India is mourning the death of veteran actor and playwright Girish Karnad, who died Monday morning at the age of 81 in his Bengaluru residence due to persistent illness. He counted his breath at a hospital in Bengaluru at 6.30 am, according to his family.
Girish Karnad was a huge figure in the Kannada fictional scene. Many of his plays gave a modern take to old-style stories from mythos and he helped convert the Kannada theatre scene.
His most notable role – that of Swami’s father – was undoubtedly in ‘Malgudi Days’, a TV version of RK Narayan’s delightful collection of short stories about the sluggish town of Malgudi in South India.
Celebs from film fraternity have taken to social media to express their sorrow.
Rest in peace. I loved his work. ☹️ https://t.co/rNNuQg2tMn
— Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamakapoor) June 10, 2019
May you rest in peace Girish Karnad sir. Your talent humour and sharp intellect will be missed 🙁
— shruti haasan (@shrutihaasan) June 10, 2019
Deeply saddened by the news of demise of Girsh Karnad ji. He will be remembered for his work as a Theater personality, film actor, and director. My deepest condolences to his family, friends & fans. #OmShanti 🙏
— Madhur Bhandarkar (@imbhandarkar) June 10, 2019
A playwright, filmmaker, actor , thinker, scholar and literary giant . Goodbye good sir !! And thank you 🙏 #GirishKarnad 1938-2019 pic.twitter.com/q1LebMKwZf
— Gulshan Devaiah (@gulshandevaiah) June 10, 2019
Girish Karnad. RIP. Condolences to his family.
— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) June 10, 2019
I met Girish Karnad way back when he was the principal of the film institute & then worked with him in Pukar. He was a great man & playwright. His stories will forever remain in our hearts & minds. Sending my prayers & heartfelt condolences to his family. https://t.co/X7W6hF4A5t
— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) June 10, 2019
RIP #GirishKarnad sir.. one actor whose inherent goodness reflected in his eyes. The thorough gentleman. Exceptional playwright.Swami ratnadeep manthan embedded in my childhood memories. A gem we lost today.
— Divya Dutta (@divyadutta25) June 10, 2019
Sushma Swaraj Tweets Condolences For Veteran Actor Girish Karnad's Death
Video Link ► https://t.co/ieyfqM2Uzh#GirishKarnad #GirishKarnadDeath #GirishKarnadDies #GirishKarnadNoMore #SushmaSwaraj #Condolence #TV9Kannada pic.twitter.com/xE5XOyLigt
— Tv9 Kannada (@tv9kannada) June 10, 2019
Girish Karnad will be remembered for his versatile acting across all mediums. He also spoke passionately on causes dear to him. His works will continue being popular in the years to come. Saddened by his demise. May his soul rest in peace.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 10, 2019
Deeply saddened to hear of the demise of Jnanpith laureate writer and iconic actor/film maker, Sri #GirishKarnad .
His outstanding contribution to literature, theatre and films will always be remembered.
In his death, we lost a cultural ambassador. May his soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/s5bfbh0VgE
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) June 10, 2019
Saddened to hear of the passing of Girish Karnad – a great writer and a very important public voice. Thoughts are with @rkarnad and his family. https://t.co/V5xugupeNl
— Amitav Ghosh (@GhoshAmitav) June 10, 2019
The legendary actor entered into films with the Kannada movie Samskara in 1970. He was also well-known for his work in Hindi films like Manthan (1976), Pukar (2000), Iqbal (2005), Dor (2006), Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and Tiger Zinda Hai (2017).
His last outing was Neenillada Male, a 2018 kannada movie. The actor was the holder of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards. He was also endowed with the Jnanapith Award in 1998.
