Mangaluru: Mangaluru City Corporation Mayor Kavitha Sanil told reporters that as there was a demand from the artistes from various areas like Yakshagana, Drama,Bharathanatyam, Music, Magic, to review the rent of Town Hall, the proposal will be tabled in the forthcoming council meeting. A five-member committee will also be constituted to study the technical problems like audio, light and seating arrangements in Town Hall, she added.

In a meeting regarding the same, Yakshagana artiste Sarapady Ashok Shetty urged the mayor to reduce the rent to Rs 10000 for ticketed programmes and also increase the booking time duration to six months.

Theatre artiste Devadas Kapikad said that during monsoon, artistes used to exhibit their talents in Town Hall. Now as they could not afford the venue due to increased rent they had to depend on verandas of temples, he confided. In the state, there are Rangamandirs in various districts but unfortunately Mangaluru doesn’t have one”, he lamented.

Renowned Yakshagana artiste Sathish Shetty Patla also expressed that earlier economically poor artistes used the Town hall to exhibit their talents now such people could not afford it. This was leading the talents out of the district, he added.

Magician Kudroli Ganesh also expressed that MCC while accepting the booking of the hall, should give first preference to artistes.

Theatre director Vijaya Kumar also expressed displeasure about MCC Engineer Dharamaraj and said that the latter could not understand the problem of artistes.

Later, artistes thanked the mayor for hearing their plight.

Corporator Sabitha Misquith, Mahabala Marla, MCC Commissioner Nazir and others were present.