BENGALURU : Anational-award winning filmmaker, Sahitya Akademi winning author and playwright... P Lankesh was among the finest Kannada writers. The good news for bibliophiles is that his written works are soon going to be turned into audio books. The initiative, by son Indrajit Lankesh, is an effort to make his father’s work reach the younger generation. “My father’s books have always been versatile and is relevant to any generation. The digital format is to make his works live on in a format that is appealing to the younger generation,” says the filmmaker, who, in recent times, has turned whistleblower, making sensational drug addiction charges against actors.
Lankesh had written around 20 books, including novels, plays, prose and poetry. Some of his popular works are Kallu Karaguva Samaya Mattu Ithara Kathegalu, Hulimavina Mara, Sankranti and many more. Indrajit says out of those 20 books, around 10 have already been dubbed. “For the rest, I am in talks with senior actors from Sandalwood for the dubbing. What I am looking for is a voice that will the suit the character,” says Indrajit, who adds that all the audio books will be available in an app, which will be free to access. Each story will not be more than 10 minutes long.
Lankesh’s books have influenced many, including his son, who admits that he was always in awe of his father’s works. “My favourite from his list of books are Hulimavina Mara, which is his autobiography, and Sankranti, based on the life of Basavanna, the 12th century philosopher from Karnataka,” says
Lankesh junior, adding that no one else could have told Basavanna’s story the way his father did.
Lankesh’s works have been influential so much so that they are a part of the syllabi in many schools . So far, only two of his books are available as English translations, Kallu Karaguva Samaya, which in English is called When Stone Melts, and Sankranti, the English translation of which is Other Stories. However, many of his works have also been translated into Tamil and Hindi.