Girish Karnad was a noted Indian playwright and actor. He predominantly worked in South Indian Cinema. He rose to fame as a playwright in the 1960s. He worked in Cinema for over a period of four decades. In 1998, he received Jnanpith Award, the highest literary honor conferred in India.
Girish Karnad Bio/Wiki
| Name | Girish Raghunath Karnad |
| Nick name | Girish. |
| Profession(s) | Actor, Kannada Writer, Playwright and Director |
| Date of Birth | 19 May 1938 |
| Zodiac/Sun Sign | Taurus |
| Birth Place | Bombay Presidency, British India |
| Date of Death | 10 June 2019 |
| Place of Death | He died at his residence on Lavelle Road in Bengaluru at 6.30 am |
| Age(at the time of death) | 81 Years |
| Death Cause | Multiple-organ failure |
| Home town | Bengaluru, India |
| Parents/ Father | Late Rao Saheb Dr Karnad |
| Mother | Late Krishna Bai Mankeekara |
| Brother | Not Known |
| Sister | Sisters- 2 Names Not Known |
Personal Life
| School | Government School. |
| College / University | Karnatak Arts College, Dharwad, Karnataka University Magdalen College, University of Oxford, England |
| Education Qualification | Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Statistics Master of Arts in Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) |
| Contact number | Not Known |
| Address | Bangalore, India |
| Religion | Christianity. |
| Caste | Kannada Brahmin. |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Car | Not Known |
| Hobbies | Reading, Writing, Listening to soft music, Yoga |
| Debut | Play Screenwriting: ‘Maa Nishaadha’ (1960) Kannada Film & Screenwriting: ‘Samskara’ (1970)Direction: ‘Vamsha Vriksha’ (1971) TV: ‘Malgudi Days’ (1987) |
| Awards, Honours | For Literature 1), Sangeet Natak Akademi award & Varthur navya Award- 1972 2), Padma Shri- 1974 3), Padma Bhushan- 1992 4), Kannada Sahitya Parishat Award- 1992 5), Sahitya Academy Award- 1994 6), Jnanpith Award- 1998 7), Kalidas Samman- 1998 8), University of Southern California, Los Angeles- 2011 National Film Awards 1), Best Direction: Vamsha Vriksha (with B. V. Karanth)- 1971 2), Best Feature Film in Kannada: Vamsha Vriksha- 1971 3), Best Feature Film in Kannada: Tabbaliyu Neenade Magazine- 1977 4), Best Screenplay: Bhumika (with Shyam Benegal and Satyadev Dubey)- 1978 5), Best Feature Film in Kannada: Ondanondu Kaladalli- 1978 6), Best Non-Feature Film: Kanaka Purandara- 1989 7), Best Non-feature Film on Social Issues: The Lamp in the Niche- 1990 8), Best Film on Environment Conservation: Cheluvi- 1992 9), Best Feature Film in Kannada: Kaanuru Heggadathi- 1999 Filmfare Awards South 1), Best Director for the Kannada film: Vamsha Vriksha- 1972 2), Best Director for the Kannada film: Kaadu- 1974 3), Best Actor for the Kannada film: Ananda Bhairavi- 1983 Filmfare Awards Hindi 1), Best Screenplay Award: Godhuli (with B. V. Karanth)- 1980 Other Awards/Honours 1), Honorary Doctorate from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles- 2011 |
Marital Status/Affairs
| Marital Status | Married |
| Affairs | Not Known |
| Wife/Spouse | Dr. Saraswathy Ganapathy |
| Children | Son- Raghu Karnad Daughter- Not Known |
Salary/Networth
| Salary | Not Known |
| Networth | Rs. 80 Crore Indian Rupees |
Physical Status
| Height | In centimeters- 175 cm In meters- 1.75 m In feet inches- 5’ 9” |
| Weight | In Kilograms- 80 kg In Pounds- 176 lbs |
| Figure | 40-30-34. |
| Shoe size | 9 |
| Hair color | Salt & Pepper |
| Eyes color | Dark Brown |
| Skin color | Wheatish |
Girish Karnad Favorites
| Favorite food | Kanda Batata Poha’, ‘Misal Pav’, Vada-Pav’, ‘Aloo Methi’, ‘Lacha Parantha’, ‘Sabutdana Khichdi’ |
| Favorite Song | Not Known |
| Favorite Actor | Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Govinda, Puneet Raj Kumar, Diganth |
| Favorite Actress | Rekha, Hema Malini, Arundathi Nag, Bharathi Vishnuvardhan, Jayanthi |
| Favorite Sport | Cricket |
| Favorite Place | Not Known |
| Favorite Movie | Not Known |
| Favorite Colours | Grey, Black, Brown, Blue |
Social Media Accounts
| https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/girishkarnad/ | |
| https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Communit | |
| https://twitter.com/hashtag/girishkarnad |
Girish Karnad Some Lesser-Known Facts
- Does Girish Karnad Drink alcohol: Not Known
- Does Girish Smoke?: Yes
- He is an Actor, Kannada Writer, Playwright, and Director by Profession(s)
- Girish Karnad was born in Matheran, Maharashtra and brought up in Karnataka.
- He belonged to Saraswat Brahmin Konkani Family.
- He started his career in 1960.
- He is well known for his work in the South Indian movies and Bollywood.
- In 1964, he came into the limelight from his play ‘Tughlaq’
- His work as the Swami’s Father in ‘Malgudi Days’ (1987) was highly appreciated by the viewers in India.
- He first met his wife at a party when he was working at the Oxford University Press in Madras on his return from England to India and got married to her at the age of 42.
- He is fond of writing plays, literature, stories, poems, etc.
- His plays were written in Kannada and have been translated into English and other Indian languages.