20 yrs on, film ‘Guru’ blamed for train skipping Bhanapur

Koppal: Many Bollywood and Sandalwood films were shot in the Koppal district. Residents of many villages, where movies were shot, recall their moments with actors like Jackie Chan and Sanjay Dutt.However, residents of Bhanapur and surrounding towns and over 50 villages curse the ‘Guru', a Bollywood movie, for cancelling the stoppage of train No. 17225/26 Amaravati Express, even after 20 years. Bhanapur is emerging as a suburban centre of Koppal city and a central point for the region's people to board/deboard trains to Bengaluru, Hubballi, Guntakal, Hyderabad and other cities of south India.Nagaraj Talawar, a lecturer, told TOI that Bhanapur was chosen for the shooting of ‘Guru', directed by Maniratnam, in 2006. "When lead actors Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and others landed here, South Western Railway (SWR) cancelled the stoppage of Amaravati Express, saying ‘for a week to facilitate the shooting'. However, the stoppage did not resume even after two decades," he added.He noted that Bhanapur railway station has historic importance as Mahatma Gandhi visited and addressed a public meeting on March 3, 1934. "Today it has accommodated the premises of Koppal University, Govt Engineering College, VTU PG Centre, toy factory, in its and neighbouring Talakal village limits. It's also a junction of two national highways, Ballari-Hubballi and Bhanapur-Gaddanakeri. Not only Amaravati Express, but we have been demanding a stoppage for expresses like Haripriya, Karnataka Sampark Kranti, Vasco-Da-Gama Amaravati, Mysuru Special Fare, Da-Gama-Jasidih Weekly, Yesvantpur, Chennai Central and others," he pressed.Rahamansab Allasab Nadaf, a former gram panchayat member who was hired by the ‘Guru' movie team to ride a bullock cart, said many memoranda were submitted to Koppal former MP Karadi Sanganna and sitting MP K Rajashekhar Hitnal. "Even our pleas submitted to SWR Hubballi officials are left unattended. Since Bhanapur is emerging as an educational and industrial hub, SWR should provide stoppage for all express trains," he urged.He also recalled that Bhanapur was a watering station for all long-route trains during the metre gauge era, when Koppal was facing a scarcity of water. "Bhanapur was a convenient station for the erstwhile South Central Railway Secunderabad," he mentioned.Shantaveerayya Lakhmapuramath, who was a railway coal contractor for decades, noted that there is no train facility towards Gadag and Hubballi between 8am and 3.45pm. "Bhanapur is a gateway to Kukanur, Yelburga and Mundargi taluks," he underlined.Manjunah Kanamadi, CPRO of SWR, Hubballi, said: "With reference to the issue, the Railway board has eliminated the Bhanapur stoppage, stating that it is an uneconomic stoppage. It is not connected with the film shooting."