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Internationally acclaimed playwright Girish Karnad's autobiography Adaadata Ayushya stands tall in the Kannada literary world. The writer tells Deepa Ganesh that autobiographies are of little worth if they do not seek to speak the truth

“Nenapugalannu nevarisuvudu” is a beautiful, lyrical phrase meaning “caressing memories”; the dreaminess of this utterance can douse the past in a romantic haze. But for Girish Karnad this poetic phrase is used as a disclaimer in his recently-released autobiography “Adaadata Ayushya.” One of the most definitive works of Kannada literature, “Adaadata Ayushya” is not merely a chronicle of events; rather it is a facing up to one's self. This unusual piece of literature sparkles with the bluntness of truth.

“If Dr. Madhumalathi Gune had turned up at the hospital the day when my mother went for an abortion, I wouldn't have existed” Karnad writes in the very first pages, offering the book to the memory of the doctor. The moment of shock and how it quietly altered one's notion of life, in a way, sets the tone for how the “self” is unravelled in the rest of the narrative.

Full report here Hindu

Girish Karnad's story, in his own words

The autobiography of Kannada playwright and Jnanpith Award winner Girish Karnad was released here on Sunday by Prajavani editor K.N. Shanth Kumar.

Titled Aadaadtha Ayushya (life moves on while playing), the book is Mr. Karnad's memoirs of the first half of his life. Its title has been inspired by Da.Ra. Bendre's famous lines, a release has said.

The memoirs run into 350 pages, and are divided into 11 chapters named after places where Mr. Karnad spent his life.

On the occasion, the playwright read out a section about his early life in the United Kingdom as a student, and his take on pub culture in Britain. Stating that the number of pubs in Britain was on a decline, he said: “A Britain without pubs is not Britain at all for me.”

Recalling his association with the publishers, Mr. Karnad said: “Manohara Grantha Mala published my first book in 1961 and 50 years later, my autobiography has been published by them.”

Antarangada Mrudanga, a compilation of essays by Narahalli Balasubramanya; Hole Makkalu, a novel by Bidarahalli Narasimhamurthy; and Na Badukalikke Ollepa, a collection of short plays with only two characters penned by Lohit Naiker; were also released by Mr. Kumar.

Full report here Hindu

Straight from the heart

It was a sight any author could be awed by. Inside PageTurners on MG Road, a young, interested audience attended an interactive session with an author whose age qualifies for senior citizenship. This is a testimony to the fact that Sudha Murty’s writing has indeed struck a chord with the young minds. Murty writes for children as well as for a general audience.

While she sipped on her welcome coffee, a surprising guest caught her unaware. Famous actor, playwright and director Girish Karnad joined the audience as he presented himself as an ardent fan of Sudha Murthy’s writing. Published by Penguin Books India, some of her cherished works are Wise And Otherwise, Dollar Bahu, Mahashweta, Gently Falls The Bakula and others.

A prolific writer that she is, Sudha Murty began writing at a very young age. “I started writing when I was seven years old. I used to write essays and short stories. I was 12 when I had my first published story. I grew up reading Chandamama. It was my bible,” she smiles.

Sudha Murty, who was influenced by Shivram Karanth and SL Bhyrappa, said:  “My writing, however, is simple. I write because I enjoy it. I don’t believe in delivering sermons, for I feel I am not significant enough to do so.”

Full report here New Indian Express

The play of languages

Girish Karnad’s examination of the English-vernacular divide has echoes off the stage...

Shashi Deshpande was giving a talk in Bangalore about being an English language writer in India and Girish Karnad was in the audience. “While listening to her, I began thinking that her father was the great Kannada writer Shriranga, though Shashi herself cannot speak or write in Kannada,” Karnad recalls over the phone from Bangalore. “Her (Deshpande’s) sister, however, can, and she is the one who translated her father’s work in English.”

Attending that talk provided the spark that made Karnad write Odakalu Bimba, a Kannada play about a Kannada writer whose debut novel in English is a big international success. After its Kannada and Hindi versions (Bikhre Bimb) had successful runs, Karnad decided to translate the play in English, calling it Broken Images. Directed by theatre veteran Alyque Padamsee, the single-character play features Shabana Azmi as the Hindi-language writer Manjula Sharma, whose sudden success prompts her to introspect about her language and identity.

“Writing plays is like having children,” Karnad says. “You can’t predict what will become of them. They develop their own fate lines.” It is a familiar enough observation, backed in this instance by over 40 years of playwriting experience. Karnad cites the example of his play Naga-Mandala, which he wrote for a college production. Based on a folk tale about a woman who “marries” a snake, it has, much to his surprise, become his most performed play.

Full report here Mint

Slumdog Millionaire worst film I have seen: Karnad

Padma Bhushan awardee and Jnanpith award winner Girish Karnad on Monday called Slumdog Millionaire the worst film he has ever seen, reports the Times of India.

Karnad, a towering, multi-faceted creative personality in the field of theatre, literature, acting and academics, was speaking at a lecture on 'Colonialism and Culture' at the D.D. Kosambi lecture series, organised by the government of Goa in Panaji.

"I have never seen anything worse than Slumdog Millionaire," Karnad said during a question-answer session which followed his lecture. He also said the movie had completely failed in India. India's hunger for Oscars showed "our own inferiority complex", he added.

"I don't know why we are obsessed with the Oscars or the Grammy (Grammy awards)," Karnad said, adding that the Indian film industry was perfectly healthy in every sense of the word.

The film was based on Vikas Swarup's novel, Q&A. Released in 2008, Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire swept the 81st Academy Awards by winning eight Oscars. Out of the eight awards, three were won by Indian artistes - Resul Pookutty, A.R. Rehman and Gulzar.

Publishing industry growing at 30 pc every year

Describing country's publishing industry as vibrant, the Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Shiv Shankar Mukherjee said it is growing at an impressive rate of 30 per cent every year, according to a PTI report.

"We come out with about 70,000 titles every year," Mukherjee said at a reception he hosted at India House in the honour of leading writers and publishers on the eve of the three-day London Book Fair, which focuses on India at the Earl's Court.
Prominent among those present on the occassion included economist and author Lord Meghnad Desai, playwright, actor and filmamaker Girish Karnad, Bollywood actress Shabana Azmi and her lyricist husband Javed Akhtar, Information Technology czar and author Nandan Nilekani and author Vikram Seth.

The High Commissioner noted that 30 per cent of titles brought out in India were in English and the rest in Indian languages. "There is tremendous amount of talent in our country," he said.
Over 50 authors and 90 publishing houses from India are participating in the Book Fair.

Mukherjee, while launching a Amit Gupta's latest book Indian by Choice, said "it was a personal pleasure to launch Amit's book as he was my deputy when I was heading the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in New Delhi."