Karnad, an intellectual giant who remained humble, say friends

As the literature world mourned the demise of veteran playwright and actor Girish Karnad, some of his old friends and colleagues from Maharashtra revealed little known aspects of his life, saying he never boasted about his intellect despite his towering stature. Ashok Kulkarni, Karnad's Pune-based friend since their college days, said though the actor was well read and was known for his love for books, his colleagues "never felt that pressure".

"We used to discuss cinema, theatre and other forms of literature but I don't remember any time when Karnad tried to dominate the conversation with his intellect," he told PTI. Karnad's command over several languages and his deep understanding of the literary and creative worlds made him the first non-civil servant director of Pune's prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).

He was also the only director of FTII who went on to serve as its chairman, an official from the government-run institute said. He was FTII's director from January 1, 1974, to December 31, 1975, and later served as its chairman from February 1999 to October 2001, the official said.

Karnad was also the youngest director of FTII when he took charge of the post at the age of 35 years and, incidentally, some of his students were older than him, he said. "He introduced an 'Integrated Course' in the institute's syllabus that required students of one specialisation course to learn about other specialisations as well. It is still in the syllabus in the form of a 'Common Course'," FTII Director Bhupendra Kainthola said.

He said the legend was an "accessible administrator, straightforward, friendly and open". Noted translator Uma Virupaksh Kulkarni recalled how her meetings with Karnad used to be "warm and pleasant".

She translated four of Karnad's dramas as well as his autobiography into Marathi, titled 'Khelata Khelata Ayushya'. "He used to understand Marathi as his early education was in that language and never lost the grip. He was the only Kannada author who could understand Marathi, and he used to put me at ease during our discussions," she said.

"His drama 'Nagamandala' was one of the first plays that I translated into Marathi and it gave me confidence. I was already translating other forms of literature and never tried my hands at drama, but, with Karnad's support, I was able to do so," she said. Kulkarni said she still has Karnad's letter addressed to her when she was translating "Nagamandala".

"He would initiate the conversation and always remained accessible and open to new ideas, as I was not merely translating but bringing the concepts and ideas into another language," she said. Karnad himself translated noted Marathi playwright P L Deshpande's drama "Tuja Aahe Tujapashi", and attempted it on stage in Kannada, she added.

Arunaraje Patil, an FTII alumnus, noted director-editor and five-time National Award winner, said Karnad was "very special". "In spite of his accomplishments, he was very grounded and down to earth - a rare quality for such a high achiever.

My first assignment after passing out of FTII was editing his first directorial venture Vamsha Vriksha," she said. According to Ashok Viswanathan, an FTII Film Direction course alumnus, Karnad was an "understated phenomenon", a playwright of acute sensitivity in a moribund world of compromise.

"His Tughlaq goes beyond mere historical fiction and embraces the political in the guise of a humanitarian portrayal. A supremely assured auteur, his writing is deceptively simple," Viswanathan, currently dean (film) of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) Kolkata said. Citing an example, Viswanathan said, "Nagamandala uses myth and metaphor to tell a tale of unexpected change much in the fashion of Duvidha." He said Karnad, a Rhodes scholar with a degree from Oxford University, combined "intellect and glamour".

"I had the opportunity to work as the director of a few episodes from his Swarajnama, a commissioned serial for Doordarshan. I found him to be a humane artist and a very agile political thinker," he recalled. Karnad, 81, died on Monday in Bengaluru after a prolonged illness.

A multifaceted personality, he acted in several plays and movies that received critical acclamation. His plays, written in Kannada, have been translated in English and several Indian languages.

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