Design: RK
Necchina hiriyare, kicchina yuvakare, mecchina gruhalakshmiyare, swaccha manassina put-putani makkale…nimmellarannu preethiyinda barmaadikolta idheeni, naanu nimma PUNEETH…RAJKUMAR! Sambhanda-Santhrupti yeradu iro vedike idu KANNADADA KOTYADHIPATI!
We’ve got this by heart, isnt’ it?
It is exactly two months since Kannadada Kotyadhipati (KK) started on Suvarna channel on March 12. And we were all curious to see how our ‘little’ Puneeth would fare on the small screen. I say ‘little’ because for those who have grown up seeing him as a child actor, he will always be Master Lohith. Having seen Puneeth’s acting, and many an awesome dance steps, amazing fights and having heard him sing some catchy tunes on the silver screen for a decade, people of Karnataka were waiting to see the real Puneeth Rajkumar on this lovely show (having got used to KBC)! And compared to the initial episodes (and even the promos), he looks so relaxed and totally comfortable on the anchor’s seat now.
Right from the entry, till the finish, we can see the josh in him. The way he flashes his hands is enough to see why he is called the Powerstar! You feel the power when he slices the air before reading the question.
He has made the show very interesting by sharing his stories and anectodes to the audience. He looks very natural and responds very well to what the participants say. Of course, the script writer’s hand cannot be forgotten here. And film director Guruprasad is doing a fabulous job at that.
But the point is, to hold the attention of the audience, participants, the viewers for an hour and a half is quite a task…and KK has been successful in bringing the family to sit and watch this show for 90 minutes straight! The show format must be appreciated for the kind of human interest stories it has brought to us. We have seen so many different facets of life through KK. And KK has raised our IQ (at least a wee bit) for sure!
Coming back to Puneeth, he looks so grounded. I mean, he comes across as such a down-to earth human being, in spite of the aura he has because of his acting and the family background He doesn’t fake. The audience/ viewers can easily make out if you’re acting or if you’re yourself on such shows. It is nice to know that he has a good sense of humour too – he cracks a few jokes, imitates some actors or sometimes the participants. Or when he is excited, he reacts in a very natural way – he has shouted ‘yappppppa’ – just like how he might do when he is at home or with his close friends!
For boys of our generation, Dr.Rajkumar was GURU! And for Puneeth the computer is his GURU, and the way he says “Gurugale” is so casual and so much like any of us saying it.
He listens and responds to the participant’s happy / sad stories just like a common man. He gives a tip or two only when required. He encourages and gives a pat on the back if he wants to. He advices only if necessary. The way he talks, we can feel that he has never let success enter his head, just like his legendary father!
He mingles with the audience, talks politely to the companions too. He carries the kids, they sit on his lap and talks so freely. We’ve seen him give gifts like tennis racquet, chocolate, watch and so on to the participants / companions. And if a participant wishes to eat a Gobi Manchuri or drink Apple Juice, or even Coffee, Puneeth gets it for them! If he finds that a participant is tensed after coming to the ‘Hot Seat’, he gets up from his seat and gives him a quick massage. He is so obliging – if somebody wants to hug him, he lets them and if somebody wants to dance with him, he shakes a leg! He has even proposed to a female participant on her request! (Remember, he’s married and a father of two cute girls) Not to forget the way he shakes hands with most people in the audience after the show.
These are the little and instant gestures that the audience will remember of Puneeth, and the show. It is because of these that we find him and the show warm and adorable.
Another quality that Puneeth has shown on the show is that he doesn’t hesitate to admit his shortcomings. Quite a few times, he has said he is just a 10th standard pass. And for most questions, even after the answer is known, he says he didn’t know the right option. All this makes him very close to his audience. A couple of times on this show, he has told that he got to know through KK that it was Sir MV who designed the road from Tirupati to Tirumala!
Knowing Puneeth’s quality to learn something new or become better at what he is doing, there is scope for him to improve on a few pronunciations and pauses while reading the questions right, it will be good for him. He has shown it on the show when he asked a participant to teach him a Karate step, and another to teach him to talk Kannada in reverse, just a couple of instances that come to mind immediately.
Personally, I love when he has called the ‘Jimmy Jib Camera Crane’ a few times on the show. I feel he is calling a small puppy – JIMMY! Yesterday, it was so cute when he asked the Jimmy to go back as he wanted the elderly lady participant to say ” Let’s play Kannadada Kotyadhipati”, and the Jimmy had descended just in time!
And yesterday again, for the first time I heard an anchor say “Let’s take a break, else our advertisers will get angry”. We love Puneeth for these reasons – for being himself and for being a natural.
We have all loved to sit and watch the show for two months now. And we have not got bored of it, thanks to Puneeth. It has been a pleasure to see the personality behind our favourite hero. And isn’t it a boon that we get to see him in the comfort of our homes everyday? God bless Puneeth! God bless Kannadada Kotyadhipati!
And hey i forgot to mention! Doesn’t he look fabulous in those suits! I specially love those shining black suits and the round collared ones!
