Veteran actor, playwright, and director Girish Karnad passed away on Monday morning in Bengaluru, India. He was 81. Karnataka has declared a holiday for schools, colleges, and government offices in the state on Monday and three-day mourning until Wednesday as a mark of respect to Jnanpith awardee, multi-lingual actor and noted writer, an official from the Chief Minister’s Office said.
Girish Karnad Passed Away at the age of 81, Girish Karnad was born in Maharashtra on May 19, 1938. He got his Bachelor’s degree from the Karnataka University in 1958 and then proceeded on a fellowship to study at the Oxford where he secured his M.A. degree in 1963. At Oxford, Karnad studied philosophy, politics, and economics. He is survived by his wife Saraswathi, son Raghu Karnad, a journalist and writer and daughter Radha, a doctor based in Kenya.
Girish Karnad rose to fame with a Kannada play named Tughlaq which he had written at the age of 26. Karnad, known for his work in the field of literature and cinema, also became a renowned face in the country after essaying the role of Swami’s father in Malgudi Days TV series.
Girish Karnad was conferred with Padma Shri in 1974 and Padma Bhushan in 1992. For his outstanding contribution towards literature, Bharatiya Jnanpith also awarded him with Jnanpith, the highest Indian literary award in 1998, four years after winning the Sahitya Academy award in 1994.