Girish Raghunath Karnad, veteran playwright, actor, filmmaker, and theatre personality, passed away on June 10, 2019.
Photo: The Hindu Archives
The 81-year-old died at his residence in Bengaluru. He is survived by his wife Saraswathy Ganapathy and two children.
Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy
Born into a Konkani family in what was then Bombay Presidency, Karnad grew up in Sirsi and Dharwad in Karnataka.
He later settled in Bengaluru.
Photo: The Hindu Archives
He was a prominent theatre personality of the 60s and 70s, a period regarded as the Renaissance of Indian theatre.
He worked with themes of mythology and history, giving them contemporary relevance.
Photo: The Hindu Archives
Karnad made his cinema debut (acting and screenwriting) in 1970 in the critically-acclaimed Kannada movie 'Samskara', based on U. R. Anantamurthy's novel by the same name.
Photo: Special Arrangement
Karnad also worked in Hindi cinema. He directed the critically acclaimed Utsav (1984).
His other Hindi movies include Nishaant (1975), Manthan (1976), Swami (1977) and Pukar (2000).
Photo: Special Arrangement
In recent years, Karnad appeared in Iqbal (2005), Dor (2006), Ek Tha Tiger(2012) and Tiger Zinda Hai (2017).
Photo: K. Gopinathan
A social and political activist, he often spoke out against hate politics and for freedom of expression.
In this file photo, Karnad is seen with writer Arundhati Roy and social activist Mahasweta Devi addressing a press conference under the Forum for the Protection of Free Speech and Expression in support of Taslima Nasreen in 2008.
Photo: V. Sudershan.
At an event marking one year of journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder, Karnad held a placard that read "Me Too Urban Naxal."
Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy
In this image, Karnad is seen during the condolence meeting for senior Kannada writer and former vice-chancellor of Kannada University M. M. Kalburgi, who was shot dead in Dharwad in 2015.
Photo: K. Murali Kumar
Karnad during a protest in 2016, against the arrest of JNU student leader Kanhaiah Kumar, in Bengaluru.
Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash
His last rites will be held at Kalpalli crematorium in Bengaluru. The family has said that it will be a simple funeral without any form of ostentation or ritual, in keeping with his wish.
The Karnataka Government has declared a holiday for schools and colleges and three-day State mourning in Karnad's honour.
Photo: M. Vedhan
He is a recipient of the
Jnanpith award (1998), the highest literary award conferred in the country. He is also a recipeint of the Padma Bhushan (1992),
Padma Shri (1974),
Sahitya Academy award (1994), and
Sangeet Natak Academy award (1972).
In this file photo, Karnad is at the 34th Jnanpith award ceremony in 1999 in New Delhi.
Photo: PTI
He served as
Director, Film and Television Institute of India (1974–1975)
Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of the Performing Arts (1988–93).
Photo: S. Arneja
A Rhodes and Fullbright scholar, Karnad has written numerous plays in Kannada and is one of Kannada's foremost playwrights.
He wrote his first play 'Yayati' at 23 years of age, while he was still studying at Oxford.
Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash
His other notable Kannada plays are 'Hayavadana', 'Nagamandala', 'Tughlaq', 'Agni Mattu Male', 'Odakalu Bimba', 'Tipuvina Kanasugalu'.
His works are translated into English and multiple Indian languages.
Photo: K. Murali Kumar
His directorial debut was with Vamsha Vriksha (1971), based on a Kannada novel by S. L. Bhyrappa. He co-directed the movie with B. V. Karanth.
Photo: Special Arrangement
