Bengaluru: Jnanpith Award winner Girish Karnad was one of the most noted playwrights in India. He wrote his first play, the critically acclaimed ‘Yayati’ (1961), while still at Oxford. Centred on the story of a mythological king, the play established Karnad’s use of the themes of history and mythology. Karnad’s next play, ‘Tughlaq’ (1964), tells the story of the 14th-century sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq and remains among the best known of his works.
Karnad has written numerous plays in Kannada and is considered one of Kannada literature’s foremost playwrights. Apart from ‘Yayati’, his other most popular plays were ‘Hayavadana’ in 1972 and ‘Nagamandala’ in 1988. ‘Tughlaq’ made Karnad a name to reckon with among playwrights in the country.
