It is disheartening to observe that Padma Shri awardee Kinnera Mogulaiah, also known as Darshanam Mogulaiah, renowned for his rendition of the ‘Bheemla Nayak’ title song, is currently laboring under the scorching sun to support himself and cover his son’s medical expenses. Despite his acclaim, his present circumstances are reminiscent of a cinematic scene.
According to circulating videos and reports on the internet, Mogulaiah was witnessed working as a daily-wage laborer at a construction site in Turkayamanjal, Hyderabad. He was conferred the Padma Shri in 2022, India’s fourth highest civilian award, for his innovative contributions to the ‘Kinnera,’ a rare musical instrument.
When queried by the media, the singer-musician revealed, “My son suffers from seizures, and to cover his medical expenses, I require a minimum of ₹7,000 per month. However, the monthly allowance of ₹10,000 sanctioned by the state government was recently discontinued, of which I was unaware.”
Reports suggest that the promised ₹1 crore grant and the land allocation are yet to be formally allocated to him. It is ironic that while we celebrate these awardees through trending posts on social media platforms, their actual circumstances and standing often remain unchanged.
