Girish Karnad was a legend, an actor, filmmaker, writer, playwright, and activist. He touched many aspects of society through his work and remains one of the most respected and loved individuals of his time. Some of his notable works include films like “Samskara,” “Vamsha Vriksha,” “Manthan,” “Swami,” “Utsav,” TV shows like “Turning Point,” “Malgudi Days,” and plays like “Yayati” and “Tughlaq.”
Early Life
Girish Karnad was born on May 19, 1938, in Matheran, Maharashtra. He belonged to a Konkani-speaking Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin family. His father, Dr. Raghunath Karnad, served as a doctor in the Bombay Medical Services. Karnad’s mother Krishnabai, a young widow with a son, worked as a nurse and cook for Dr. Raghunath Karnad’s bedridden wife. Her marriage to Dr. Karnad in a union that defied social prejudices against widow remarriage of the time. She married Raghunath after five years, with the Arya Samaj’s approval, as bigamy was legal until 1956.
The family moved to Sirsi, Karnataka, exposing Girish to Natak Mandalis, traveling theatre groups. His parents admired Yakshagana, a traditional dance-theatre form. At 14, they relocated to Dharwad, Karnataka. Girish’s early exposure to theatre sparked his interest. He often sketched famous personalities like T.S. Eliot and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, seeking their autographs.
Education
Girish’s early schooling was in Marathi medium. He studied at Karnataka Arts College, Dharwad, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Statistics in 1958. His passion for theatre grew during college. In 1960, he secured a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University. In 1962, he was elected president of the Oxford Union. He earned a Master of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics by 1963.
It was during his time at Oxford that he penned his first play, “Yayati (1961).” The play set the tone for his future works by intertwining mythological themes with contemporary issues. Girish returned to India and joined Oxford University Press in Chennai from 1963 to 1970. After he left his job to join the theatre group The Madras Players.
Debut and Early Career
The 1960s marked Girish Karnad’s rise as a playwright with works like Tughlaq (1964). His plays, often written in Kannada and translated into English, were not just literary pieces but also vehicles for social commentary, reflecting Karnad’s deep engagement with the socio-political issues of his time.
Girish Karnad’s craft centered on blending history and mythology with contemporary themes. His plays like Yayati (1961) and Tughlaq (1964) used ancient stories to reflect modern dilemmas. Tughlaq portrays the 14th-century Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq’s idealism and downfall, symbolizing political failures. Nagamandala (1988) weaves Kannada folk tales into a metaphor for modern marriage. Girish wrote primarily in Kannada, translating many works into English himself.
“Hayavadana (1971),” “Anjumallige (1977),” “Hittina Hunja (1980),” “Taledanda” (1990), “Agni Mattu Male” (1995), “Tipu Sultan Kanda Kanasu” “Odakalu Bimba” (2006), “Maduve Album” (2006), “Flowers” (2012), “Benda Kaalu on Toast” (2012), and “Rakshasa Tangadi” (2018) are some of his other plays.
Cinamatic Journey of Girish Karnad
Girish Karnad’s foray into cinema was as remarkable as his theatrical work. He wrote the screenplay and starred in “Samskara,” a film that challenged caste discrimination. He portrayed a conflicted Brahmin facing caste dilemmas. The film, based on U.R. Ananthamurthy’s novel, tackled caste issues. It won the President’s Golden Lotus Award for Kannada Cinema. His minimalist acting, especially in a scene where he watches a companion kill a cobra, drew attention.
Karnad’s directorial debut, “Vamsha Vriksha” (1971), co-directed with B.V. Karanth, is a seminal work in Kannada cinema. The film, based on a novel by S.L. Bhyrappa, explores the themes of tradition and modernity through the life of a young widow. “Kaadu” (1973), a stark and powerful tale set in the forests of Karnataka, is another film that stands out in Karnad’s filmography.
Another notable Kannada film directed by Karnad is Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane (1977), adapted from a novel by S.L. Bhyrappa. The film delves into the complexities of rural Indian life and the clash between traditional values and modernity. Karnard’s next, Ondanondu Kaladalli (Once Upon a Time’) (1978), is a period drama set in mediaeval India.
Actor, Director, Writer and much more
Karnad’s contributions to Hindi cinema are equally significant. Nishaant (1975), directed by Shyam Benegal, features Karnad in a powerful role that confronts the feudal system and its atrocities. The film, landmark in the parallel cinema movement in India, won a National Film Award. In Shyam Benegal’s “Manthan” (1976), Karnad plays a key role in a story inspired by the White Revolution of India. The film is a tribute to the cooperative movement in the Indian dairy sector. His role in Malgudi Days (1986), a TV series based on R.K. Narayan’s stories, gained him widespread recognition. He portrayed W.T. Srinivasan, Swami’s father, in the first eight episodes.
In 1992, he directed “Cheluvi,” a magical realist tale of a woman who can transform into a flowering tree. The film is a poignant exploration of femininity and nature. The film also had mystical elements that often feature in Karnad’s work.
Some of his other notable films are Basu Chatrjee’s “Swami (1977),” “Jeevan Mukt (1977),” “Sandharbha (1978),” “Sampark (1979),” “Ratnadeep (1979),” “Aasha (1980),” “Man Pasand (1980),” “Shama (1981),” “Umbartha (1982),” “Teri Kasam (1982),” “Ananda Bhairavi (1983),” “Anveshane (1982),” “Tarang (1984),” “Meri Jung (1985),” “Neela Kurinji Poothappo (1986),Antarnaad (1991),” “China Gate (1998),” “Kadhal Mannan (1998),” and many more.
Karnad’s presence in contemporary cinema was also significant, with roles in popular films like “Pukar” (2000), Hey Ram (2000), Iqbal (2005), Dor (2006), Aashayen (2009), “Ek Tha Tiger” (2012), and its sequel “Tiger Zinda Hai” (2017), where he played the head of the Indian intelligence agency RAW. These films brought Karnad’s talent to a new generation of viewers.
Girish Karnad The Legend
Karnad is the recipient of ten National Film Awards. He also get four Filmfare South, three Filmfare Hindi, and six Karnataka State Film Awards. For his contributions to the arts, Karnad was honoured with some of India’s highest civilian awards, including the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan.
He received the Kannada Sahitya Parishat Award (1992), the Sahitya Academy Award (1994), and the Kalidas Samman Award in 1998. In 1999, he gets the Jnanpith Award, the highest literary honour in India, recognising his enduring impact on Indian literature and theatre. Girish served as director of the Film and Television Institute of India (1974–1975), chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi (1988–1993), and director of the Nehru Centre in London (2000–2003). He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Southern California in 2011.
Girish Karnad maintained ties with intellectuals like A.K. Ramanujan, his mentor at Oxford University Press. Girish’s correspondence with figures like Satyajit Ray and Peter Brook, preserved in archives, reflects his cultural influence.
He voiced A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in the audiobook Wings of Fire. Girish narrated stories as Karadi the Bear for Karadi Tales, a children’s audiobook series. He hosted the science magazine Turning Point on Doordarshan in 1991. As an activist, he opposed religious fundamentalism, supported free speech, and held a “Me Too Urban Naxal” placard at a 2018 event for Gauri Lankesh. In 2012, at the Tata Literary Festival, he stirred controversy by criticizing V.S. Naipaul’s views on Indian Muslims.
Personal Life
Girish met Saraswathy Ganapathy at a party while working at Oxford University Press in Chennai. They fell in love but formalized their marriage a decade later, in 1980, when Girish was 42. The couple had two children: a daughter, Shalmali Radha, and a son, Raghu Amay. Raghu later became a journalist. Girish settled in Bengaluru, where he lived until his death. He passed away on June 10, 2019, at 81, due to multi-organ failure at his Bengaluru residence. His last rites took place at Kalpalli crematorium.
Girish Karnad’s legacy continues to inspire artists and thinkers across the nation and beyond. His work championed the idea of a diverse and inclusive India, and his voice remains a powerful force in the cultural discourse of the country.
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