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This Life At Play: Memoirs
Girish Karnad was one of modern India’s greatest cultural figures: an accomplished actor, a path-breaking director, an innovative administrator, a clear-headed and erudite thinker, a public intellectual with an unwavering moral compass, and above all, the most extraordinarily gifted playwright of his times.
This Life at Play, translated from the Kannada in part by Karnad himself and in part by Srinath Perur, covers the first half of his remarkable life – from his childhood in Sirsi and his early engagement with local theatre, his education in Dharwad, Bombay and Oxford, to his career in publishing, his successes and travails in the film industry, and his personal and writerly life.
Moving and humorous, insightful and candid, these memoirs provide an unforgettable glimpse into the life-shaping experiences of a towering genius, and a unique window into the India in which he lived and worked.
This Life at Play, translated from the Kannada in part by Karnad himself and in part by Srinath Perur, covers the first half of his remarkable life – from his childhood in Sirsi and his early engagement with local theatre, his education in Dharwad, Bombay and Oxford, to his career in publishing, his successes and travails in the film industry, and his personal and writerly life.
Moving and humorous, insightful and candid, these memoirs provide an unforgettable glimpse into the life-shaping experiences of a towering genius, and a unique window into the India in which he lived and worked.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2011
26 people are currently reading
275 people want to read
About the author
Girish Karnad
50 books156 followersGirish Raghunath Karnad (Konkani : गिरीश रघुनाथ कार्नाड, Kannada : ಗಿರೀಶ್ ರಘುನಾಥ್ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡ್) (born 19 May 1938) is a contemporary writer, playwright, screenwriter, actor and movie director in Kannada language. His rise as a prominent playwright in 1960s, marked the coming of age of Modern Indian playwriting in Kannada, just as Badal Sarkar did it in Bengali, Vijay Tendulkar in Marathi, and Mohan Rakesh in Hindi. He is a recipient of the 1998 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 has translated his major plays into English, and has received critical acclaim across India. His plays have been translated into several Indian languages and directed by eminent directors like Ebrahim Alkazi, B. V. Karanth, Alyque Padamsee, Prasanna, Arvind Gaur, Satyadev Dubey, Vijaya Mehta, Shyamanand Jalan and Amal Allana. He is also active in the world of Indian cinema working as an actor, director, and screenwriter, both in Hindi and Kannada cinema, earning numerous awards along the way. He was conferred Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.
For four decades Karnad has been composing plays, often using history and mythology to tackle contemporary issues. He has translated his major plays into English, and has received critical acclaim across India. His plays have been translated into several Indian languages and directed by eminent directors like Ebrahim Alkazi, B. V. Karanth, Alyque Padamsee, Prasanna, Arvind Gaur, Satyadev Dubey, Vijaya Mehta, Shyamanand Jalan and Amal Allana. He is also active in the world of Indian cinema working as an actor, director, and screenwriter, both in Hindi and Kannada cinema, earning numerous awards along the way. He was conferred Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.
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November 30, 2020
ಹೆತ್ತವರಿಗೆ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆ ತಂದ ಮಗ ತಾವಾದ ಮೇಲೆ ತಮ್ಮ ಕುರಿತು "ಮತ್ತು ನಾವು ಇವನು ಬೇಡ ಅಂತ ಅಂದುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೆವು!" ಎಂದು ತಂದೆಯವರನ್ನುದ್ದೇಶಿಸಿ ತಮ್ಮ ತಾಯಿ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದ ಮಾತನ್ನು "ಆಡಾಡತ ಆಯುಷ್ಯ" ಎಂಬ ತಮ್ಮ ಆತ್ಮ-ಕತೆಯ ಆರಂಭದಲ್ಲೇ ಗಿರೀಶ್ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರು ನೆನೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ. ತಮ್ಮ ತಾಯಿಯವರ ಯೋಜನೆಯಂತೆ ತಮ್ಮ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಗೇ ಎರವಾಗಬಹುದಾಗಿದ್ದ ಪುಣೆಯ ಡಾ. ಮಧುಮಾಲತಿ ಗುಣೆ ಎಂಬುವರಿಗೇ ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಅರ್ಪಣೆಯನ್ನೂ ಮಾಡುವುದರ ಮೂಲಕ ಆರಂಭದಲ್ಲೇ ತಮ್ಮ ಆತ್ಮಕತೆಯ ಬರವಣಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಉದ್ದಕ್ಕೂ ಕಾಣಬರುವ ಸ್ವಾರಸ್ಯಕರ ಹಾಗೂ ಆತ್ಮೀಯ ಶೈಲಿಯ ಪರಿಚಯ ಮಾಡಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಅಂದು ತಮ್ಮ ತಾಯಿಯವರು ಹೇಳಿದ ಮಾತಿನಿಂದ ತಾವಿಲ್ಲದೆಯೂ ಈ ಜಗತ್ತು ಇರಬಹುದಾಗಿತ್ತೆಂಬ ಯೋಚನೆಗೆ ಮಂಕಾಗಿ ಕೂತದ್ದನ್ನು ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರು ನೆನೆಯುವಾಗ, ಪ್ರತಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲೂ ಇಂತಹದ್ದೊಂದು ಅಸಂಭಾವ್ಯತೆಯ ಅಂಶ ಇರಬಹುದೆಂಬ ವಿಚಾರ ನಮಗೂ ಬರುವುದು. ಅಡಿಗರ "ಇದು ಬಾಳು" ಪದ್ಯದ "ಯಾರ ಲೀಲೆಗೋ ಯಾರೋ ಏನೋ ಗುರಿ ಇರದೆ ಬಿಟ್ಟ ಬಾಣ" ಸಾಲು ಸಹ ಇದೇ ಭಾವನೆಯದ್ದು.
ಆರಂಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಡಾ. ಮಧುಮಾಲತಿ ಗುಣೆಯವರಿಗೆ ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಅರ್ಪಣೆ ಮಾಡುವಲ್ಲಿ ಬಾಳಿನ ಆಕಸ್ಮಿಕತೆ, ಅಸಂಭಾವ್ಯತೆಗಳ ವಿಚಾರ ಕ್ಷಣ ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾಪಿಸುವ ಲೇಖಕರು ಮುಂದೆಲ್ಲೂ ಅಂತಹ ಅಮೂರ್ತ, ದಾರ್ಶನಿಕ ವಿಚಾರಗಳ ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾಪಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗದೆ ವ್ಯಾವಹಾರಿಕ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ನೆಲೆಯಲ್ಲೇ ಉಳಿಯುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಯಾವುದೇ ಸೃಜನಶೀಲ ಸಾಹಿತಿ ತನ್ನ ಅಧ್ಯಯನ, ಅನುಭವ, ಸ್ಮೃತಿ ಇವುಗಳನ್ನಾಧರಿಸಿ ರಚಿಸುವ ಯಾವುದೇ ಕೃತಿಯೂ ಒಂದು ಅರ್ಥದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಾಳು ಎಂದರೇನೆಂದು ಅರಿಯುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನವೇ ಆಗಿದ್ದರೂ ಅಡಿಗರ ಪದ್ಯದ ಅಲೌಕಿಕ ಅನ್ವೇಷಣೆಯ ತೀವ್ರತೆ ಕಾಣುವುದು ಅಪರೂಪ.
"ಆಡಾಡ್ತ ಆಯುಷ್ಯ" ಎಂದು ಕರೆದರೂ ಆತ್ಮಕತೆಯ ಆರಂಭದಿಂದಲೂ ಕಾಣಸಿಗುವುದು ಒಂದು ಶಿಸ್ತುಬದ್ಧ ಹಾಗೂ ಎಲ್ಲ ಘಟ್ಟಗಳಲ್ಲೂ ಉತ್ಕೃಷ್ಟತೆಗಾಗಿ ತುಡಿವ ಜೀವನದ ಚಿತ್ರವೇ. ವಿಚಾರ ಆಚರಣೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾವುದೇ ಡಾoಬಿಕತೆಗೆ ಆಸ್ಪದವಿಲ್ಲದ ನೇರ ನಡವಳಿಕೆಗಳು ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರ ವೈಶಿಷ್ಟ್ಯ. ಈ ಕಾರಣಕ್ಕಾಗೆ ಕೆಲವು ಸಂದರ್ಭಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರು ವಿವಾದಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಲುಕಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದೂ ಉಂಟು. ಇತ್ತೀಚೆಗೆ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಕಾರ ನಾಯ್ ಪಾಲ್ ಅವರ ಬಗೆಗೆ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರು ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸಿದ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ ಚರ್ಚೆಗೆ ಗ್ರಾಸವಾಯಿತು. ಆತ್ಮ-ಕತೆಯಲ್ಲೂ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ವಿಷಯಗಳ ಬಗೆಗೂ ಅವರ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆ ಪ್ರತಿಸ್ಪಂದನಗಳೆಲ್ಲ ನೇರವೂ , ನಿರ್ಭಿಡೆಯವೂ ಆಗಿವೆ.
ಗಣಿತ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಪದವಿ ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾನಿಲಯಕ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರಥಮ ಸ್ಥಾನ ಗಳಿಸಿದ್ದು, ರೋಹ್ಡ್ಸ್ ಸ್ಕಾಲರ್ಷಿಪ್ ಮೂಲಕ ಆಕ್ಸ್ ಫರ್ಡ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ನಾತಕೋತ್ತರ ಪದವಿ, ಆಕ್ಸ್ ಫರ್ಡ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಯೂನಿಯನ್ ಸೊಸೈಟಿಯ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷ ಪದವಿ ಹೀಗೇ ಗಿರೀಶರ ಸಾಧನೆಗಳು ಹಲವಾರು. ಇದೆಲ್ಲದರ ನಡುವೆ ಸುಪ್ತವಾಗಿ ಹರಿದು, ದೀಪ್ತವಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಕಟಗೊಂಡ ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಪ್ರೀತಿ, ಪ್ರತಿಭೆ. ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಟ ಕೃತಿಗಳು ಪ್ರಕಟವಾದಾಗೆಲ್ಲ ಸಂಭ್ರಮಿಸಿ, ಕೆಲವನ್ನು ಚಲನಚಿತ್ರವಾಗಿಸುವ ದಿಸೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿವಿ ಕಾರಂತರಂತಹವರೊಡನೆ ಕಾರ್ಯ ಪ್ರವೃತ್ತರಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಬಗೆ ಅವರ ಕನ್ನಡ ಅಭಿಮಾನದ ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟ ಗುರುತು.
ತಮ್ಮ ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತಮೂರನೆ ವಯಸ್ಸಿಗೇ "ಯಯಾತಿ" ಎಂಬ ಮುಖ್ಯವಾದ ನಾಟಕವನ್ನು ರಚಿಸಿದ ಪ್ರತಿಭೆ ಗಿರೀಶ್ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡ್. ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಮುಂದೆ ಈವರೆಗೆ ಅವರು ರಚಿಸಿರುವ ನಾಟಕಗಳ ಸಂಖ್ಯೆ ಹದಿಮೂರು. ೨೦೦೬ ರಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾದ ಅವರ "ಮದುವೆಯ ಆಲ್ಬಮ್" ಎಂಬ ನಾಟಕವನ್ನು ಓದುವಾಗ ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಜಾರ್ಜ್ ಬರ್ನಾರ್ಡ್ ಷಾ ನ ಮಾದರಿಯ ನಾಟಕವೊಂದನ್ನು ಓದಿದಂತಹ ಅನುಭವ ಆದದ್ದರ ನೆನಪಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಪ್ರಸ್ತುತ ಸಮಾಜದ ಒಂದು ಸ್ತರದ ಜನರ ವ್ಯವಹಾರಗಳ ನಡವಳಿಕೆಗಳ ಸೂಕ್ಷ್ಮ ಗ್ರಹಿಕೆ, ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ವೈವಿಧ್ಯಮಯ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳ ಸೂಕ್ತ ಅಭಿವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ಶೈಲಿ, ಸಮರ್ಪಕ ನುಡಿಕಟ್ಟುಗಳ ಬಳಕೆ ಇವೆಲ್ಲವುಗಳಲ್ಲೂ ನಾಟಕಕಾರನ ಪ್ರತಿಭೆ, ಬುದ್ಧಿ ಶಕ್ತಿಗಳು ಹೊರಹೊಮ್ಮುವುದನ್ನು ಕಾಣಬಹುದು.
ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರ ಚಿತ್ರ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಹಲವಾರು ಸಾಹಸಗಳು ಸಾಧನೆಗಳ ಬಗೆಗೆ "ಆಡಾಡತ ಆಯುಷ್ಯ" ದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಇದೆ. ಕನ್ನಡದ ಹೆಸರಾಂತ ಚಿತ್ರಗಳಾದ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ, ವಂಶವೃಕ್ಷ, ಕಾಡು, ಒಂದಾನೊಂದು ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ, ಕಾನೂರು ಹೆಗ್ಗಡಿತಿ ಮುಂತಾದವುಗಳ ಬಗೆಗೆ ಕುತೂಹಲಕರವಾದ ಹಾಗೂ ಖಾಸಗಿಯಾದ ವಿವರಗಳು ಸಿಗುತ್ತವೆ. ದೂರದರ್ಶನದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಮ್ಮೆ "ಒಂದಾನೊಂದು ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ" ಚಿತ್ರ ನೋಡುವಾಗ ಆ ಚಿತ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ಕಥೆ, ಚಿತ್ರಕಥೆ ನಿರ್ದೇಶನ ನೀಡಿದ್ದ ಗಿರೀಶ್ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರು ಹಾಗೂ ಅಭಿನಯ ನೀಡಿದ್ದ ಶಂಕರ ನಾಗ್, ಸುಂದರಕೃಷ್ಣ ಅರಸ್ ರ ಪ್ರತಿಭೆ ಅಚ್ಚರಿ ಮೂಡಿಸಿದ್ದು ನೆನಪಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಅದಕ್ಕೂ ಹಿಂದೆ ಡಿವಿಡಿ ಮೂಲಕ ನೋಡಿದ್ದ ಜಗತ್ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕ ಅಕಿರಾ ಕುರಸಾವನ "ರಾಶೋಮೊನ್" ಚಿತ್ರದ ಮಟ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ಏರುವ ಚಿತ್ರ ಇದೆಂದು ಅನಿಸಿತ್ತು .
"ಆಡಾಡತ ಆಯುಷ್ಯ" ದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರ ಬರವಣಿಗೆಯ ಶೈಲಿಯಂತೂ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಆಪ್ಯಾಯಮಾನ. ಅವರ ಆಯೀ, ಬಾಪ್ಪಾರ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಸಂಸಾರದ ವಿವರಗಳಿಂದ ಆರಂಭಿಸಿ, ತಮ್ಮ ಬಾಲ್ಯ ಕಾಲವನ್ನು ಕಳೆದ ಶಿರಸಿ, ಧಾರವಾಡಗಳ ಚಿತ್ರಣ, ಮುಂದೆ ಶಿಕ್ಷಣಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ತಾವು ಸಂದರ್ಶಿಸಿದ ಮುಂಬೈ, ಆಕ್ಸ್ ಫರ್ಡ್, ನಂತರ ವೃತ್ತಿಗಾಗಿ ಕಾಲ ಕಳೆದ ಮದ್ರಾಸು ಪುಣೆ ಇವುಗಳ ವಿವರ. ಪುಣೆಯ ಫಿಲಂ ಹಾಗೂ ಟೆಲಿವಿಜನ್ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯ ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕನ ವೃತ್ತಿಯ ಅನುಭವಗಳು ಹೀಗೇ ವೈವಿಧ್ಯಮಯ ವಿವರಗಳು. ಅನಗತ್ಯ ಸಂಭಾವಿತತನ, ಸೋಗು ತೋರದ ನಿತ್ಯ ಜೀವನದ ವರ್ಣನೆಗಳು.
ಧಾರವಾಡದ ಅದರಲ್ಲೂ ಸಾರಸ್ವತಪುರದ ವರ್ಣನೆಯಂತೂ ಆ ಬಡಾವಣೆಯ ಪರಿಚಯ ಇರುವವರಿಗೆ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಸ್ವಾರಸ್ಯಕರವೆನಿಸಬಹುದು. ಹುಬ್ಬಳ್ಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂಜಿನೀರಿಂಗ್ ಓದುವಾಗ ಆಗೀಗ ಹೋಗಿ ಬಂದಷ್ಟೇ ಧಾರವಾಡದ ಪರಿಚಯ ಇರುವ ನನಗೂ ಗಿರೀಶರು ನೀಡುವ ವಿವರಗಳು ಧಾರವಾಡದ ಒಂದು ಹೊಸ ನೋಟವನ್ನೇ ನೀಡಿದವು.
ಇದೀಗ ಎಪ್ಪತ್ತ ನಾಲ್ಕು ವರುಷಗಳು ತುಂಬಿರುವ ಗಿರೀಶರ ಮೊದಲ ಮೂವತ್ತೇಳು ವರುಷಗಳ ಆತ್ಮ-ಕತೆಗಳಷ್ಟೇ "ಆಡಾಡತ ಆಯುಷ್ಯ"ದ ಭಾಗವಾಗಿವೆ. ಇದರ ಉತ್ತರಾರ್ಧದ ಸೂಚನೆಯನ್ನು ಲೇಖಕರು ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಕಡೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೀಡಿದ್ದು, ಅಂತಹದ್ದೊಂದು ಭಾಗ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾದರೆ ಅದನ್ನು "ನೋಡ ನೋಡ್ತಾ ದಿನಮಾನ" ಎಂದು ಕರೆಯಬಹುದಾದ ಸಾಧ್ಯತೆಯ ಸೂಚನೆ ನೀಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ತಾವು ಮೆಚ್ಚಿದ ಬೇಂದ್ರೆ ಕವಿತೆ "ನನ್ನ ಕಿನ್ನರಿ" ಯ ಮೊದಲನೆ ಸಾಲು ("ನೋಡ ನೋಡ್ತಾ ದಿನಮಾನ ಆಡಾಡ್ತ ಆಯುಷ್ಯಾ") ಈ ಆತ್ಮ-ಕತೆಯ ಶೀರ್ಷಿಕೆಯಾಗಿರುವುದು ವಿಶೇಷ.
ಅಂತೂ ತುಂಬಾ ಆಸಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಓದಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ನನಗಂತೂ "ಓದ್ ಓದ್ತಾ ಅಂತ್ಯ" ಆದದ್ದೇ ತಿಳಿಯಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಇನ್ನು "ನೋಡ್ ನೋಡ್ತಾ ದಿನಮಾನ" ದ ಇದಿರು ನೋಡ್ತಾ ಇರುವುದೊಂದೇ ಸಾಧ್ಯತೆ.
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ಆರಂಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಡಾ. ಮಧುಮಾಲತಿ ಗುಣೆಯವರಿಗೆ ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಅರ್ಪಣೆ ಮಾಡುವಲ್ಲಿ ಬಾಳಿನ ಆಕಸ್ಮಿಕತೆ, ಅಸಂಭಾವ್ಯತೆಗಳ ವಿಚಾರ ಕ್ಷಣ ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾಪಿಸುವ ಲೇಖಕರು ಮುಂದೆಲ್ಲೂ ಅಂತಹ ಅಮೂರ್ತ, ದಾರ್ಶನಿಕ ವಿಚಾರಗಳ ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾಪಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗದೆ ವ್ಯಾವಹಾರಿಕ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ನೆಲೆಯಲ್ಲೇ ಉಳಿಯುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಯಾವುದೇ ಸೃಜನಶೀಲ ಸಾಹಿತಿ ತನ್ನ ಅಧ್ಯಯನ, ಅನುಭವ, ಸ್ಮೃತಿ ಇವುಗಳನ್ನಾಧರಿಸಿ ರಚಿಸುವ ಯಾವುದೇ ಕೃತಿಯೂ ಒಂದು ಅರ್ಥದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಾಳು ಎಂದರೇನೆಂದು ಅರಿಯುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನವೇ ಆಗಿದ್ದರೂ ಅಡಿಗರ ಪದ್ಯದ ಅಲೌಕಿಕ ಅನ್ವೇಷಣೆಯ ತೀವ್ರತೆ ಕಾಣುವುದು ಅಪರೂಪ.
"ಆಡಾಡ್ತ ಆಯುಷ್ಯ" ಎಂದು ಕರೆದರೂ ಆತ್ಮಕತೆಯ ಆರಂಭದಿಂದಲೂ ಕಾಣಸಿಗುವುದು ಒಂದು ಶಿಸ್ತುಬದ್ಧ ಹಾಗೂ ಎಲ್ಲ ಘಟ್ಟಗಳಲ್ಲೂ ಉತ್ಕೃಷ್ಟತೆಗಾಗಿ ತುಡಿವ ಜೀವನದ ಚಿತ್ರವೇ. ವಿಚಾರ ಆಚರಣೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾವುದೇ ಡಾoಬಿಕತೆಗೆ ಆಸ್ಪದವಿಲ್ಲದ ನೇರ ನಡವಳಿಕೆಗಳು ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರ ವೈಶಿಷ್ಟ್ಯ. ಈ ಕಾರಣಕ್ಕಾಗೆ ಕೆಲವು ಸಂದರ್ಭಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರು ವಿವಾದಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಲುಕಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದೂ ಉಂಟು. ಇತ್ತೀಚೆಗೆ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಕಾರ ನಾಯ್ ಪಾಲ್ ಅವರ ಬಗೆಗೆ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರು ವ್ಯಕ್ತಪಡಿಸಿದ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ ಚರ್ಚೆಗೆ ಗ್ರಾಸವಾಯಿತು. ಆತ್ಮ-ಕತೆಯಲ್ಲೂ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ವಿಷಯಗಳ ಬಗೆಗೂ ಅವರ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆ ಪ್ರತಿಸ್ಪಂದನಗಳೆಲ್ಲ ನೇರವೂ , ನಿರ್ಭಿಡೆಯವೂ ಆಗಿವೆ.
ಗಣಿತ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಪದವಿ ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾನಿಲಯಕ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರಥಮ ಸ್ಥಾನ ಗಳಿಸಿದ್ದು, ರೋಹ್ಡ್ಸ್ ಸ್ಕಾಲರ್ಷಿಪ್ ಮೂಲಕ ಆಕ್ಸ್ ಫರ್ಡ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ನಾತಕೋತ್ತರ ಪದವಿ, ಆಕ್ಸ್ ಫರ್ಡ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಯೂನಿಯನ್ ಸೊಸೈಟಿಯ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷ ಪದವಿ ಹೀಗೇ ಗಿರೀಶರ ಸಾಧನೆಗಳು ಹಲವಾರು. ಇದೆಲ್ಲದರ ನಡುವೆ ಸುಪ್ತವಾಗಿ ಹರಿದು, ದೀಪ್ತವಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಕಟಗೊಂಡ ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಪ್ರೀತಿ, ಪ್ರತಿಭೆ. ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಟ ಕೃತಿಗಳು ಪ್ರಕಟವಾದಾಗೆಲ್ಲ ಸಂಭ್ರಮಿಸಿ, ಕೆಲವನ್ನು ಚಲನಚಿತ್ರವಾಗಿಸುವ ದಿಸೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬಿವಿ ಕಾರಂತರಂತಹವರೊಡನೆ ಕಾರ್ಯ ಪ್ರವೃತ್ತರಾಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಬಗೆ ಅವರ ಕನ್ನಡ ಅಭಿಮಾನದ ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟ ಗುರುತು.
ತಮ್ಮ ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತಮೂರನೆ ವಯಸ್ಸಿಗೇ "ಯಯಾತಿ" ಎಂಬ ಮುಖ್ಯವಾದ ನಾಟಕವನ್ನು ರಚಿಸಿದ ಪ್ರತಿಭೆ ಗಿರೀಶ್ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡ್. ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಮುಂದೆ ಈವರೆಗೆ ಅವರು ರಚಿಸಿರುವ ನಾಟಕಗಳ ಸಂಖ್ಯೆ ಹದಿಮೂರು. ೨೦೦೬ ರಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾದ ಅವರ "ಮದುವೆಯ ಆಲ್ಬಮ್" ಎಂಬ ನಾಟಕವನ್ನು ಓದುವಾಗ ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಜಾರ್ಜ್ ಬರ್ನಾರ್ಡ್ ಷಾ ನ ಮಾದರಿಯ ನಾಟಕವೊಂದನ್ನು ಓದಿದಂತಹ ಅನುಭವ ಆದದ್ದರ ನೆನಪಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಪ್ರಸ್ತುತ ಸಮಾಜದ ಒಂದು ಸ್ತರದ ಜನರ ವ್ಯವಹಾರಗಳ ನಡವಳಿಕೆಗಳ ಸೂಕ್ಷ್ಮ ಗ್ರಹಿಕೆ, ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ವೈವಿಧ್ಯಮಯ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳ ಸೂಕ್ತ ಅಭಿವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ಶೈಲಿ, ಸಮರ್ಪಕ ನುಡಿಕಟ್ಟುಗಳ ಬಳಕೆ ಇವೆಲ್ಲವುಗಳಲ್ಲೂ ನಾಟಕಕಾರನ ಪ್ರತಿಭೆ, ಬುದ್ಧಿ ಶಕ್ತಿಗಳು ಹೊರಹೊಮ್ಮುವುದನ್ನು ಕಾಣಬಹುದು.
ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರ ಚಿತ್ರ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಹಲವಾರು ಸಾಹಸಗಳು ಸಾಧನೆಗಳ ಬಗೆಗೆ "ಆಡಾಡತ ಆಯುಷ್ಯ" ದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಇದೆ. ಕನ್ನಡದ ಹೆಸರಾಂತ ಚಿತ್ರಗಳಾದ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ, ವಂಶವೃಕ್ಷ, ಕಾಡು, ಒಂದಾನೊಂದು ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ, ಕಾನೂರು ಹೆಗ್ಗಡಿತಿ ಮುಂತಾದವುಗಳ ಬಗೆಗೆ ಕುತೂಹಲಕರವಾದ ಹಾಗೂ ಖಾಸಗಿಯಾದ ವಿವರಗಳು ಸಿಗುತ್ತವೆ. ದೂರದರ್ಶನದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಮ್ಮೆ "ಒಂದಾನೊಂದು ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ" ಚಿತ್ರ ನೋಡುವಾಗ ಆ ಚಿತ್ರಕ್ಕೆ ಕಥೆ, ಚಿತ್ರಕಥೆ ನಿರ್ದೇಶನ ನೀಡಿದ್ದ ಗಿರೀಶ್ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರು ಹಾಗೂ ಅಭಿನಯ ನೀಡಿದ್ದ ಶಂಕರ ನಾಗ್, ಸುಂದರಕೃಷ್ಣ ಅರಸ್ ರ ಪ್ರತಿಭೆ ಅಚ್ಚರಿ ಮೂಡಿಸಿದ್ದು ನೆನಪಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಅದಕ್ಕೂ ಹಿಂದೆ ಡಿವಿಡಿ ಮೂಲಕ ನೋಡಿದ್ದ ಜಗತ್ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕ ಅಕಿರಾ ಕುರಸಾವನ "ರಾಶೋಮೊನ್" ಚಿತ್ರದ ಮಟ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ಏರುವ ಚಿತ್ರ ಇದೆಂದು ಅನಿಸಿತ್ತು .
"ಆಡಾಡತ ಆಯುಷ್ಯ" ದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರ ಬರವಣಿಗೆಯ ಶೈಲಿಯಂತೂ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಆಪ್ಯಾಯಮಾನ. ಅವರ ಆಯೀ, ಬಾಪ್ಪಾರ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಸಂಸಾರದ ವಿವರಗಳಿಂದ ಆರಂಭಿಸಿ, ತಮ್ಮ ಬಾಲ್ಯ ಕಾಲವನ್ನು ಕಳೆದ ಶಿರಸಿ, ಧಾರವಾಡಗಳ ಚಿತ್ರಣ, ಮುಂದೆ ಶಿಕ್ಷಣಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ತಾವು ಸಂದರ್ಶಿಸಿದ ಮುಂಬೈ, ಆಕ್ಸ್ ಫರ್ಡ್, ನಂತರ ವೃತ್ತಿಗಾಗಿ ಕಾಲ ಕಳೆದ ಮದ್ರಾಸು ಪುಣೆ ಇವುಗಳ ವಿವರ. ಪುಣೆಯ ಫಿಲಂ ಹಾಗೂ ಟೆಲಿವಿಜನ್ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯ ನಿರ್ದೇಶಕನ ವೃತ್ತಿಯ ಅನುಭವಗಳು ಹೀಗೇ ವೈವಿಧ್ಯಮಯ ವಿವರಗಳು. ಅನಗತ್ಯ ಸಂಭಾವಿತತನ, ಸೋಗು ತೋರದ ನಿತ್ಯ ಜೀವನದ ವರ್ಣನೆಗಳು.
ಧಾರವಾಡದ ಅದರಲ್ಲೂ ಸಾರಸ್ವತಪುರದ ವರ್ಣನೆಯಂತೂ ಆ ಬಡಾವಣೆಯ ಪರಿಚಯ ಇರುವವರಿಗೆ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಸ್ವಾರಸ್ಯಕರವೆನಿಸಬಹುದು. ಹುಬ್ಬಳ್ಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂಜಿನೀರಿಂಗ್ ಓದುವಾಗ ಆಗೀಗ ಹೋಗಿ ಬಂದಷ್ಟೇ ಧಾರವಾಡದ ಪರಿಚಯ ಇರುವ ನನಗೂ ಗಿರೀಶರು ನೀಡುವ ವಿವರಗಳು ಧಾರವಾಡದ ಒಂದು ಹೊಸ ನೋಟವನ್ನೇ ನೀಡಿದವು.
ಇದೀಗ ಎಪ್ಪತ್ತ ನಾಲ್ಕು ವರುಷಗಳು ತುಂಬಿರುವ ಗಿರೀಶರ ಮೊದಲ ಮೂವತ್ತೇಳು ವರುಷಗಳ ಆತ್ಮ-ಕತೆಗಳಷ್ಟೇ "ಆಡಾಡತ ಆಯುಷ್ಯ"ದ ಭಾಗವಾಗಿವೆ. ಇದರ ಉತ್ತರಾರ್ಧದ ಸೂಚನೆಯನ್ನು ಲೇಖಕರು ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಕಡೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೀಡಿದ್ದು, ಅಂತಹದ್ದೊಂದು ಭಾಗ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾದರೆ ಅದನ್ನು "ನೋಡ ನೋಡ್ತಾ ದಿನಮಾನ" ಎಂದು ಕರೆಯಬಹುದಾದ ಸಾಧ್ಯತೆಯ ಸೂಚನೆ ನೀಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ತಾವು ಮೆಚ್ಚಿದ ಬೇಂದ್ರೆ ಕವಿತೆ "ನನ್ನ ಕಿನ್ನರಿ" ಯ ಮೊದಲನೆ ಸಾಲು ("ನೋಡ ನೋಡ್ತಾ ದಿನಮಾನ ಆಡಾಡ್ತ ಆಯುಷ್ಯಾ") ಈ ಆತ್ಮ-ಕತೆಯ ಶೀರ್ಷಿಕೆಯಾಗಿರುವುದು ವಿಶೇಷ.
ಅಂತೂ ತುಂಬಾ ಆಸಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಓದಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ನನಗಂತೂ "ಓದ್ ಓದ್ತಾ ಅಂತ್ಯ" ಆದದ್ದೇ ತಿಳಿಯಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಇನ್ನು "ನೋಡ್ ನೋಡ್ತಾ ದಿನಮಾನ" ದ ಇದಿರು ನೋಡ್ತಾ ಇರುವುದೊಂದೇ ಸಾಧ್ಯತೆ.
For more reviews, see:
https://srikannadi.blogspot.com/
September 10, 2025
ಇದು ಓದಲೇಬೇಕಾದ ಪುಸ್ತಕ.
November 21, 2021
I picked up Karnad's "This Life at Play" after seeing a promotion of it on @harpercollinsin 's Instagram. I am glad it was on my timeline, I am glad I stopped by to read those few lines, and I am glad rather than just adding it to my ever expanding 'to read' list, I got a copy right away and started reading. There was never a dull moment while I was reading him. Or how can it be an ordinary experience to read a deeply genuine man - an iconic literary and cultural figure of Modern India, writing about his life - which is also a glimpse into an era gone by and to people we rever and admire?
I remember being awestruck by the brilliance of his few plays I have read, 'Nagamandala' and 'Hayavadana.' It was revealing to read the behind the scenes, not just in terms of what or how, but what schools, what philosophies, and what influences shaped these plays. It was fun reading about his Oxford days, the administrative chaos at FTII (while he was the Director) featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Raj Kapoor, Girish Kasaravalli and the likes. Above all, it was fascinating and equally nostalgic (on a personal level) to read about his childhood at Sirsi, the Sirsi that had no electricity, that had a "total undiluted darkness." Sirsi's many shades of darkness and the monsoon reminding me of the days I spent at my mother's house in North Kerala.
However, the story of his later years are missing here, partly because Karnad thinks those are too familiar to the public. True, for our generation a few of those years were right infront of us - inspiring and reassuring. As Raghu Karnad notes in the 'Afterword', here is the life of a man, who "for one generation was a prodigy, for another a heart-throb, for a third, a part of their intellectual upbringing, beamed into homes on Turning Point. For even younger Indians, he may be remembered as an anchor against a bleak tide pulling at their country for the past decade. As one Gen-Z reader described him: ‘Part of India’s intellectual legion, that guards its boundaries of dialogue and peace and narrative.’"
I remember being awestruck by the brilliance of his few plays I have read, 'Nagamandala' and 'Hayavadana.' It was revealing to read the behind the scenes, not just in terms of what or how, but what schools, what philosophies, and what influences shaped these plays. It was fun reading about his Oxford days, the administrative chaos at FTII (while he was the Director) featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Raj Kapoor, Girish Kasaravalli and the likes. Above all, it was fascinating and equally nostalgic (on a personal level) to read about his childhood at Sirsi, the Sirsi that had no electricity, that had a "total undiluted darkness." Sirsi's many shades of darkness and the monsoon reminding me of the days I spent at my mother's house in North Kerala.
However, the story of his later years are missing here, partly because Karnad thinks those are too familiar to the public. True, for our generation a few of those years were right infront of us - inspiring and reassuring. As Raghu Karnad notes in the 'Afterword', here is the life of a man, who "for one generation was a prodigy, for another a heart-throb, for a third, a part of their intellectual upbringing, beamed into homes on Turning Point. For even younger Indians, he may be remembered as an anchor against a bleak tide pulling at their country for the past decade. As one Gen-Z reader described him: ‘Part of India’s intellectual legion, that guards its boundaries of dialogue and peace and narrative.’"
October 23, 2021
Here is the life story of a man I am fond of, more so after reading his Nagamandala, and Tughlaq. All those mentions of places in Uttara Karnataka felt very nostalgic.
A very honest and plain writing, that was a pleasure to read.
A very honest and plain writing, that was a pleasure to read.
September 28, 2024
What a genius 😭 I mean, he was an extraordinary in every(which is too say MANY) field he ever worked in.
January 18, 2022
There is a unique pleasure in reading an autobiography that is honest and clear. This one is an outstanding read. I always respected Karnad as a playwright and an actor but this reflects his character as a person. A wonderful read - written in very conversational language. At at stage in the memoir, he is neither hiding anything nor preaching . No judgements - no points made. Very enjoyable journey into the life and thoughts of one of the greatest thinking actor of our times.
May 20, 2021
The book is a translation of Karnad's 2011 autobiography so a lot of the controversies that happened after don't figure here in case you were looking for that. It's a warm dense look at his life with a luxuriant, nostalgic yet critical gaze.
I wrote about the book and his legacy here:
https://www.filmcompanion.in/features...
I wrote about the book and his legacy here:
https://www.filmcompanion.in/features...
March 7, 2022
Interesting biography, at times Kannada words carry shades of English.
July 27, 2022
A brilliant memoir that gives one a front row seat to witness how Karnad's creative, literary pursuits shaped up right from his young days at Sirsi. Through his breezy story-telling Karnad creates a time machine that ports the reader to an India set-up in 1940s and you travel with him all through till the late 1980s. The memoir is so personal, that you feel you have been part of his life witnessing all key events at such close quarters.
The book is a treasure trove if one wants to understand the moral sentiments, believes, religion, customs and traditions, arts, music, literature, theater; all through the lens of new India with its colonial hangover. Every page offers phenomenal perspectives and thoughts to reflect upon. I particularly enjoyed learning about his time in Sirsi, Dharwad, and Oxford.
Young Karnad was thirsty for knowledge, never squandered his time and was always in pursuit of excellence in everything he did. A chain breaker who chose a less travelled path and made us all proud with his profound body of work. This memoir is unabashed, brutally honest and enthralling. A must read for all Indian literature fans!
The book is a treasure trove if one wants to understand the moral sentiments, believes, religion, customs and traditions, arts, music, literature, theater; all through the lens of new India with its colonial hangover. Every page offers phenomenal perspectives and thoughts to reflect upon. I particularly enjoyed learning about his time in Sirsi, Dharwad, and Oxford.
Young Karnad was thirsty for knowledge, never squandered his time and was always in pursuit of excellence in everything he did. A chain breaker who chose a less travelled path and made us all proud with his profound body of work. This memoir is unabashed, brutally honest and enthralling. A must read for all Indian literature fans!
April 15, 2024
...When it comes to understanding what a playwright is attempting with his craft, the ambitious failure is often more useful than a flawless play.
This Life at Play came to me as a beautiful coincidence. As a child, Karnad was always an actor I saw on screen in popular films. I was introduced to his plays much later, while doing my bachelor's. Having picked Naga-Mandala and then Hayavadana (an absolute favorite!), picking this book felt like a natural progression before moving onto his other works.
For autobiographies, the rating system simply does not work. I do not think I am capable of rating someone's life much less someone as objectively rad as Karnad. I've laughed at his anecdotes, learnt from his mistakes, and aspire, if not to save an artform like Koodiyattam, atleast, myself.
This was a delightful read. Not to mention, it made me aware of so much history of the artistic and cultural landscape of Karnataka.
PS. I AM JEALOUS THAT ONE OF KARNAD'S MENTORS WAS RAMANUJAN!
November 11, 2022
It was wonderful to read about Girish's life - especially his early life in Dharwad. That is definitely the most enjoyable part of the book. Even the writing from that section was more seamless that the other sections. I enjoyed reading about his college experiences and family life. The book loses steam a bit once his career begins in earnest. I would have loved to read more about how he crafted his early plays. The afterword by his children is a lovely conclusion to the memoir.
September 11, 2016
Not what I expected but a good read.
October 18, 2014
Read Marathi translation.
It speaks of memories of events and decisions. But it doesn't present any of the reflections on influences on author's mind /emotions /thought processes /creativity.
It speaks of memories of events and decisions. But it doesn't present any of the reflections on influences on author's mind /emotions /thought processes /creativity.
January 10, 2022
Why do people read memoirs? More precisely, why do I read memoirs? That is the question I have asked myself often, and recently too when I read Girish Karnad’s ‘This Life At Play.’
My interest in the life stories grew suddenly while I was working on a small assignment. It is customary for all Rotary Clubs to publish a directory of its members which typically includes information about the member and his/ her family, their anniversary and birthdays etc. The President of my Club wanted me to write a short introduction of each member in addition to the personal details. I interviewed forty-five members and those interviews lasted an hour or so, sometimes more too. Typically, each one began with some hesitation but soon the interviewee was unstoppable speaking about his or her life.
Each life, I realized, is full of amazing little stories which leave an indelible mark on the mind. As they spoke, they reflected on their life and many persons could take a dispassionate view of their not-so-happy moments. Another interesting point was that those who were past their sixty wondered if life was preordained. (Even the eminent jurist Nani Palkhivala thinks about it in his book). I have always wondered why the old men get to this viewpoint, and believe me, many high achievers, in their evening of life, take a deterministic view of life.
In a sense, artists like Girish Karnad differ from others because the reflection of their life is often clearly seen in their art. When you read memoirs of artists of repute like Girish Karnad, it becomes easy to understand such influence. In his well-known play ‘Yayati’, “the female characters are shown to be thinking beyond the bounds set by the dominant (misogynic) ideology” as one study puts it. He introduced a character ‘Chitralekha’ which is not found in the original story. She argues vehemently with Yayati and that part of the play is the climax. The inspiration to write plays with a social change message comes from his reading of Shaw. Arranged marriages of his brother and sister left a lasting impression on Karnad’s mind and those found expressions in his play ‘Wedding Album.’ Karnad links several such associations between episodes of his plays and his life experiences in his memoirs providing ample evidence that creative work is inspired by life.
Incidentally, Oscar Wilde held a contra-view and said, “life imitates art far more than art imitates life”, which is called ‘Anti-Mimesis’ view. I have not really looked at events and life stories from such a framework. I know a few persons who were deeply influenced by Ayn Rand’s classic The Fountainhead. The Guardian ( https://www.theguardian.com/books/201... ) says, ‘Her novel The Fountainhead is one of the few works of fiction that Donald Trump likes and she has long been the darling of the US right.’ If minds were influenced, as claimed here, then lives must have mirrored it. Such investigation will be an interesting exercise.
Karnad studied Maths with the only intention to score high marks in order to get a scholarship. He then developed great interest in it, and realized that at a certain level Maths and Philosophy speak the same language – similar words Fritjof Capra said about Physics and Philosophy in his book ‘The Tao of Physics.’ Intelligence they say lies in seeing commonality in disparate things.
Karnad comes across not just intelligent but a very conscientious and authentic person. (And in that sense, his memoirs differ so much from memoirs of screen personalities Dev Anand and V Shantaram which are essentially brand building exercises.) What makes Karnad’s memoirs interesting is that they are candid, describing the life and times of Saraswat community, the extraordinary people who interacted with him, his successes and some candid admissions. Written with them in the memoirs are quick reflections, making it a beautiful tapestry of narrative.
Unfortunately, the memoirs ‘This Life At Play’ are just half of the story. Just Part one. It covers his life up to a certain point. Karnad obviously did not write part two. In that sense it is incomplete. It’s like eating a Black Forest cake. One good chunk is satisfying, though we crave for another.
Paul Hayward wrote (in The Guardian, while reviewing Andre Agassi’s memoir ‘Open’ and advising readers ‘not to open’ it!), ‘If you write an authentic memoir, people call it boring. If you juice it up, people call it fake.’ There are exceptions and Girish Karnad’s memoirs are notable among them.
(‘This Life At Play’ was originally published in 2011 in Kannada, and English translation was published in May 2021. Published by HarperCollins. Kindle Ed Rs 192.)
Vivek S Patwardhan
"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others."
My interest in the life stories grew suddenly while I was working on a small assignment. It is customary for all Rotary Clubs to publish a directory of its members which typically includes information about the member and his/ her family, their anniversary and birthdays etc. The President of my Club wanted me to write a short introduction of each member in addition to the personal details. I interviewed forty-five members and those interviews lasted an hour or so, sometimes more too. Typically, each one began with some hesitation but soon the interviewee was unstoppable speaking about his or her life.
Each life, I realized, is full of amazing little stories which leave an indelible mark on the mind. As they spoke, they reflected on their life and many persons could take a dispassionate view of their not-so-happy moments. Another interesting point was that those who were past their sixty wondered if life was preordained. (Even the eminent jurist Nani Palkhivala thinks about it in his book). I have always wondered why the old men get to this viewpoint, and believe me, many high achievers, in their evening of life, take a deterministic view of life.
In a sense, artists like Girish Karnad differ from others because the reflection of their life is often clearly seen in their art. When you read memoirs of artists of repute like Girish Karnad, it becomes easy to understand such influence. In his well-known play ‘Yayati’, “the female characters are shown to be thinking beyond the bounds set by the dominant (misogynic) ideology” as one study puts it. He introduced a character ‘Chitralekha’ which is not found in the original story. She argues vehemently with Yayati and that part of the play is the climax. The inspiration to write plays with a social change message comes from his reading of Shaw. Arranged marriages of his brother and sister left a lasting impression on Karnad’s mind and those found expressions in his play ‘Wedding Album.’ Karnad links several such associations between episodes of his plays and his life experiences in his memoirs providing ample evidence that creative work is inspired by life.
Incidentally, Oscar Wilde held a contra-view and said, “life imitates art far more than art imitates life”, which is called ‘Anti-Mimesis’ view. I have not really looked at events and life stories from such a framework. I know a few persons who were deeply influenced by Ayn Rand’s classic The Fountainhead. The Guardian ( https://www.theguardian.com/books/201... ) says, ‘Her novel The Fountainhead is one of the few works of fiction that Donald Trump likes and she has long been the darling of the US right.’ If minds were influenced, as claimed here, then lives must have mirrored it. Such investigation will be an interesting exercise.
Karnad studied Maths with the only intention to score high marks in order to get a scholarship. He then developed great interest in it, and realized that at a certain level Maths and Philosophy speak the same language – similar words Fritjof Capra said about Physics and Philosophy in his book ‘The Tao of Physics.’ Intelligence they say lies in seeing commonality in disparate things.
Karnad comes across not just intelligent but a very conscientious and authentic person. (And in that sense, his memoirs differ so much from memoirs of screen personalities Dev Anand and V Shantaram which are essentially brand building exercises.) What makes Karnad’s memoirs interesting is that they are candid, describing the life and times of Saraswat community, the extraordinary people who interacted with him, his successes and some candid admissions. Written with them in the memoirs are quick reflections, making it a beautiful tapestry of narrative.
Unfortunately, the memoirs ‘This Life At Play’ are just half of the story. Just Part one. It covers his life up to a certain point. Karnad obviously did not write part two. In that sense it is incomplete. It’s like eating a Black Forest cake. One good chunk is satisfying, though we crave for another.
Paul Hayward wrote (in The Guardian, while reviewing Andre Agassi’s memoir ‘Open’ and advising readers ‘not to open’ it!), ‘If you write an authentic memoir, people call it boring. If you juice it up, people call it fake.’ There are exceptions and Girish Karnad’s memoirs are notable among them.
(‘This Life At Play’ was originally published in 2011 in Kannada, and English translation was published in May 2021. Published by HarperCollins. Kindle Ed Rs 192.)
Vivek S Patwardhan
"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others."
March 12, 2025
I read my first Karnad play about 2 or 3 years ago. Ironically, it was Crossing to Talikota, the last play that he wrote. I loved it so much that I went ahead and read more plays like Tughlaq and Hayavadana. I had grown up watching Malgudi Days and his movies, and now I had become a fan of his plays too. Karnad’s memoir “This Life at Play” promised to tell me more about the playwright himself and I plunged into it with anticipation.
Part memoir, part cultural history, this autobiography, translated from Kannada by Karnad himself along with Srinath Perur, begins with the extraordinary story of his mother, Kuttabai, a widow who was a rebel. She defied societal norms to marry a man already in a polygamous relationship. This unconventional beginning immediately drew me in and also set the tone for a story that vibrates with the undercurrent of a refusal to conform.
The early sections, recounting his childhood in Sirsi, are particularly captivating. Karnad’s vivid recollections of monsoon-soaked days, power outages, and the oral storytelling tradition that deeply influenced him are a delight to read. He describes Sirsi as a place of “total undiluted darkness” and observes that we don’t get that kind of darkness anymore. I thought that was a masterstroke - in that line he summarises the way modernity has brought light but taken out some of it too in a different way.
We then follow Karnad through his education in Dharwad, Bombay, and later Oxford, where his exposure to diverse schools of thought, literature, and theater grows and widens, setting the stage for his masterpieces. This flows into the middle section of the book, which focuses a lot on the making of two of his most lauded movies - Vamsha Vriksha and Samskara. I’ve watched Vamsha Vriksha, and remember seeing a very young, firebrand actor named Sampath Kumar who later went on to become Vishnuvardhan, one of Kannada cinema’s most beloved actors. Karnad shares the story of how the movie came to introduce Vishnuvardhan to the world, which makes for interesting reading.
Karnad talks about the pettiness, large-heartedness, misunderstandings, and kindnesses among the crew members who are also friends with unreserved honesty. It made me feel as if I was watching everything unfold in front of me and felt so real that it compelled me to look up many of the people and places he mentions.
The third and last section of the book focuses on his days as the Director of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). He talks about launching actors like Amrish Puri and Om Puri, encouraging young directors like Girish Kasaravalli (I loved his movie, “Dweepa”) and about the internal politics he had to deal with. By ending the memoir before delving into his later years, Karnad left me yearning for more. Sadly, he passed away before he could write more, as Perur notes.
This memoir is a treasure trove and a must-read, especially if you’re familiar with Karnad’s works.
Part memoir, part cultural history, this autobiography, translated from Kannada by Karnad himself along with Srinath Perur, begins with the extraordinary story of his mother, Kuttabai, a widow who was a rebel. She defied societal norms to marry a man already in a polygamous relationship. This unconventional beginning immediately drew me in and also set the tone for a story that vibrates with the undercurrent of a refusal to conform.
The early sections, recounting his childhood in Sirsi, are particularly captivating. Karnad’s vivid recollections of monsoon-soaked days, power outages, and the oral storytelling tradition that deeply influenced him are a delight to read. He describes Sirsi as a place of “total undiluted darkness” and observes that we don’t get that kind of darkness anymore. I thought that was a masterstroke - in that line he summarises the way modernity has brought light but taken out some of it too in a different way.
We then follow Karnad through his education in Dharwad, Bombay, and later Oxford, where his exposure to diverse schools of thought, literature, and theater grows and widens, setting the stage for his masterpieces. This flows into the middle section of the book, which focuses a lot on the making of two of his most lauded movies - Vamsha Vriksha and Samskara. I’ve watched Vamsha Vriksha, and remember seeing a very young, firebrand actor named Sampath Kumar who later went on to become Vishnuvardhan, one of Kannada cinema’s most beloved actors. Karnad shares the story of how the movie came to introduce Vishnuvardhan to the world, which makes for interesting reading.
Karnad talks about the pettiness, large-heartedness, misunderstandings, and kindnesses among the crew members who are also friends with unreserved honesty. It made me feel as if I was watching everything unfold in front of me and felt so real that it compelled me to look up many of the people and places he mentions.
The third and last section of the book focuses on his days as the Director of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). He talks about launching actors like Amrish Puri and Om Puri, encouraging young directors like Girish Kasaravalli (I loved his movie, “Dweepa”) and about the internal politics he had to deal with. By ending the memoir before delving into his later years, Karnad left me yearning for more. Sadly, he passed away before he could write more, as Perur notes.
This memoir is a treasure trove and a must-read, especially if you’re familiar with Karnad’s works.
October 10, 2025
“ಆಡಾಡತ ಆಯುಷ್ಯ-ಗಿರೀಶ್ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡ, ಬದುಕು ಎಲ್ಲರದ್ದೂ ಒಂದೇ, ಕಷ್ಟ ಪಟ್ಟರೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಎಲ್ಲವ�� ಒದಗಿ ಬರುತ್ತೆ. ಮುಖ್ಯ ವಿಷಯ ಏನಂದ್ರೆ ಚಿಕ್ಕ ವಯಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲೇ ನಾವು ಏನಾಗಬೇಕು ಅನ್ನೋ ತಿಳಿವಳಿಕೆ ಅರಿವು ಇರಬೇಕು, ಅದೇತರಹ ವಾತಾವರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಳೆಯಬೇಕು ಮತ್ತು ಅದೇ ಗುರಿಯ ಕಡೆಗೆ ಶತಪ್ರಯತ್ನಗಳು ನಡಿತಿರಬೇಕು.”
“ಪ್ರತಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಗೂ ಕರ್ತೃ ತಂದೆ-ತಾಯಿನೇ, ಆದರೆ ಇತ್ತೇಚೆಗೆ ವೈದ್ಯಕೀಯ ವೃತ್ತಿಯವರದೇ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಪಾತ್ರವಾಗಿದೆ, ಅಂತಹ ವೈದ್ಯರ ತಡ ಆಗಮನದಿಂದ ಗರ್ಭದಲ್ಲೇ ಬದುಕುಳಿದ ಭ್ರೂಣವು ಗಣ್ಯವ್ಯಕತಿಯಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆಂದು ಯಾರಿಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತು. ಇದನ್ನೇ ಮುನ್ನುಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ದಾಖಲಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರು”
“ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರ ತುಗಲಕ್, ತಲೆದಂಡ, ಹಯವದನ, ಯಯಾತಿ, ನಾಗಮಂಡಲ, ಬೆಂಕಿ ಮತ್ತು ಮಳೆ, ಹಿಟ್ಟಿನ ಹುಂಜ .. ನಾಟಕಗಳನ್ನು ಓದಿ ಅವರ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಕ್ರಿಯೆಯ ಪ್ರಪಂಚಕ್ಕೆ ತಲೆದೂಗಿದ್ದೆ ಇತ್ತೇಚೆಗೆ ಅವರ ಕೆಲವು ನಾಟಕಗಳನ್ನು ನೋಡಿದಾಗ ಅವರಮೇಲಿದ್ದ ಕೌತುಕತೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿ ಇವರ ಆತ್ಮಕಥೆಯನ್ನು ಕೈಗೆತ್ತುಕೊಂಡೆ.”
“ಇವರ ಒಡನಾಟದ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಗಳು ಅಷ್ಟೇ, ವಿ.ಕೃ ಗೋಕಾಕ್, ಕೀರ್ತಿನಾಥ ಕುರ್ತುಕೋಟಿ, ದ.ರಾ ಬೇಂದ್ರೆ, ಬಿ.ವಿ ಕಾರಂತ, ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಆಲನಹಳ್ಳಿ, ಎ.ಕೆ ರಾಮಾನುಜನ್, ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿ, ಗಿರೀಶ್ ಕಾಸರವಳ್ಳಿ, ನಸ್ರುದ್ದೀನ್ ಶಾ ಹೀಗೆ ಹಲವು ಕನ್ನಡದ ಪ್ರಮುಖರು “.
“ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ತಂದೆ-ತಾಯಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಇರುವ ನಿಷ್ಕಲ್ಮಶ ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಕೃತಿಯ ಉದ್ದಕ್ಕೂ ಹಾಸುಹೊಕ್ಕಾಗಿದೆ. ಇವರ ಕೌಟುಂಬಿಕ ಜೀವನ, ಶಿಕ್ಷಣಾಭ್ಯಾಸ, ವಿದೇಶಿಪ್ರವಾಸದಿಂದ ಹಿಡಿದು ಅನೈತಿಕ ಸಂಬಂಧದ ಬಗ್ಗೆಯೂ ಬರೆದ ಆತ್ಮಕಥೆ. ಆಕ್ಸ್ಫರ್ಡ್ ನಲ್ಲಿನ ವಿದ್ಯಾಭ್ಯಾಸ ನಿಜಕ್ಕೂ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆಯ ವಿಷಯವೆಂದು ಎಲ್ಲೂ ಉಲ್ಲೇಖಿಸಿಲ್ಲ, ಬದಲಾಗಿ ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ವಿದ್ಯಾಭ್ಯಾಸ ಹೇಗೆ ಅವರ ಜೀವನದ ಮೇಲೆ ಪರಿಣಾಮ ಬೀರಿ, ಜೀವನವನ್ನೇ ಉನ್ನತ ಮಟ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ಒಯ್ಯುತ್ತದೆಂದು ದಾಖಲಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.”
“ನಾಟಕಗಳ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಕ್ರೆಯನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಮಹತ್ವಗೊಳಿಸಿ ಕನ್ನಡದ ವಿಶಿಷ್ಟ ನಾಟಕಕಾರ ಹಾಗೂ ಸಿನಿಮಾ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞನಾಗಿ ಹಲವು ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಒಳಗೊಂಡಂತೆ ಜ್ಞಾನಪೀಠವನ್ನು ಸಹ ಕನ್ನಡಕ್ಕೆ ತಂದುಕೊಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
“ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ, ಕಾಡು, ವಂಶವೃಕ್ಷ, ಕಾನೂರು ಹೆಗ್ಗಡಿತಿ ಚಿತ್ರೀಕರಣದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕೆಲವು ಮುಖ್ಯ ಸಂಗತಿಗಳನ್ನು ದಾಖಲಿಸಿದ್ದರೂ ನಾಟಕದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಇದ್ದ ಪ್ರೀತಿ, ಒಲವು ಎಲ್ಲೂ ಕಮ್ಮಿ ಆಗಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ತೋರ್ಪಡಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.”
“ನಾಟಕ ಮತ್ತು ಕಲಾತ್ಮಕ ಸಿನಿಮಾಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಅವರ ಮನಸ್ಥಿತಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ತಿಳಿಯಬೇಕನ್ನುವರು ಈ ಕೃತಿಯನ್ನು ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಓದಬಹುದು.”
“ಈ ಕೃತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ದಾಖಲಿಸಿರುವುದು ಇವರ ೩೭ ವರ್ಷದ ಅನುಭವವಷ್ಟೇ, ೭೦ ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಗೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಬದುಕಿರುವ ಇವರು ಮತ್ತಷ್ಟು ವಿವರಗಳನ್ನು ದಾಖಲಿಸಿದ್ದರೆ ಬೃಹತ್ ಗ್ರಂಥವಾಗುತ್ತಿತ್ತು.”
-ಭರತ್ ಎಂ
ಓದಿದ್ದು ೧೧.೦೪.೨೦೨೫
“ಪ್ರತಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಗೂ ಕರ್ತೃ ತಂದೆ-ತಾಯಿನೇ, ಆದರೆ ಇತ್ತೇಚೆಗೆ ವೈದ್ಯಕೀಯ ವೃತ್ತಿಯವರದೇ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಪಾತ್ರವಾಗಿದೆ, ಅಂತಹ ವೈದ್ಯರ ತಡ ಆಗಮನದಿಂದ ಗರ್ಭದಲ್ಲೇ ಬದುಕುಳಿದ ಭ್ರೂಣವು ಗಣ್ಯವ್ಯಕತಿಯಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆಂದು ಯಾರಿಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತು. ಇದನ್ನೇ ಮುನ್ನುಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ದಾಖಲಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರು”
“ಕಾರ್ನಾಡರ ತುಗಲಕ್, ತಲೆದಂಡ, ಹಯವದನ, ಯಯಾತಿ, ನಾಗಮಂಡಲ, ಬೆಂಕಿ ಮತ್ತು ಮಳೆ, ಹಿಟ್ಟಿನ ಹುಂಜ .. ನಾಟಕಗಳನ್ನು ಓದಿ ಅವರ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಕ್ರಿಯೆಯ ಪ್ರಪಂಚಕ್ಕೆ ತಲೆದೂಗಿದ್ದೆ ಇತ್ತೇಚೆಗೆ ಅವರ ಕೆಲವು ನಾಟಕಗಳನ್ನು ನೋಡಿದಾಗ ಅವರಮೇಲಿದ್ದ ಕೌತುಕತೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿ ಇವರ ಆತ್ಮಕಥೆಯನ್ನು ಕೈಗೆತ್ತುಕೊಂಡೆ.”
“ಇವರ ಒಡನಾಟದ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಗಳು ಅಷ್ಟೇ, ವಿ.ಕೃ ಗೋಕಾಕ್, ಕೀರ್ತಿನಾಥ ಕುರ್ತುಕೋಟಿ, ದ.ರಾ ಬೇಂದ್ರೆ, ಬಿ.ವಿ ಕಾರಂತ, ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಆಲನಹಳ್ಳಿ, ಎ.ಕೆ ರಾಮಾನುಜನ್, ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿ, ಗಿರೀಶ್ ಕಾಸರವಳ್ಳಿ, ನಸ್ರುದ್ದೀನ್ ಶಾ ಹೀಗೆ ಹಲವು ಕನ್ನಡದ ಪ್ರಮುಖರು “.
“ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ತಂದೆ-ತಾಯಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಇರುವ ನಿಷ್ಕಲ್ಮಶ ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಕೃತಿಯ ಉದ್ದಕ್ಕೂ ಹಾಸುಹೊಕ್ಕಾಗಿದೆ. ಇವರ ಕೌಟುಂಬಿಕ ಜೀವನ, ಶಿಕ್ಷಣಾಭ್ಯಾಸ, ವಿದೇಶಿಪ್ರವಾಸದಿಂದ ಹಿಡಿದು ಅನೈತಿಕ ಸಂಬಂಧದ ಬಗ್ಗೆಯೂ ಬರೆದ ಆತ್ಮಕಥೆ. ಆಕ್ಸ್ಫರ್ಡ್ ನಲ್ಲಿನ ವಿದ್ಯಾಭ್ಯಾಸ ನಿಜಕ್ಕೂ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆಯ ವಿಷಯವೆಂದು ಎಲ್ಲೂ ಉಲ್ಲೇಖಿಸಿಲ್ಲ, ಬದಲಾಗಿ ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ವಿದ್ಯಾಭ್ಯಾಸ ಹೇಗೆ ಅವರ ಜೀವನದ ಮೇಲೆ ಪರಿಣಾಮ ಬೀರಿ, ಜೀವನವನ್ನೇ ಉನ್ನತ ಮಟ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ಒಯ್ಯುತ್ತದೆಂದು ದಾಖಲಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ.”
“ನಾಟಕಗಳ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಕ್ರೆಯನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಮಹತ್ವಗೊಳಿಸಿ ಕನ್ನಡದ ವಿಶಿಷ್ಟ ನಾಟಕಕಾರ ಹಾಗೂ ಸಿನಿಮಾ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞನಾಗಿ ಹಲವು ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಒಳಗೊಂಡಂತೆ ಜ್ಞಾನಪೀಠವನ್ನು ಸಹ ಕನ್ನಡಕ್ಕೆ ತಂದುಕೊಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
“ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ, ಕಾಡು, ವಂಶವೃಕ್ಷ, ಕಾನೂರು ಹೆಗ್ಗಡಿತಿ ಚಿತ್ರೀಕರಣದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕೆಲವು ಮುಖ್ಯ ಸಂಗತಿಗಳನ್ನು ದಾಖಲಿಸಿದ್ದರೂ ನಾಟಕದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಇದ್ದ ಪ್ರೀತಿ, ಒಲವು ಎಲ್ಲೂ ಕಮ್ಮಿ ಆಗಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ತೋರ್ಪಡಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.”
“ನಾಟಕ ಮತ್ತು ಕಲಾತ್ಮಕ ಸಿನಿಮಾಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಅವರ ಮನಸ್ಥಿತಿಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ತಿಳಿಯಬೇಕನ್ನುವರು ಈ ಕೃತಿಯನ್ನು ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಓದಬಹುದು.”
“ಈ ಕೃತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ದಾಖಲಿಸಿರುವುದು ಇವರ ೩೭ ವರ್ಷದ ಅನುಭವವಷ್ಟೇ, ೭೦ ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಗೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಬದುಕಿರುವ ಇವರು ಮತ್ತಷ್ಟು ವಿವರಗಳನ್ನು ದಾಖಲಿಸಿದ್ದರೆ ಬೃಹತ್ ಗ್ರಂಥವಾಗುತ್ತಿತ್ತು.”
-ಭರತ್ ಎಂ
ಓದಿದ್ದು ೧೧.೦೪.೨೦೨೫
August 19, 2021
Girish Karnad grew up amidst the culturally rich tapestry of life in Karnataka, then part of the Bombay Presidency. He achieved great prominence when still young through sheer personal perseverance. He was fortunate to have great mentors and teachers who encouraged him in his pursuits.
Once, his brother-in-law later asked him, "All the books, writers, works of art and anecdotes you brought up were from the Western context. Do you have absolutely no familiarity with Indian culture?’ At that time, Girish Karnad could not think of anything to say. But he overcame what he considered his "intellectual limitations" and his life's works are a testimony to how he faced this challenge with aplomb.
Sometimes, memoirs tend to create a picture one doesn't expect. I found him lacking in sensitivity when he begins his narrative with an episode from his mother's life, over which the poor lady may not have had any control. His tone is one of entitlement and I missed the humility which I had associated with him, based on the characters he portrayed on screen. Some parts of the narrative are very detailed and I found it difficult to keep pace with the myriad personalities he speaks about.
Finally or sadly, I didn't find it inspiring and the book left me with a feeling of disappointment.
Some points to ponder from the book:
*"A poem is a vehicle for conveying emotion and not for displaying punditry."
*"The other element we have lost along with the world of complete darkness is an abundance of stories.”
August 25, 2024
It is a translation of Girish Karnad's autobiography written in Kannada.
What he says about his childhood gives us a glimpse of life in rural Karnataka. He describes the atmosphere in London where he went for his studies. This is followed by a description of his experiences working at OUP and with movie makers in India. He also writes about the dramas he wrote and how popular they became.
An interesting thing about this autobiography is that the author remembers a great number of people and places he came in contact with from his childhood to the age of seventy-five. (Example: He lodged at Hotel W on street X in city Y where someone came to meet him from town Z. W, X, Y, and Z are never mentioned again anywhere in the book). It’s intriguing how he recalls specific people and places with such precision, which can indicate both his personal attachment to these experiences and his meticulous nature.
Still, it seems he has not mentioned most of the movies he worked in but whose names are available in a Wikipedia article. So, though he spoke at length about his experiences and opinions about art films, it seems he has avoided talking about his direct experiences while working for mainstream or commercial movies. This is a gap in the autobiography.
Also, the translation of the autobiography into Marathi could have been better.
What he says about his childhood gives us a glimpse of life in rural Karnataka. He describes the atmosphere in London where he went for his studies. This is followed by a description of his experiences working at OUP and with movie makers in India. He also writes about the dramas he wrote and how popular they became.
An interesting thing about this autobiography is that the author remembers a great number of people and places he came in contact with from his childhood to the age of seventy-five. (Example: He lodged at Hotel W on street X in city Y where someone came to meet him from town Z. W, X, Y, and Z are never mentioned again anywhere in the book). It’s intriguing how he recalls specific people and places with such precision, which can indicate both his personal attachment to these experiences and his meticulous nature.
Still, it seems he has not mentioned most of the movies he worked in but whose names are available in a Wikipedia article. So, though he spoke at length about his experiences and opinions about art films, it seems he has avoided talking about his direct experiences while working for mainstream or commercial movies. This is a gap in the autobiography.
Also, the translation of the autobiography into Marathi could have been better.
March 17, 2022
I remember seeing Girish Karnad in the movie Shankar Dada while in school. I never thought I would be reading this memoir covering half his life.
Girish Karnad is rare among a rare breed of people who managed to be progressive for over half a century, lived long enough to be loved as a playwright, celebrated as an independent film-maker, liked as an actor, and finally branded an urban naxal. He manages to be comfortable with western Ideas while being deeply Indian, touching many taboo subjects like religion, caste, gender, and sex from a deeply Indian root.
Half his life it may be, the frankness and honesty of most things in his life concluding with his marriage is a delightful read for anyone. It does tend to bore you when you are not as eager about some parts of his life as he is after several decades.
Girish Karnad is rare among a rare breed of people who managed to be progressive for over half a century, lived long enough to be loved as a playwright, celebrated as an independent film-maker, liked as an actor, and finally branded an urban naxal. He manages to be comfortable with western Ideas while being deeply Indian, touching many taboo subjects like religion, caste, gender, and sex from a deeply Indian root.
Half his life it may be, the frankness and honesty of most things in his life concluding with his marriage is a delightful read for anyone. It does tend to bore you when you are not as eager about some parts of his life as he is after several decades.
November 16, 2022
This is a translation from Kannada by Srinath Perur. It covers the first half of GK's remarkable life-from his childhood in Sirsi and his early engagement with local theatre, his education in Dharwad, Bombay, and Oxford, his career in OUP, his experiences with the film industry both as an actor and as a director, his stint as Director of FTII. He won numerous awards. GK is very candid in his memoirs - his outbursts, his pettiness, his brief affairs, his boasts - everything is described in detail. The narration is very simple and direct. His brilliance and leadership qualities is evident. He is also lucky- being at the right place at the right time eg I do not rate him as a good actor but he gets leading roles in movies that do well at the box office. A very fascinating read of a very fascinating man.
September 11, 2021
The really interesting part of the memoir is the description of the times in which it is set - a generation growing up in a young nation, trying to find and create its own voice, in theatre, in film, in literature, learning from the world’s best, yet never giving up on their homegrown roots. It’s a fascinating set of people Karnad writes about - a virtual who’s who of the poets, writers and filmmakers who matter when we look at modern India’s cultural foundation. The book also makes me want to revisit some favourite plays - Tughlak, Yayati, Hayavadana. And explore some classic Kannada cinema I have never seen - Samsara, Kaadu, Vamsa Vriksha. It’s a straightforward telling, frank and candid, insightful and observant. Worth a read.
September 6, 2022
This was one book I finished reading, and knew I had to re-read again. What a refreshing read!
Not only was Girish Karnad's life inspiring, it was full and ripe of intelligent and conscious thinking brought in by literature, plays, dance forms, theatre and his own intellect. The book also sets context with his vivid description of his simple childhood set in different parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka and takes you along his journey into his life, with him as the narrator. The beauty of it - his achievements are never described against severe struggles, or upheavals. He knew what he wanted, and he did it. And yet, the weight of his words linger on your mind and make you question your choices.
What a beautiful life, and what a beautiful life lived.
Not only was Girish Karnad's life inspiring, it was full and ripe of intelligent and conscious thinking brought in by literature, plays, dance forms, theatre and his own intellect. The book also sets context with his vivid description of his simple childhood set in different parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka and takes you along his journey into his life, with him as the narrator. The beauty of it - his achievements are never described against severe struggles, or upheavals. He knew what he wanted, and he did it. And yet, the weight of his words linger on your mind and make you question your choices.
What a beautiful life, and what a beautiful life lived.
July 3, 2024
Picked this up during the pandemic and somehow left it after the first few chapters. More recently, I had been to a screening of the movie Sanskara, the reason I decided to give it another try. While this is not among the best memoirs I have come across, this is a must-read for fans of Kannada theatre and cinema. The sections on Girish appearing in front of the Rhodes committee, making the movie Sanskara and his tenure at the FTII are fascinating. The initial few chapters are a bit of a hard read.
October 31, 2024
It is indeed unfortunate that we will never get to read part 2 of this fabulous memoir of an extremely gifted individual. My lens of GK was restricted to Bollywood and those few movies I saw him act in. I had no clue that he was already such a known name in the 70s.
Extremely well written and a super window into the lives of young Indians back then. This book truly leaves you wanting more.
A highly recommended read
Extremely well written and a super window into the lives of young Indians back then. This book truly leaves you wanting more.
A highly recommended read
August 12, 2021
What I understood was that he did whatever he enjoyed doing and whatever he wanted to with very less judgment of himself and of others. If that is not inspirational I don’t know what is. Itching to read his plays in their original Kannada.
November 15, 2021
Simply and unassumingly written (and beautifully translated into English by Perur) memoir of an icon of Indian theater and film scene. I found the first half of the book (till his leaving for Oxford) more interesting to read than the second.
December 11, 2021
I found it very nice — tracing the story of a young boy from small villages/ towns to a successful and acclaimed creative artist.
It is honest and includes the human traits of his feelings and reactions to certain events in his life.
Would recommend it totally.
It is honest and includes the human traits of his feelings and reactions to certain events in his life.
Would recommend it totally.
November 19, 2023
Having grown up watching him on TV, on our favourites Malgudi Days, Turning Point and Discovery of India, our parents always admiring his work, it seemed like he was approved extended family. Always in awe of his work and of his dignified conduct, this memoir was a pleasure to read. Thankyou, Sir.
May 26, 2021
This memoir consists of part of the life of Girish Karnad. Well written, translated. Honest in his approach in telling about his life and accepting his life as it happened and his qualities.
November 22, 2022
Such an engaging and informative read. It truly is a loss that we will never have another GK or a part 2.
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