A well-known writer, playwright and actor, Girish Karnad (81), passed away early on Monday morning in Bengaluru. According to sources due to multiple-organ failure, the Jnanpith awardee succumbed at his residence on Lavelle Road in the city. He is considered to be one of the most prominent theatre personalities of the 60s & 70s and that was a period which was regarded to be the Renaissance of Indian theatre. He was born in May 1938.
He mostly worked with mythology as well as history and gave them a contemporary resonance in plays such as Tughlaq and Hayavadana. Rakshasa Tangadi that was published last year was his latest play. He was into film, theatre director and actor who made a name not only in parallel cinema but also in mainstream films in multiple languages. Acted in films like Manthan and Samskara he even directed Utsav and Kaadu.
For his views on Mysuru king Tipu Sultan, he often became the target of Hindutva right but is also regarded as a high public intellectual. He was given security by the State police in the aftermath of Gauri Lankesh murder as he was believed to be on the hit list of the gang that killed Gauri Lankesh.
In 1974 for his contributions to the theatre he was conferred the Padma Shri. The Government of India also honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1992, in recognition of his contributions to the arts.
Girish Karnad