Entertainment
Produced by N Kumar, the movie ‘Appa’ will be made in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. It is set to start rolling in December.
Updated : Nov 03, 2015, 09:13 PM IST
Controversial director Ram Gopal Varma is busy shooting a film on Karnataka’s reformed don Muthappa Rai with actor Kiccha Sudeep in the lead. He has titled the movie ‘Appa’. But who is Muthappa Rai? Here's a brief look at the famous Don and the life he has led over the last 20 years.
The Don’s Arrest
Muthappa Rai was one of Karnataka’s most wanted criminals who left Bangalore in 1996. In 1994, Rai was shot five times by a man dressed as a lawyer when he had appeared in court. Rai was bedridden for two years post the attack on his life. After this attempt on his life, Muthappa Rai is believed to have contacted Dawood through his man Sharad Shetty. He moved to Dubai in 1996.
The Don had many cases in his name in cities across Karnataka at the time. In fact, he allegedly played a key role in the elimination of underworld don MP Jairaj and was also named in the murder of Oil Kumar alias Boot House Kumar.
Apparently, from Dubai, Rai was running pharmaceutical companies in Africa and had his fingers in the realty market in Karnataka as well as other businesses. He is accused of having been involved in thr shooting of Bangalore realtor Subbaraju in 2001 as he didn’t comply with Rai’s wish.
The Karnataka police approached the Dubai government officials to hand over Rai then but because extradition treaty wasn’t signed between the two countries till 1999, Rai couldn’t be brought back to India. He was eventually extradited and arrested in Bangalore in 2002.
The Reformation
On February 12, 2008, Muthappa Rai announced to the medioa that he was going to reform himself and had set up an organisation called ‘Jaya Karnataka’. This organisation would work for the welfare of rural Kannadigas he stated. In his note in the Jaya Karnataka website, Rai writes, “'Sthavarakke Allivuntu – Jangamage Allivilla' is a popular quote by Basavanna that means ‘Immovable always has an end, but movable has no end.’ The quote itself gives a reason why the then great personalities like Basavanna, Dr Baba Saheb, Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, KuVenPu, Prof M D Nanjundaswamy, and Dr Raj Kumar still live in the hearts of common men. The principles and values of these personalities set an example in our lives to form a new model state with right intention and goal.”
The Don today
On April 28, 2013, Muthappa Rai’s wife, Rekha Rai, passed away at Mt Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore. She had been hospitalised for a while there. They have two sons Rakhi and Rikki. The elder son was stated to be handling their hotel business abroad.
Today, Muthappa Rai is a successful entrepreneur and social activist. But he still has extensive security when he steps out of his house in Bidadi just outside Bangalore. As for his businesses, he continues to dabble in real estate and has a 200-scre agricultural cultivation. Horses and horse-racing are another passion of his and he has more than 40 horses. In 2014, he even planned to buy some horses from Ireland but he stated to media then that his passport was still with the police and he couldn’t travel out of the country.
On October 24, the former don inaugurated Jaya Karnataka’s ‘Yuva Sammilana’ in Mangaluru. At the event, Rai stated that his organisation and the youth in his organisation should fight against corrupt officials and the corrupt system. He also told them not to take the ‘wrong path’, become good leaders and serve the needy in the state.
Ram Gopal Varma’s Appa
The director met Muthappa Rai in July this year before he embarked on his film on him. RGV took to social media to talk about him. Produced by N Kumar, the movie ‘Appa’ will be made in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. It is set to start rolling in December.
I gathered information about Mutthappa rai not only from the Banglore underworld but also from various sources in Mumbai and Dubai
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) July 29, 2015
What I heard about Mutthappa Rai from others including cops and his enemies is far far more than what I actually heard from Mr.Rai himself
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) July 29, 2015
The research I gathered on Banglore underworld in general and Mutthappa Rai in particular came from multiple sources and not from Mr.Rai
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) July 29, 2015
Some media ppl reporting Mutthappa Rai's son is acting in "Appa" is completely false..casting not finalised as script work still going on
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) July 29, 2015
Mutthappa Rai I think is the Bahubali of the Underworld
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) July 28, 2015
I always thought Godfather was a fictional character but after Meeting Mutthappa Rai realised he is real and he is father of all Godfathers
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) July 28, 2015
The name of my film on the Banglore Underworld is going to be "Appa" and the tagline of "Appa" is going to be -The Father of all Godfathers
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) July 28, 2015
After all my understanding what I had of the underworld I realised today that the D Company is much less in comparison to B Company
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) July 28, 2015
Banglore underworld has a far more viscous quality which explains its pan india effect nd it's links to Mumbai and Dubai based Underworld
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) July 28, 2015
Had a most amazing meeting and a most fascinating understanding of the Banglore underworld
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) July 28, 2015