Girish Raghunath Karnad is a contemporary writer, playwright, actor and movie director in Kannada language. He is the latest of seven recipients of Jnanpith Award for Kannada, the highest literary honour conferred in India.

For four decades Karnad has been composing plays, often using history and mythology to tackle contemporary issues. He is also active in the world of Indian cinema working as an actor, director, and screenwriter, earning numerous awards along the way. He was conferred Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the government of India.

Girish Karnad was born in Matheran, Maharashtra, into a Konkani-speaking family. His initial schooling was in Marathi. As a youngster, Karnad was an ardent admirer of Yakshagana and the theater in his village.
e earned his Bachelors of Arts degree from Karnataka University, Dharwad, in 1958. Upon graduation Karnad went to England and studied at Lincoln and Magdalen colleges in Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, earning his Master of Arts degree in philosophy, political science and economics. Karnad was a Visiting Professor and Fulbright Scholar in Residence at the University of Chicago.

His directorial debut came with the movie VamshaVruksh, based on a Kannada novel by S.L. Bhairappa. The movie won several national and international awards. Before this, Karnad acted in a movie called Samskara, based on a novel by U.R. Ananthamurthy and directed by Pattabhirama Reddy. That movie won the first President’s Golden Lotus Award for Kannada cinema. Later, Karnad directed several movies in Kannada and Hindi. Some of his famous Kannada movies include Tabbaliyu neenade magane, Ondanondu Kaaladalli, Cheluvi and Kadu.

His Hindi movies include Utsav, Godhuliand the recent Pukar. A recently acclaimed movie by Karnad is Kanooru Heggaditi, based on a novel by Kannada writer Kuvempu. Karnad has also acted in several other movies and received critical acclaim.

He has been criticised by the eminent Kannada novelist S.L. Bhairappa for being untrue to history in order to curry favor with the establishment.

Awards Received By Girish Karnad

Filmfare Awards South
1972: Filmfare Award for Best Director – Kannada – Vamsha Vriksha
1974: Filmfare Award for Best Director – Kannada – Kaadu
1978: Filmfare Award for Best Director – Kannada – Ondanondu Kaladalli
1983: Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Kannada – Ananda Bhairavi
Filmfare Awards Hindi
1980: Filmfare Best Screenplay Award: Godhuli (with B. V. Karanth)
1980: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award: Aasha: Nominated
1982: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award: Teri Kasam : Nominated
Karnataka State Film Awards
1971-72 First Best Film – Vamsha Vriksha
1971-72 Best Dialogue Writer – Vamsha Vriksha
1973-74 Second Best Film – Kaadu
1989-90 Best Supporting Actor – Santha Shishunala Sharifa
1995-96 Best Supporting Actor – Sangeetha Sagara Ganayogi Panchakshara Gavai
1999-00 Second Best Film – Kanooru Heggadithi

Films Done By Girish Karnad

1970 Samskara Praneshacharya Kannada
1971 Vamsha Vriksha Raju (lecturer) Kannada
1974 Jadu Ka Shankh Hindi
1975 Nishaant Schoolmaster Hindi
1976 Manthan Dr. Rao Hindi
1977 Swami Ghanshyam Hindi
1977 Jeevan Mukt Amarjeet Hindi
1978 Sandharbha Psychiatrist Kannada Special Appearance in climax
1979 Sampark Heera Hindi
1979 Ratnadeep Madan Hindi
1980 Beqasoor Dr. Anand Bhatnagar
1980 Aasha Deepak
1980 Man Pasand Kashinath
1980 Apne Paraye Harish Hindi
1981 Shama Nawab Yusuf Khan
1982 Umbartha Advocate Subhash Mahajan Marathi
1982 Aparoopa Mr. Khanna Assamese
1982 Teri Kasam Rakesh Hindi
1983 Ananda Bhairavi Narayana Sarma
1983 Ek Baar Chale Aao Din Dayal Hindi
1983 Anveshane Rotti Kannada
1984 Tarang Dinesh Hindi
1984 Divorce
1985 Nee Thanda Kanike Rao Bahadur Raja Ram Mohan Rao Kannada
1986 Nenapina Doni Kannada
1985 Zamana Satish Kumar Hindi
1985 Meri Jung Deepak Verma Hindi
1985 Sur Sangam Pandit Shivshankar Shastri Hindi
1986 Neela Kurinji Poothappol Appu Menon Malayalam
1986 Naan Adimai Illai Rajasekhar Tamil
1987 Sutradhar Zamindar Hindi
1988 Kaadina Benki Kannada
1988 Akarshan
1989 Prathama Ushakirana Doctor Kannada
1989 Mil Gayee Manzil Mujhe
1990 Santha Shishunala Sharifa Govindabhatta Kannada
1990 Nehru: The Jewel of India
1991 Mysore Mallige Padma’s Father Kannada
1991 Chaitanya Retired Major Harischandra Prasad Telugu
1991 Brahma
1991 Antarnaad Hindi
1991 Gunaa Dr. Ganesh Tamil
1992 Cheluvi Village Headman Kannada
1993 Praana Daata
1994 Poorna Sathya Kannada
1994 Kadhalan Kakarla Satyanarayana Murti
1994 Aagatha Psychiatrist Kannada
1995 Sangeetha Sagara Ganayogi Panchakshara Gavai Hanagal Kumaraswamiji Kannada
1996 Dharma Chakram Mahendra Telugu
1996 Aatank Inspector Khan Hindi
1996 The Prince Vishwanath Malayalam
1997 Ratchagan Sriram Tamil
1997 Minsaara Kanavu Amal Raj Tamil
1998 China Gate Sunder Rajan
1998 Kadhal Mannan Rudran
1998 April Fool A. N. Ramakrishnaiah
1998 Aakrosh: Cyclone of Anger Rajwansh Shashtri Hindi
1999 Kanooru Heggadithi Chandregowda Kannada Director
1999 AK-47 Jagannath Rao Kannada
1999 Janumadatha Dr. Akbar Ali Kannada
1999 Prathyartha Sheshanag Dixit
2000 Pukar Mr. Rajvansh Hindi
2000 Hey Ram Uppilli Iyengar Tamil
2001 Vande Matharam Mr. Ballal Kannada
2004 Chellamae Rajasekhar Tamil
2004 Shankar Dada MBBS Satya Prasad Telugu
2005 Iqbal Guruji Hindi
2006 Dor Randhir Singh Hindi
2006 Tananam Tananam Shastry Kannada
2007 Aa Dinagalu Girish Nayak Kannada Screenplay Writer also
2007 Lava Kusha Protagonists’ father Kannada
2008 Chilipili Hakkigalu School Master Kannada
2008 Sangaathi Kannada
2008 Dhanam Tamil
2009 8 x 10 Tasveer Anil Sharma Hindi
2009 Aashayein Parthasarthi Hindi
2009 Life Goes On Sanjay
2010 Komaram Puli Narasimha Rao
2011 Narthagi Tamil
2011 Kempe Gowda Mahadev Gowda Kannada
2012 Ek Tha Tiger Dr. Shenoy
2012 Mugamoodi Lee’s Grandfather Tamil
2012 Yaare Koogadali Doctor Kannada
2013 Sweety Nanna Jodi Priya’s Father Kannada
2014 Samrat & Co. Mahendra Pratap Singh Hindi
2014 Savaari 2 Vishwanath Kannada
2015 Rudra Tandava Shivaraj’s Father Kannada
2015 Rana Vikrama K. V. Anand Rao Kannada
2015 Chandrika Kannada
2015 Guru Dakshina Guruji Hindi
2016 24 Sathya’s Grandfather Tamil
2016 Shivaay Anushka’s father Hindi
2016 Chalk n Duster Manohar Sawant Hindi
2017 Tiger Zinda Hai Dr. Shenoy
2018 Neenillada Male Kannada
2019 Pora Kannada
2019 Sketch For Love Telugu
2019 Vidura Kannada

TV series Done By Girish Karnad

Malgudi Days (1987) as Swami’s Father
Indradhanush (1989) as Appu and Bala’s Father Khandaan (TV series)

Movies directed By Girish Karnad

Vamsha Vriksha (1971, Kannada)
D.R. Bendre (1972, documentary)
Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane in (1977, Kannada)
Godhuli (1977, Hindi)
Ondanondu Kaladalli (1978, Kannada)
Kanooru Heggadithi (1978, Kannada)
Kaadu (1973, Kannada)
Durga in Mahendar(1973 )
Utsav (Hindi)(1973)
Woh Ghar (1984, Hindi), based on Kirtinath Kurtakoti’s Kannada play Aa Mani
The Lamp in the Niche (1990) (documentary)
Cheluvi (1992, Kannada and Hindi (dubbed))
Chidambara Rahasya (2005, Kannada) (tv film for DD1)