One of the senior most cinema businessmen – exhibitor, former KFCC President, industrialist Tallam Nanjunda Shetty of ‘Abhinay and Bhumika’ theatres passed away at the age of 89 years in Bengaluru on account of age old problem.

Former KFCC President in the year 2006-2007 (from exhibitor sector) Tallam was born on 2nd July 1926. In 1948 he was graduated in B.Com and became commerce union President. In 1950 he entered in to textile industry and took up Bombay Dyeing and Mafatlal distribution in Karnataka. He was partner to Alankar Pearl Plaza and held the director post in Vaishya Bank.

The two prominent theatres of Tallam Nanjunda Shetty ‘Abhinay’ and ‘States’ that is Bhumika today are his contribution.

Decades ago Tallam showed his guts when his Abhinay Theatre was not granted the license. He told the licensing authority to put a bomb on the theatre or he would consume poison. He opened the bottle of poison and stood before Abhinay theatre, the first escalator theatre in India. Eventually Tallam won the battle.

The Rajkumar classic Bangarada Manushya ran for two years and more to a packed hall at States. Kannada gems Sati Shakti and Hannele Chiguridaaga also had a decent run here. Tallam giving new shape to ‘States’, rechristened it as Bhumika and from Rockline Venkatesh’s Yodha, starring Darshan was first one to release after facelift.