The Karnataka Rajyotsava award for three connected to cinema fraternity are timely and apt. Veteran cameraman BS Basavaraj at this 78 years of age gets the Rajyotsava award. He is a mentor of so many cameramen in Kannada cinema. He worked in the camp doyen SR Puttanna Kanagal too. He worked for over 80 films so far. He is a humble and simple personality who worked in other languages too in his career of over five decades.

AT Raghu, a director of 40 films ailing because of kidney dysfunction, directed nearly 25 films of Dr Ambarish. He started his career in 1990 from ‘Ajay Vijay’ worked in Kodava, Hindi and Malayalam languages too. Popular among his films are Mandyada Gandu, Antima Tirpu, Midida Hrudayagalu, Mysuru Jaana, Inspector Kranthikumar, Nyayakkaagi Nanu, Padmavyuha, Suryodaya, Guru Jagadguru, Putta Hendathi, Jailer Jaganath and others.

The impeccable folk singer Gururaja Hoskote hailing from Bagalkot gets the award this year for ‘Janapada’ sector. He is very much connected to the Kannada cinema industry.

No one can forget the song Kalitha Hudugi Kudare Nadagi…Thayi Saththa Mele…. Gururaja Hoskote brought out 603 audio albums, written 4500 songs, acted in 121 Kannada films and sung songs in 85 Kannada films so far.

It is the right reward to three legends of Karnataka.

The Rajyotsava award carries Rs.1 lakh cash prize, 20 grams of Gold medal, citation etc.