More than activism, remember Girish Karnad for his work: Ramachandra Guha

Girish Karnad may have been among the priorities of many political and social actors, but this is not what Ramachandra Guha – – historian and his contemporary in the arts – would like to remember him for. Guha said the 81-year-old artist, who died today in a hospital in Bengaluru at around 6:30 am, was much more than the activism for which he was often one of the most popular activists. newspapers.

"I would rather like to remind Girish Karnad for his art, his genius and his know-how.We can all wave banners and scream, but he did so in a calm and dignified way up the end, even if he was sick, he was talking for peace and prosperity, cultural harmony, but let's not reduce him to an activist, we should remember Girish Karnad for the depth of his contributions ", he told NDTV.

Girish Karnad – a famous actor, author and director known for works like "Yayati", "Hayavadana" and "Tughlaq" – was a prominent figure in the Kannada literary scene and a recipient of several national awards, such as Padma Shri (1974), Padma Bhushan (1992) and the literary prize Jnanpith (1998). He has also repeatedly defended liberal causes, angering some and attracting the appreciation of others. According to state police, he figured prominently on the list of those accused of murdering Kannada activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh in September 2017.

M. Guha however stated that he would rather remember this late literary figure who would be a "colossus". "Arts." Girish Karnad was unique in the world of Indian arts, culture and civilization because of the wide range of disciplines that he covered. He could mix North India and South India, folk and clbadical, popular among scholars. He spoke six languages, he was a writer. , actor, playwright, "he said.

According to the historian, the greatness of Girish Karnad lies in his mastery of the arts in all its diversity." Apart from the corpus of his work, of What he did and what he knew, no one incarnated Indian culture and civilization in his wealth and diversity like him. So I would say it's a profound cultural loss for all of us. "Said Mr. Guha.

While Girish Karnad was working in Kannada and Hindi films as a comedian, writer, and filmmaker, one of his most memorable roles was that of Swami's father in the film's television adaptation. Malgudi from RK Narayan ". Days. "Outside of work, he used his literary skills as a platform to fight religious fundamentalism and protect freedom of expression.He was among 200 writers from across the country to have written an open letter against "hate politics" in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections

Many prominent figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind, expressed their condolences after the announcement of the death of Girish Karnad: While Prime Minister Modi remembered him for his "multi-role play" and his pbadion for the "causes that were dear to him", the president said the cultural world had become "poorer" "Due to his disappearance, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that India had lost a" beloved son ", but his memory will remain alive in his work.