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Bengaluru, June 10
Renowned playwright, actor and Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad, who left his indelible mark in the world of literature, theatre and cinema spanning five decades, passed away here on Monday after prolonged illness.
A multi-hyphenate personality, who often courted controversy for his fearless vocal stance on several issues, Karnad, 81, is survived by wife Saraswathi, son Raghu, a journalist and writer, and daughter Radha. Raghu said his father was suffering from lung-related illness.
A recipient of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, Karnad was one of the most important literary minds of the present era, who enriched the Indian literature with his seminal works in his native language Kannada.
He wrote, acted in and directed several plays and movies that earned critical acclaim. Karnad was also a well-known face in Kannada and Hindi cinema, ranging from parallel films such as “Samskara”, “Nishant” and “Manthan”, to commercial outings such as “Tiger Zinda Hai” and “Shivaay”.
In deference to Karnad’s wishes, the family had decided not to follow any religious ceremonies or accept state honours during cremation.
Declaring a holiday on Monday, the CM’s office also announced a three-day state mourning.
Karnad was born in Maharashtra in 1938. The family shifted to Karnataka and its inclination to dramatic arts laid the foundation for his future in the literary world. He had played the role in “Malgudi Days” as Swami’s father. He also hosted popular science show “Turning Point” on DD.
Uncompromising in his beliefs, Karnad was among the 600 theatre personalities who had signed a letter ahead asking people to “vote BJP and its allies” out of power, arguing that the idea of India and its Constitution were under threat. He had criticised Nobel laureate VS Naipaul for his controversial views on Muslims in India, saying he had no idea of the community’s contribution to the country’s history. — PTI
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