Girish Karnad is an Indian playwright, screenwriter, director, actor and Rhodes Scholar, who predominantly works in South Indian cinema and Bollywood. He has been conferred with the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan, India’s fourth and third highest civilian honours respectively. In addition, he has received several prestigious awards in his career, including the National Film Award, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the Karnataka Ratna.
Born on May 19, 1938, in Matheran, Maharashtra, India, Girish Karnad was the eldest of three children born to Rao Saheb Karnad and Krishna Bai Mankekar. His father was a doctor who had served in the Indian Army Medical Corps during World War II. His mother was a homemaker. His younger sister, Saraswathi, is a retired professor of English from the University of Mumbai and his brother, Raghunath, is a retired professor of physics from the University of Pune.
Girish Karnad completed his primary and secondary education in Mumbai. He then attended Derozio College in Kolkata and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and political science from Karnataka University in Dharwad. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Lincoln College, Oxford, where he completed his Master of Arts degree in philosophy, politics and economics.
Girish Karnad began his career as a playwright in the 1960s. His plays have been staged in India and abroad and have been translated into several languages. He has also written screenplays for several films, including the critically acclaimed Kannada film, Vamsha Vriksha (1971). He made his directorial debut with the Kannada film, Samskara (1970), which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada. He has also acted in a number of films and television series.
Girish Karnad has been married to Saraswathi Ganapathy since 1969. The couple has two children – a son, Raghu Karnad, who is a writer and journalist, and a daughter, Radha, who is an architect.
Girish Karnad has been conferred with the Padma Shri (1974) and the Padma Bhushan (1992) by the Government of India. He has also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1974), the Karnataka Ratna (1995) and the Jnanpith Award (1998), among others.
General Info
Full Name
Girish Karnad
Profession
Actor, Playwright, Poet, Author, Film director, Screenwriter
Education
Karnatak College Dharwar, Karnatak University, University of Oxford, Lincoln College, Oxford
Nationality
Indian
Family
Spouse
Saraswathy Ganapathy
Children
Raghu Amay Karnad, Shalmali Radha Karnad
Parents
Krishna Bai Mankeekara, Rao Saheb Dr. Karnad
Accomplishments
Awards
Jnanpith Award, Padma Bhushan, National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada, National Film Award for Best Direction, National Film Award for Best Screenplay, Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay, Filmfare Award for Best Director – Kannada, National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film, Natio...
Nominations
Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, Filmfare Award for Best Story
Without Malice started on July 22 1998 on Star Plus. it covers 50 years of Independent India.The show has been conceived and directed by K. Bikram Singh and is anchored by veteran stage personality and actor Girish Karnand and Meenakshi Rani.
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Daughter Radha appeared in the film Umbartha as a child.
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Son named Raghu Amay Karnad.
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Daughter Shalmali Radha Karnad is a world famous doctor.