Chitraloka.com is an Indian website focused on the Kannada film industry. Launched on 26 June 2000 by K. M. Veeresh,[citation needed] it was the first dedicated online portal for Kannada cinema. The website provides news, updates, and features on Kannada films and is available in both English and Kannada.[1] Alongside Viggy.com, it was among the few websites in the early 2000s regularly covering Kannada cinema.[2]
History
K. M. Veeresh, a photographer and journalist, conceived the idea for Chitraloka.com during a vacation in Singapore, where he struggled to access updates on Kannada cinema. After acquiring a personal computer, he aimed to create a website to serve news on Kannada cinema, primarily for Kannada-speaking audiences overseas, particularly in the Gulf and the United States. Initially, he faced challenges in sourcing software that could support Kannada script.[1] The website was launched in 1999, with Parvathamma Rajkumar present at the event.[3][1]
On its launch day, the website recorded 13,664 visits.[citation needed] In its early years, the website was primarily operated by Veeresh himself, with support from journalist colleagues as needed.[1] During the kidnapping of Rajkumar, Chitraloka.com provided comprehensive updates on the incident.[4] Initially updated biweekly, the website's content is now refreshed frequently.[3]
In 2009, Chitraloka.com was recognized by the Limca Book of Records for showcasing 3,000 Kannada film stills, ranging from Sati Sulochana (1935) to Namyajamanru (2009).[5] In 2020, the website's YouTube channel received the Silver Creator Award, making it one of the few Kannada-language channels to achieve this distinction.[6]
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