Photo: Srtejaswi at English Wikipedia / GFDL (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Girish Karnad is a giant I find genuinely humbling. His Kannada plays in the 1960s signaled the maturation of modern Indian drama, and he carried that authority across playwriting, acting, directing, and translation. A Rhodes Scholar and Fulbright recipient, a Jnanpith and Padma Bhushan honoree, he fused scholarship, performance, and storytelling at a level almost nobody sustains. Works like Hayavadana and Tale Danda will outlast the man who died in 2019. What moves me is the breadth without dilution: he could be intellectual and theatrical at once. I rank him among the truly serious artists of his century.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Girish Karnad
- Name (Japanese)
- ギリーシュ・カルナド
- Reading
- ぎりーしゅ・かるなど
- Born
- May 19, 1938 – June 10, 2019
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Tiger
- Origin
- Matheran, Maharashtra, India
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- author / stage actor / translator / screenwriter / film director
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Karnatak University
Awards & achievements
- 1998 Jnanpith Award
- 1992 Padma Bhushan
- 1994 Sahitya Akademi Award in Kannada
- 1974 Padma Shri in arts
- 1972 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
- 1960 Rhodes Scholarship
- 1987 Fulbright Scholarship
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Tale Danda | — | |
| Notable work | Hayavadana (Play) | — |
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girish%20Karnad
Frequently asked questions
When was Girish Karnad born?
May 19, 1938 – June 10, 2019.
Where is Girish Karnad from?
Girish Karnad is from Matheran, Maharashtra, India.
What does Girish Karnad do?
Girish Karnad works as author, stage actor, translator, screenwriter, film director.
What is Girish Karnad known for?
Notable works include Tale Danda, Hayavadana (Play).
Author — see all → · Stage actor — see all → · More people from India →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.