Veteran Actor and Talented Playwright Girish Karnad Passes Away at 81
His passing away comes as a huge loss to Indian cinema and the world of Indian theatre. The actor was widely remembered for his role as Swami’s father in Malgudi days.
Indian actor, notable playwright and film director Girish Karnad passed away in his residence in Bengaluru early this morning due to a prolonged illness. He was 81.
His passing away comes as a huge loss to Indian cinema and the world of Indian theatre. The actor was widely remembered for his role as Swami’s father in Malgudi days. Who could forget how brilliantly he hosted the science show-‘Turning Point’ in Doordarshan in the 90s!
The playwright had a dynamic persona and proved his skills in writing, directing and acting. He earned a degree in Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and statistics from the Karnataka Arts College, Dharwad. He then earned a Master of Arts degree in philosophy, political science, and economics at Magdalen in Oxford. To his credit, he was elected as the president of the Oxford Union.
His love for theatre can be attributed to his exposure to theatre groups called ‘Natak Mandalis’ when he was pretty young. His parents were also interested in these plays. He became a great fan of local theatre form ‘Yakshagana’ which originated first in Udupi and Uttara Kannada. Early exposure to these theatre groups ultimately became the basis of his long contribution to Indian theatre and Indian cinema.
The talented writer wrote plays mostly in Kannada that were translated into different languages. Some of his noteworthy plays were ‘Yayati’, ‘Hayavadana’ ‘Tughlaq’ and ‘Taledanda.’ After contributing immensely to the world of theatre, it was time for the playwright to dabble in direction.
The first movie that he directed ‘Vamsha Vrikha’ became an instant hit and got him the National Film Award for Best Direction. He has acted in a number of Kannada and Hindi movies. He especially appeared in many of Nagesh Kukunoor’s films and one film that got him critics appreciation was film ‘Iqbal’ (2005) where he plays the role of a ruthless coach.
Despite being a talented playwright, writer and actor, Girish Karnad had his fair share of controversies for his bold vocal statements. The recipient of the highest literary award the ‘Jnanpith Award’ believed in freedom of expression and was completely against religious fundamentalism.
The state of Karnataka has declared three days mourning in honour of the man who made immense contributions to Kannada literature through his art and talent.