Noted playwright-actor Girish Karnad passes away at 81

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 Monday morning after prolonged illness, official sources said.

A multi-hyphenate personality, who often courted controversies for his vocal stance, Karnad, 81, is survived by wife Saraswathi, son Raghu Karnad, a journalist and writer, and daughter Radha.

"He breathed his last around 8 am... and had been suffering with ailments including breathing problem for some time now," sources close to Karnad's family said.

A recipient of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, Karnad was one of the most important literary minds of the present era.

He had acted in and directed several plays and movies that earned critical acclaim.

Karnad's plays, written in Kannada, have been translated into English and several other Indian languages.

According to family sources, his last rites will be held at Kalpali electric crematorium in the city later in the day.

As per his wishes, the family has decided not to follow any religious ceremonies and accept state honours during funeral, they said.

The family has also requested his fans and dignitaries who want to pay last respects to directly come to crematorium as they want it to keep it private.

Declaring a holiday on Monday as a mark of respect to Karnad, the Chief Minister's office in a statement also announced a three-day state mourning.

The CMO said Karnad will also receive state honours, which is in line with respect given to other Jnanpith awardees in the past.

Condoling the death of Karnad, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said, "We have lost a cultural ambassador."
BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa in a tweet said, "Saddened to hear the demise of veteran actor-playwright and jnanapeeta awardee Sri Girish Karnad. My deepest condolences to @RKarnad and his family."
Calling Naipaul an unreliable writer of non-fiction as far as India was concerned, Karnad had said, "He really doesn't pay much attention to the details of the texts he studies."