K.H. Kala Soudha has not seen any performance in two months

At a time when spaces meant for artists do not come cheap, those which do are going through their own troubles. The Kengal Hanumanthaiah Kala Soudha, popularly known as K.H. Kala Soudha, has gone without any performance for two months.

Located in Hanumanthanagar in south Bengaluru, the 300-seater auditorium is counted among the city’s best known and most affordable theatre spaces.

The auditorium was leased out by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to Fourth Corner Consultants (now Prakasam Trust or Pradarshana Kala Samsthe) in 2009 for a five-year period. After the tenure of the lease ended, the arrangement continued on temporary extensions.

In January 2016, a letter from the palike asked them to keep any activities in the auditorium at bay until the fresh tender process is completed. At the time, a delegation, which included theatre personality Srinivas G. Kappanna, convinced BBMP officials to let performances continue.

But this February, they were asked to stop again. Given that summer vacations have commenced, the K.H. Kala Soudha would have hosted approximately 25 performances in a month.

The disruption must be seen in the context of the debate over keeping cultural spaces affordable. Rentals of one of the city’s most iconic structures — Sir Puttanna Chetty Town Hall — were increased to over ₹1 lakh at one point of time. Post-renovation, the venue is out of bounds for artists with tight finances who are left with just Ravindra Kalakshetra, Kalagrama and Rangashankara.

“There are very few performance spaces in Bengaluru that have adequate facilities to put up a decent show. Both amateur and professional theatre troupes zero in on a few auditoriums, including K.H. Kala Soudha. Though amateur troupes explore alternate spaces, the clear shortage of options limits the possibility of art being made in the city,” says actor Deepak Subramanya.

Hanumathanagar councillor Kempegowda A. said the old lease period had ended over a year ago. “The fresh tender process is on. We will ensure that the venue goes to artists, as only they are eligible,” he said. He added that there is no question of an increase in rentals.