Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday condoled the demise of veteran playwright and actor Girish Karnad.
“Saddened to learn about passing away of iconic actor, litterateur, playwright, Padma Shri #GirishKarnad. He will be missed in the world of literature and cinema. May his soul rest in peace,” tweeted Patnaik.
Karnad, a celebrated actor, playwright and filmmaker, died at 81 today after a prolonged illness. He died at a hospital in Bengaluru at 6.30 am.
Born on May 19, 1938, in Mumbai (then Bombay Presidency), his works includes plays like “Yayati”, “Hayavadana” and “Tughlaq”, all of which he wrote in Kannada and then translated to English, losing none of the beauty and poignancy of the original texts.
A multifaceted personality, Karnad has acted in several plays and movies that have received critical acclamation.
A recipient of the Jnanpith award, Karnad was also conferred the Padma Shri in 1974 and the Padma Bhushan in 1992. He was also a Rhodes Scholar from Oxford University, in the 1960s that earned him his Master of Arts degree in Philosophy, Political Science and Economics.
