Indian blockbuster Kantara hero Rishab Shetty headlines Kannada Rajyotsava celebration in Dubai
Expats from Karnataka mark 67th formation day of south Indian state at Indian Consulate
Dubai: Writer, director and hero of Indian blockbuster movie Kantara Rishab Shetty headlined a Kannada Rajyotsava celebration held at the Indian Consulate in Dubai on Saturday.
Kannada Rajyotsava refers to the formation day of the south Indian state of Karnataka. The 67th state formation day, which fell on November 1, was celebrated in a grand way by Indian expats from the state.
Indian People’s forum (IPF) UAE’s Karnataka Council organised its maiden celebration of the day in association with the Indian Consulate in Dubai.
Members of the diverse Indian diaspora, mostly from Karnataka, attended the celebrations.
In his opening speech, Jitendra Vaidya, national president, IPF UAE, said: “While our Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to bring back the glory of India’s culture and traditions, Rishab Shetty has made all Indians and particularly Kannadigas proud by popularising the Sanatan cultural practice in his global blockbuster movie Kantara.”
He hoped that Shetty’s action thriller would stand a chance to be nominated to the Oscars.
Shetty expressed his sincere gratitude to all those who contributed to the publicity of Kantara and making it one of the greatest Indian movies of the recent times to come from the Sandalwood.
He also shared his joy of having celebrated the 50th day of the super success of Kantara with Kannadigas in the UAE and urged them to respect and continue following various traditions and rituals given to us by our ancestors.
Community service
Member of the Indian Parliament and youth icon from Karnataka, Tejasvi Surya, shared his greetings virtually to all Kannadigas of the UAE on the occasion and appreciated the noble work being carried out by several community associations and groups to keep the Indian culture alive.
Speaking on behalf of the Indian Consulate in Dubai, Uttam Chand, consul for Visa and Community Affairs, expressed his gratitude to members of the IPF UAE for working closely with the mission to serve the wider Indian community in the UAE and helping uphold the values and ethos of India.
Praveen Shetty, president of the Karnataka NRI Forum, thanked the consulate for its support and called for a united approach to support all regional units to make India stronger.
Several senior members of the Kannada expat community in the UAE also attended the ceremony. A variety of Kannada cultural performances enthralled the audiences.