Girish Karnad was a pillar of Navya movement

Bengaluru: Renowned playwright, actor and Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad, who left his indelible mark in the world of literature, theatre and cinema passed away at his residence on Monday morning after prolonged illness.

From Yayati, the first play he wrote, to his last, Rakshasa Tangadi,  based on the last years of the Vijayanagara empire, he both entertained and evoked awe for the quality of his literary style. His plays like Tughlag, Hayavadana, Naga-Mandala, Taledanda and many others are recognised as one of the main pillars of the Navya literary movement.

While numerous works brought him fame, he found time for acting and screenwriting too, making his debut in Samskara, based on a book by legendary Kannada writer U.R. Ananthamurthy. The film won the National award for best feature film.

Karnad’s directorial debut, Vamsha Vriksha, was co-directed by another giant,  B.V. Karanth.

While remaining a prominent face of parallel cinema,  Karnad was  also popular in commercial mainstream films across various languages. In Tamil films, his most popular role was that of  a Governor in Kadhalan  starring the dancing sensation, Prabhudeva and actress, Nagma. He also worked with Tamil superstars, Rajinikanth and  Kamal Hassan besides several prominent actors. His last appearance was in Tiger Zinda Hai.

Those familiar with the TV series Malgudi Days,  will remember him for his role as the father of the little boy, Swami.