Noted actor Girish Karnad passes away at 81, tributes follow
On Monday, noted actor and accomplished playwright Girish Karnad passed away. He was 81. He was suffering from a prolonged illness and breathed his last at his residence in Bengaluru. Karnad was awarded the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Jnanpith award and also won four Filmfare awards. He won three Filmfare awards for best direction and one for best screenplay. Here's more.
Karnad was born in 1938
Karnad was born in Maharashtra in 1938. His mother, Krishnabai née Mankikar, was a young widow when she met Dr. Raghunath Karnad. Since there was a stigma attached to widow remarriages, Dr. Karnad and Krishnabai couldn't get married for five years. They finally exchanged vows under the dispensation of Arya Samaj. Karnad was the third child among his four siblings.
Karnad studied at Oxford University
Karnad was extremely well-educated. He completed his graduation in Mathematics and Statistics from Karnataka University. After that, he went to the prestigious Oxford University to study Philosophy, Politics, and Economics as a Rhodes scholar. In 1963, he became the president of Oxford Union.
Karnad preferred writing plays in Kannada
Karnad's affair with cinema started after he got close to a theater group called "The Madras Players". Post that, he never looked back. He wrote numerous plays in Kannada, the language he preferred. His plays were translated in several languages, including English. From 1974 to 1975, Karnad served as FTII director and was the Chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi from 1988 to 1993.
Karnad acted in 'Malgudi Days', 'Iqbal', and 'Ek Tha Tiger'
The millennial bunch will remember Karnad for his role as Swami's father in the TV adaptation of RK Narayan's Malgudi Days. Apart from Kannada movies, he also acted in various Bollywood movies. He played the role of a ruthless coach in Nagesh Kukunoor's Iqbal and became a top spy in Salman Khan's Ek Tha Tiger and its sequel Tiger Zinda Hai.
Karnad stood up for issues which mattered to him
Karnad also believed in raising his voice for issues which mattered to him. Despite falling ill, he took part in protests against the government and advocated freedom of expression. After learning of his demise, former Chief Minister of Karnataka Sadananda Gowda tweeted, "His contribution to the Saraswat world is vast. Let us pray in the Lord that peace be to the soul. (sic)"
