Girish Karnad (born 19 May 1938) is an Indian Actor, Writer, Playwright and Director from Matheran, India. He was associated with Bollywood and South Indian Cinema. Furthermore, Girish rose as a playwright in 1960.
He created plays in the Kannada language and used themes from history and mythology. Also, the full royal birth name of him “ Girish Raghunath Karnad ”.
Actually, Karnad was acclaimed for translating the works into the language. His works in Kannada are “Yayati”, “Agni Mattu Male”, “Tipu Sultan Kanda Kanasu” and “Flowers”. As an actor, he did movies like “Sankar Dada MBBS”, “Dor”, “Iqbal”, “Tiger Zinda Hai” Shivaay”, “24” and “Sweety Nanna Jodi”.
However, the great playwright passed away on June 10, 2019, due to illness. Girish was in Bengaluru, Karnataka at the time of his death. Yesterday, Mr. Karnard faced shortness of breath and was later admitted to the hospital.
HD Kumaraswamy (Chief Minister, Karnataka), Amitav Ghosh and Ramanth Kovind (President, India) paid tributes on his death. They remembered his contribution to the Indian film industry.
Early Life, Parents and Parents
Girish Karnad was born on the 19th of May 1938 ( age 81 years old) in Matheran, Maharashtra (India). He is the third son of Krishnabai Karnad (mother) and Dr. Raghunath Karnad (father).
Also, her mother met her father when she went for medical training at Bombay Medical Services. However, they were initially unable to marry due to the problem of remarrying the widow. Soon, Arya Samaj granted them permission to get married. Girish did her primary education in the Marathi milieu.
Afterwards, he lived in Sirsi and Dharwad City, Karnataka. Meanwhile, she studied at the Karnataka Arts College and earned a BA in Mathematics and Statistics. She toured many places through the different theater groups. Girish went to England to pursue her higher education at Oxford University.
In addition, he obtained his degree in Political Philosophy and Economics. He was honored as a Rhodes Scholar by the University. Girish later received his Master’s in Economics, Politics and Philosophy.
Marriage, Spouse and Children
He met his wife Saraswathy Ganapathy at Oxford University Press. In addition, the couple had two children. Raghu Karnard is one of them. In fact, the couple lived in Bangalore with their spouse and children.
Quick information and curiosities
| Lifestyle/Biography | |
|---|---|
| Full real birth name | Girish Raghunath Karnad. |
| Nickname | girish. |
| Profession | Kannada actor, writer, playwright and director |
| in the news for | He died on June 10, 2019 due to illness in Bangalore, India. |
| Age (as of 2019) | 81 years |
| Date of Birth (DOB), Birthday | May 19, 1938. |
| Birthplace/Hometown | Matheran, Maharashtra (India). |
| Nationality | Indian. |
| Gender | Male. |
| Sexuality (gay or lesbian) | Heterosexual |
| Social media statistics | Instagram : — Twitter : N/A. Facebook : — |
| Awards | 1. Sangeet Natak Academy (1972). 2. Padma Shri (1974). 3. Padma Bhushan (1992). 4. Kalidas Samman (1998). 5. National Award for Best Kannada Film “Kaanuru Heggadathi” (1999). 6. Honorary degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (2011). |
| star sign (zodiac sign) | Taurus. |
| Breed | Kannada Brahmin. |
| Date of death | June 10, 2019. |
| Because | Illness. |
| Place | Bangalore, Karnataka (India). |
| Religion | Christendom. |
| Current residence | Bangalore, Karnataka (India). |
| filmography | |
| Kannada plays | 1. Maa Nishaadha. 2. Yayati (1961). 3. Hayavadana (1972). 4. Nagamandala (1988). 5. Agni mattu Male (1995). 6. Maduve album (2006). 7. Flowers (2012). |
| Films | 1. Samskara (1970). 2.Manthan (1976). 3. Ratnadeep (1979). 4. Apne Paraye (1980). 5. Ek Baar Chale Aao (1983). 6. Kaadina Benki (1988). 7. Antarnaad (1991). 8. Kanooru Heggadithi (1999). 9.Iqbal (2005). 10. Zinda Hai Tiger (2017). |
| other duties | 1. President of the Film and Television Institute of India (1974). 2. Visiting faculty, University of Chicago. 3. Sangeet Natak Akademi (President). 4. Minister of Culture, High Commission of India in London, 2000. |
| Physical Statistics | |
| height (height) | Feet inches: 5′ 8″ . Centimeters: 173cm . Meters: 1.73 meters . |
| Weight | Kilograms: 70kg . Pounds: 154 pounds . |
| bicep size | 10 inches. |
| Body measurements (chest-waist-hips) | 40-30-34. |
| Shoe Size (US) | 9. |
| Details of the tattoos? | Will update. |
| eye color | Black. |
| Hair color | White. |
| Family | |
| Fathers | Father : Dr. Raghunath Karnad. Mom : Krishnabai Karnad. |
| Brothers | Brother: — Sister: — |
| Family members | Grandfather: Uncle: |
| personal life relationship | |
| Marital status | Single |
| wedding date | — |
| Dating history? | Not known. |
| Girlfriend | — |
| Name of wife/spouse | Saraswathy Ganapathy. |
| Kids | Son: Raghu Karnad. Daughter: Unknown. |
| Education | |
| Highest Rating | 1. BA in Mathematics and Statistics from Karnataka Arts College, University of Karnataka. 2. BA and MA in Philosophy, Economics and Politics from the University of Oxford. |
| College | Public school. |
| Alma mater | 1. Karnataka College of Arts, University of Karnataka. 2. University of Oxford. |
| Hobbies and favorite things | |
| favorite celebrity | Actor: Dilip Kumar. Actress: Saria Bano. |
| dream vacation destination | London. |
| Favorite color | Blue. |
| I love to do | Traveling and writing plays. |
| favorite dishes | South Indian food (Dosa/Idli). |
| Can | |
| Heritage (approx.) | Rs. 80 crore Indian rupees. |
| Salary, earnings and monthly income | Under review. |
| Contact details | |
| house details | House in Bangalore. |
| Official Web site | None. |
| Office address | None. |
| Email address | Will update. |
| Mobile or phone number | N/A |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Girish Karnad
- according to Lifestylepedia , Girish elected president of the Oxford Union.
- He was an employee of Oxford University Press, Chennai.
- In addition, Karnad visited the University of Chicago as a playwright and teacher.
- In fact, he was Director of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII, 1974-75).
- Girish took up the position of president at Sangeet Natak Akademi.
- In addition, he was appointed Minister of Culture of the Indian High Commission (London, 2000).
- He lent his voice to APJ Abdul Kalam (former President of India) audiobiography “The Wings of Fire”.
- Furthermore, he received various awards like Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1972), Padma Shri (1974), Padma Bhushan (1992), Sahitya Akademi Award (1994) and Jnanpith Award (1998).
- Money Factor : As per wealth details, Girish Karnad’s Estate is valued at Rs. 80 crore Indian rupees
- His contribution to the film industry earned him national awards and Filmfare awards.
- However, he had a verbal conflict with VS Naipaul during the Tata Art Festival, Mumbai.
- He criticized the organizers who honored Naipaul.
- Somehow, he condemned the demolition of Babri Masjid (1992).
- On the other hand, he strongly criticized Hindutva.
- Girish opposed the BJP and RSS approach to secularism.
- Still, he strongly opposed Narendra Modi’s nominee for the 2014 prime ministerial election.
- The 81-year-old said that Rabindra Nath Tagore was the second playwright and that his works were unbearable.
- Karnad received an honorary doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles.