When youngsters lost the opportunity to have fun as the world was thrown off track due to the pandemic and lockdowns, Vijay Karnataka provided a platform for Kannadigas to showcase their talents digitally.

The young Karnataka – who speak the Kannada language – grasped the opportunity provided by the Sakhat (“fantastic”) Stars platform (literally “Fantastic Stars), which identified kids with amazing skills in performing ethnic talents and new age forms, and created a platform to nurture such talents.

“It gave them the opportunity, excitement, and a platform to exhibit their talent,” says head of marketing solutions Venktesh Babu.

The platform aimed to connect with Kannadiga families through activity, providing an opportunity to showcase their talents and engage in activity during gloomy times.

To address the likelihood that a large age group would have a bias towards older participants, the talent hunt was split into in two age groups, for six-to-nine years and ten-to-12 years.

Impartial judging came from a celebrity jury, members of which were both were talented and had started young. “The jury members were multi-talented too, which ensured they were able to evaluate the right elements in each talented youngster,” says Venktesh Babu.

Thousands of entries poured in from the moment an ad appeared in VK, which is the top read daily in Karnataka. Young parents sent video bites of their talented children and were keen to showcase their talent to the VK team, which shortlisted them, providing an opportunity to qualify for the second round.

These regional rounds allowed youngsters to showcase their talent from the comfort of their homes and with ample safety measures, with parents lauding the efforts to create a virtual platform.

To amplify the activity on social media, videos of contestants selected for the finale were uploaded on the VK Readers Club Facebook group. Contestants were then urged to garner maximum votes for their video, and thousands of readers voting for their favourite contestants.

“Youngsters who participated were unique in their presentation,” says Venktesh. “Participants presented their talent in performing art forms native to Karnataka and India in general.”

Among noteworthy talents ethnic talents showcased were yoga, Yakshagana (a traditional theatre form, developed in Coastal Karnataka), Veeragase (a vigorous dance based on Hindu mythology that involves very intense energy-sapping dance movements), Togalu gombeyaata (which translates to “a play of leather dolls,” a type of puppet show), Hindustani and Carnatic music, and Bharatanatyam (a dance form). Some youngsters showcased modern talents such as magic, solving a Rubic cube, and hula hooping with skates.

“VK Sakhat Stars was a super hit among young Kannadigas and their parents,” he says. “The level of involvement from each home was extraordinary – the plethora of talent among youngsters was amazing to see.

“The preparedness for online engagement by the families, the hunger to perform, and the ease with which youngsters exhibited talent was inspiring for the VK team as well. Jury members had a tough time choosing winners among many talented youngsters as each one was unique.”

Participation came from across the state of Karnataka and five regional rounds, and a grand finale was conducted in a span of 30 days. The activity was surely a stress buster for youngsters and their parents during the second wave, after not going to school for more than 12 months.

“The partners who joined hands with VK in engaging with young parents and their wards, the jury members, the parents, and the youngsters all earned our praise and thanks,” he says.