuha'' (1983) * '' Mududida Tavare Aralithu'' (1983) * '' Premigala Saval'' (1984) * ''
Naanu Nanna Hendthi ''Naanu Nanna Hendthi'' () is a 1985 Kannada-language romantic drama film directed by D. Rajendra Babu and written by K. S. Satyanarayan. The film stars V. Ravichandran, Urvashi and Leelavathi. The soundtrack and score composition was by Shan ...
'' (1985) * ''
Jwaalamukhi Jwaalamukhi () is a 1985 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao. The film featured Rajkumar, Gayathri, Thoogudeepa Srinivas, K. S. Ashwath and Mukhyamantri Chandru. The movie is based on a novel of same name by Vijay ...
'' (1985) * ''
Swabhimana ''Swabhimana'' () is a 1985 Kannada-language romantic drama film directed by D. Rajendra Babu and written by K. S. Satyanarayan. The film stars V. Ravichandran and Mahalakshmi with Tiger Prabhakar and Aarathi in extended guest appearances. The ...
'' (1985) * '' Bete'' (1986) * ''
Guri Guri (, lit. Nine Villages Town(Town of Nine Villages) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is located immediately to the east of Seoul, in the heart of the Capital Metropolitan Area. The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty are locat ...
'' (1987) * ''
Sangliyana ''Sangliana'' is a 1988 Indian Kannada-language action drama film directed, co-produced and written by P. Nanjundappa. It is loosely inspired by the life story of the cop-turned-politician H. T. Sangliana. The film stars Shankar Nag, Bhavya an ...
'' (1988) * ''
Anjada Gandu ''Anjada Gandu'' () is a 1988 Indian Kannada-language romantic comedy film produced by B N Gangadhar under the banner of ANS Productions and written and directed by Renuka Sharma. The film stars Ravichandran and Khushbu in the lead roles along ...
'' (1988) * ''
Avale Nanna Hendthi ''Avale Nanna Hendthi'' () is a 1988 Indian Kannada-language comedy drama film directed by S. Umesh and K. Prabhakar, and produced by Vijay Films. It stars Kashinath and Bhavya. Dealing with the prevalent social issue of dowry system, the pl ...
'' (1988) * ''Ondaagi Baalu'' (1989) * '' Neenu Nakkare Haalu Sakkare'' (1989) * '' Poli Huduga'' (1989) * ''Challenge Gopala Krishna'' (1989) * '' S. P. Sangliyana Part 2'' (1990) * ''Policana Hendati'' (1990) * ''
Golmaal Radhakrishna ''Golmaal Radhakrishna'' is a 1990 Indian Kannada comedy film directed and written by Om Sai Prakash. The film starred Anant Nag in the title role along with Chandrika and Vanitha Vasu in leading roles. The music of the film was composed by M. R ...
'' (1990) * ''
Ganeshana Maduve ''Ganeshana Maduve'' () is a 1990 Kannada romantic comedy-drama film directed by Phani Ramachandra. It stars Anant Nag, Vinaya Prasad, Mukhyamantri Chandru, Ramesh Bhat among others. It was a big box-office hit in its time and is considered to ...
'' (1990) * ''Golmaal RadhaKrishna Part 2'' (1991) * ''
Kitturina Huli ''Kitturina Huli'' () is a 1991 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film directed, written and produced by Sai Prakash. The film stars Shashikumar and Malashri. The film's music was composed by Upendra Kumar and the audio was launched on t ...
'' (1991) * ''
Gauri Ganesha ''Gauri Ganesha'' is a 1991 Kannada-language comedy drama film directed by Phani Ramachandra. It stars Anant Nag, Vinaya Prasad, Master Anand, Mukhyamantri Chandru, Vaishali Kasaravalli, Ramesh Bhat among others. Anant Nag received Best Actor ...
'' (1991) * ''Ibbaru Hendira Muddina Police'' (1991) * ''Readymade Ganda'' (1991) * ''Gruhapravesha'' (1991) * ''Hendtire Hushaar'' (1992) * '' Gopikrishna'' (1992) * '' Solillada Saradara'' (1992) * ''
Ganesha Subramanya Ganesha Subrahmanya, a Kannada comedy-drama film, directed by popular director Phani Ramachandra, it is a story of two brothers who've been indoctrinated by their father into remaining bachelors until they achieve their professional goals. This ...
'' (1992) * ''
Malashree Mamashree Enreddy Prakash Reddy a.k.a. Om Sai Prakash is a Telugu and Kannada film director and producer. Born in Phirangipuram in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, he started as an assistant to Kodi Ramakrishna and then charted his own course in direct ...
'' (1992) * ''
Ondu Cinema Kathe Ondu Cinema Kathe is a 1992 Indian Kannada-language film, directed by Phani Ramachandra and written by Shyamasundara Kulkarni. The film stars Ananth Nag, Anjana, Abhilasha and Mukhyamantri Chandru. The music was composed by Rajan–Nagendra and ...
'' (1992) * ''
Chikkejamanru ''Chikkejamanru'' () is a 1992 Kannada-language drama film directed by Om Sai Prakash. The cast includes V. Ravichandran, Gautami, Jai Jagadish, Shubha and Mukhyamantri Chandru among others. The film was a remake of Tamil film ''Chinna Gounder' ...
'' (1992) * '' Chinna'' (1994) * ''
Yarigu Helbedi ''Yarigu Helbedi'' (transl. Don't Tell Anyone) is a 1994 Kannada comedy-drama film directed by Kodlu Ramakrishna. It stars Anant Nag, Vinaya Prasad, Mukhyamantri Chandru and Vaishali Kasaravalli among others. The movie has become a cult film ...
'' (1994) * '' Ibbara Naduve Muddina Aata'' (1996) * '' Sipayi'' (1996) * '' Ammavra Ganda'' (1997) * ''Lakshmi Mahalakshmi'' (1997) * ''
Suryavamsha The Solar dynasty (IAST: Suryavaṃśa or Ravivaṃśa in Sanskrit) or the Ikshvaku dynasty was founded by the legendary king Ikshvaku.Geography of Rigvedic India, M.L. Bhargava, Lucknow 1964, pp. 15-18, 46-49, 92-98, 100-/1, 136 The dynasty is ...
'' (1999) * '' Galate Aliyandru'' (2000) * ''
Mathadana ''Mathadana'' ( kn, ಮತದಾನ) is a 2001 Indian Kannada language film directed by T. N. Seetharam, based on S. L. Bhyrappa's novel of the same name, and starring Anant Nag, Tara, Devaraj, Avinash and Hemanth Vasisht in pivotal roles. ...
'' (2001) * ''
Simhadriya Simha ''Simhadriya Simha'' () is a 2002 Indian Kannada-language action drama film directed by S. Narayan. The film stars Vishnuvardhan, Meena and Bhanupriya. The music of the film was composed by Deva. The film was a remake of the 1994 Tamil film '' ...
'' (2002) * '' Stumble'' (2003)...Diwakar * ''Mr Bakra'' (2005)...Shankar * '' Pandu Ranga Vittala'' (2005) * '' Kallarali Hoovagi'' (2006) * '' Milana'' (2007) * ''
Manasugula Mathu Madhura ''Manasugala Mathu Madhura'' is a 2008 Indian Kannada-language romance film written and directed by Manju Maskalmatti, making his debut. Produced by M Srinivas Kengeri, it features Anand and Hariprriya in the lead roles. The supporting cast i ...
'' (2008) * ''Chikkapete Sachagalu'' (2009) * ''
Govindaya Namaha ''Govindaya Namaha'' ( ''Hail Govinda'') is a 2012 Indian Kannada language comedy drama film directed by debutante Pawan Wadeyar. The film was released on 30 March 2012 across cinema halls. It stars Komal Kumar, Anna Georgia, Madhulika, Rekha ...
'' (2012) * ''
Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
'' (2020) * ''Munduvareda Adhyaya'' (2021)


References


External links

*
Mukhyamantri Chandru profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chandru, Mukhyamantri Living people 1953 births Male actors in Kannada cinema Indian male film actors Karnataka MLAs 1985–1989 Male actors from Bangalore Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Karnataka 20th-century Indian male actors 21st-century Indian male actors Indian actor-politicians