100/ 100 Karnataka ನೂರಕ್ಕೆ ನೂರು ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ — Stories that celebrate Karnataka’s icons

Who was the man behind that unmistakable smile, those unforgettable expressions and all that laughter? Narasimharaju wasn’t simply the comedian in a film — he was often one of its biggest attractions. Join Varsha Ramachandra in a warm conversation with his daughter, actor Sudha Narasimharaju, and his grandson S.D. Arvind.

In this episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, singer Manasi Prasad joins us for a conversation on the life, music and extraordinary legacy of Purandara Dasa.

Often called the father of Carnatic music, his compositions continue to shape the way generations learn, sing and experience music.

“ಹಾಕೋ ದೊಡ್ಡಾ! ಹಾಕೋ!” 

For Karnataka cricket fans, that one line says it all.

In this episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh and veteran cricket journalist Vedam Jaishankar take us on a fascinating journey through the history of Karnataka cricket — from its royal beginnings to becoming one of India’s greatest cricketing powerhouses.

Most people know Shreyanka Patil as the cricketer. The wicket-taker. The player who always seems to be in the middle of the action. But what is she like away from the cricket field?

In this episode Varsha Ramachandra sits down with Shreyanka for a conversation that moves far beyond the scorecard.

In this episode, Dr. Mysuru Gururaj and Krishnamurthy Hanur explore why Manteswamy Kavya remains one of Karnataka’s most important oral traditions. 

Varsha Ramachandra speaks to retired BMTC driver Dhanpal, who spent nearly four decades behind the wheel. Through his journey, we look at how the city and its buses grew together.

Rajkumar was not just a superstar. He was something far rarer — a presence that shaped how people thought, felt, and lived.

In the second part of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka’s episode on Dr Rajkumar, writer and lyricist Jayanth Kaikini reflects on the man behind the icon, through moments that reveal Rajkumar’s humanity.

In this episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, Jayanth Kaikini, one of Kannada’s most distinct voices, remembers Dr. Rajkumar in a way that feels less like history and more like memory.

What does a sari carry?

In this episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, we sit down with Pavithra Muddaya to explore the many lives of the sari in Karnataka — not just as fabric, but as memory, labor, identity, and inheritance.

What connects a woman selling food door-to-door in 1947, a pioneering coffee exporter from a century ago, and one of Bengaluru’s most talked-about restaurants today?

In this Women’s Month special episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, we trace the journeys of women who shaped Karnataka’s food culture across generations.

What happens when a small arecanut-growing village decides to dream beyond itself?

In this episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, we travel to Heggodu, a quiet town that became one of India’s most important cultural centres.

Is love only between two people? Or is it also the love for language, for landscape, for music, for memory?

In this Valentine’s Day special of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, we explore how Kannada literature and cinema have shaped the way an entire generation understands love. This episode features actress Pooja Gandhi, as we mark 20 years of Mungaaru Male; a film that became a watershed moment in Kannada cinema.

In this episode we explore how Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was not merely a musician Karnataka produced but how he became one of the defining sounds of its cultural memory.

This Sankranti special episode brings together two familiar voices from the podcasting world, Skandyyman, one of the earliest podcasters in Kannada, and RJ Sowjanya, who began her journey as an RJ before transitioning into podcasting.

Why look back at the last 25 years?

Because the turn of the millennium didn’t just change technology or timelines — it quietly changed how Karnataka saw itself. Between 2000 and 2025, the state moved through moments of shock, celebration, controversy, pride, grief, and reinvention. 

This episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka looks back at that period not to rank events, but to understand what stayed in public memory.

What does it mean to live Kannada, not just speak it?

In this Rajyotsava special of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, celebrated director and writer T.N. Seetharam reflects on the icons who shaped us, the writers who defined us, the films that moved us, the songs that stayed with us, and the language that binds us, asking what it means to carry the Kannada spirit forward today.

In this episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, Varsha Ramachandra travels into the hills of Kodagu and into the ​‘ainmane’ of Appacha Kavi — the first great playwright of Kodava Takk. Born in 1868 into the Appaneravanda family, Appacha Kavi grew up in a culture where song, story and ritual formed the backbone of community life. Kodagu’s oral traditions — from the Baalo Paat sung at festivals to the Thaali Paat at marriages and the poignant Chaav Paat at funerals — still shape how the community celebrates, mourns and remembers. 

In Bengeri in Hubballi, far from the fanfare of parades and speeches, the Indian tricolour is born. Here stands the Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS) — founded on November 1, 1957 by Venkatesh Magadi and Leelavati Magadi. It is the only place in the country which manufactures the national flag according to the flag code.

In this episode we speak to veteran actor Sundar Raj — about Ravindra Kalakshetra. His journey, like that of many in his generation, began under the glowing stage lights of Ravindra Kalakshetra, the iconic auditorium in the heart of Bengaluru. For Sunder Raj, and many others like him, this was not just a venue — it was a playground, a training ground, and a doorway into the world of cinema.

In this episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, director K.M. Chaitanya joins Varsha Ramachandra for a deep-dive into the art of literary adaptation. He reflects on what it takes to translate the written word into visual stories — and picks five standout Kannada literary works that have been brought to the screen with imagination and care.

In this episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, we explore the life and work of Kannada literary icon K.P. Poornachandra Tejaswi. Host Varsha Ramachandra is joined by acclaimed director and writer Dr. Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar and filmmaker Shashank Soghal of Daredevil Mustafa fame, as they unpack the wit, wisdom, and enduring relevance of the curious rebel who redefined modern Kannada storytelling.

In this special episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, we step into the heart of one of Bengaluru’s oldest and most vibrant traditions — the Bengaluru Karaga, which takes place on April 12. New host Varsha Ramachandra is joined by historian and storyteller Dharmendra Kumar Arenahalli, who has spent years documenting this unique festival.

Arundhati Nag, actor and theatre entrepreneur, shares a personal history of the making of Ranga Shankara, which gave Bengaluru’s amateur theatre culture a stage and an address

On the first anniversary of our show, Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, we present a playlist of ten soulful tracks which span decades and emotions, embodying the spirit of Kannada. Hosted by Shraddha and peppered with special messages from the artists, Kannada Geetamale celebrates the beauty of the Kannada language and the diversity of our people.

In Episode 4, Shraddha and Sudheesh explore the life and work of renowned Kannada writer D V Gundappa (DVG). Joining them is Shashi Kiran B N, a Sanskrit scholar and editor who has contributed significantly to DVG’s literary legacy.

Sir M Visvesvaraya was more than an engineer. He was a disciplined polymath with eclectic pursuits, a social change-maker, a principled statesman, and a lifelong learner. In this special episode of Noorakke Nooru Karnataka, Shraddha Jain converses with Sudheesh Venkatesh and Mala Kumar about the exemplary mindset of one of Karnataka’s most illustrious sons, an engineer with a conscience.

In the second episode of our Kannada series Noorakke Nooru Karnataka [100 / 100 Karnataka], Shraddha has an absorbing conversation with Umashanker Periodi on the rich tradition of Bhoota Kola in Dakshina Kannada’s coastal region of Tulunadu. Periodi explains that Bhootas — ancestral spirits — are often a symbolic manifestation of entities or powers feared or revered by communities that worship them. Listen on your favourite podcast platforms.