BENGALURU: Veteran playwright, actor and Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad passed away in his sleep on Monday morning around 8.30 am. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Saraswathi Ganaapthy, son Raghu Karnad and daughter Shalmali Radha. Karnad had been ill for some time.
Shalmali, who was about to fly to Kenya, went to bid him farewell and realised that he was no more. As news of his death spread, the state government declared three days of mourning as well as a holiday on Monday for schools, colleges and government offices.
A few well-wishers and friends visited the family at their residence in Lavelle road while others paid their respects at the Kalpalli cemetery at 2 pm, when he was laid to rest. Per his wishes,there were no state honours or rituals. Karnad, after graduating from Karnatak University in 1958, went to Oxford where he wrote his first play ‘Yayati’ in 1961 and later wrote ‘Tughlaq’ in 1964. In 1970, he entered the world of films through Samskara which won the first President’s Golden Lotus Award for Kannada cinema in 1971.
The same year, he also co-directed SL Bhyrappa’s novel Vamsha Vriksha along with B.V. Karanth. Some of Karnad’s well-known plays include Hayavadana, Anjumallige, Hittina Hunja, Nagamandala, Agni mattu Male, Tipu Sultana Kanda Kansau and Odakalu Bimba.
His plays, written in Kannada have been translated to English and several Indian languages.
Karnad is a recipient of the Padmashri and the Padma Bhushan awards. In 1998, he received the Jnanapeetha award, making him the seventh from the state to be selected for the honour.