Upendra, Darshan and Sathish Ninasam take to farming

Not just Salman Khan, Sandalwood stars too have turned to farming to find some peace amid the pandemic-induced chaos. And for most, it was only a matter of finding time to reconnect.


While Darshan surprised his fans by posing with a new tractor procured for his farm near Mysuru, multilingual actor Upendra has been photographed with organic vegetables grown at his farm.

Ninasam Sathish (R) at his farm in KM Doddi near Mandya

With film production coming to a standstill, film actors like Ninasam Sathish, Kishore and producer Pushkar Mallikarjun too are getting hands-on in fields..

Darshan’s love for farming is well known among his fans. Upendra, who has a farm near Ramanagara, said natural farming has been a game-changer as he has been against the use of pesticides. “The government needs to get involved and teach farmers about soil value, the kind of crops to grow and market demand, among others things,” he said.

Ninasam Sathish, born into an agricultural family, owns land in KM Doddi near Mandya. He told STOI: “Earlier, I didn’t have much time to spend in my farm. Now, I’m enjoying my time in nature.” He has been growing paddy, sugarcane and mulberry. He added: “Everything starts from the motherland, she give us unconditional love.”

Multilingual actor Kishore, known for his negative shades onscreen, said, “I always wanted a home surrounded by a river, forests and mountains. Luckily, I found this piece of land on the periphery of Bannerghatta. I learned many things when I started farming. It’s just not about being humble, but also about being real.”

Stars in the field

Kishore said the pandemic has taught us many things, and the most important is the value of food. “Farming is not all about money, but about the time and effort that goes into giving back to Nature. A farmer’s life is hard. Many people who think farming is exciting need to understand that. It’s a kind of penance that pays back years later to another generation,” he said.

Pushkar Mallikarjun, the producer behind Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu and Kirik Party , has been actively participating in farming at his friend’s farmhouse in Sakleshpur . During the lockdown, he wanted to learn more about the challenges faced by farmers.

“During the pandemic, when vegetable and fruits vendors weren’t around, citizens depended on farmers. Many apartments and resident welfare groups coordinated with local farmers and purchased their vegetables and fruits,” he said.