Composer’s rent row gets uglier

Hit music-maker Gurukiran is ignoring the high court order and behaving nastily, says landlady

Composer's rent row gets uglier

Hit music-maker Gurukiran is ignoring the high court order and behaving nastily, says landlady

Star music composer Gurukiran's running battle with his house owner just got uglier.

The High Court has ordered him to pay rent to D R Madalambike (46), owner of his Vijaynagar residence, but he is already overdue by a week.

The composer of hit songs for Kannada films has signed a mutual memo, in court, saying he would vacate the house in May 2010. But Madalambike, who is an architect, says he is harassing her in the meantime.

Late night parties

She says he parties late into the night, and the revellers make life hell for her. "Strangers walk in after midnight and it is scary," she told MiD DAY. She lives with her daughter and elderly mother.

Gurukiran rented the house in May 2003 for Rs 14,000 after paying Rs 2 lakh as advance deposit. Everything was fine for three months after which he reportedly failed to pay his rent regularly.

Relations between him and the owner turned unpleasant when she insisted he pay in time. Shouting and screaming became a regular feature. When she asked him to vacate, things got worse. When complaints to the police yielded no results, Madalambike moved the city civil court, which this June ordered Gurukiran to pay his arrears and vacate.

u00a0Gurukiran appealed to the High Court, but it ruled in favour of the owner last week. He assured the court he would move to his own house, under construction, in May 2010.

He had to pay rent arrears of Rs 1 lakh on the day of the judgment, but he has done nothing about it till date. Madalambike is thinking of filing a contempt suit against him.

Gurukiran, in his defence, said, "I am building a house. Madalambike was jealous the architectural contract was not given to her."

Rubbishing the charge, Madalambike said, "I never accept private contracts because I work for a firm."

She suspects he is reluctant to move out because a vaastu consultant has told him his site does not conform to vaastu norms, while the present house does.

Who's Guru?
Gurukiran has composed music for Jogi and other Kannada superhits of the last 10 years. Ello jogappa ninnaramane (Where is your palace, wanderer?), Volu bari voluu2026. (Lies all liesu2026) and Bandal badaayi Mahadevau00a0 (He is an inveterate liar, this Mahadevau2026) are among his popular songs.u00a0 He also sings some of his songs.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels