logo
A new book documents Girish Karnad's cinematic journey

A new book documents Girish Karnad's cinematic journey

The Hindu16-06-2025
'There are plenty of books that celebrate Girish Karnad's contributions as a playwright and theatre director, but his celluloid journey has been vastly ignored. There is no documentation of it,' says Muralidhara Khajane, senior journalist and the author of the book, Karnad Kaleidoscope (published by Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy and edited by another senior journalist M.K. Shankar. The book was first released at BIFFES-2025 in March by Sadhu Kokila, chairman of Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy and at Suchitra Film Society in April. This is Muralidhara's second book, his first is Random Reflections — A Kaleidoscopic Musings on Kannada Cinema, also published by Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy and co-authored with Subrahmanyan Vishwanath.
Sharing the whys and hows behind the book, Muralidhara says 'I never planned to write a book on Girish or any other personality. In fact, I never dreamt of writing a book, simply because it is tiring to chase publishers.' Karnad Kaleidoscope, he adds, 'happened after a long-drawn process. It includes many of my interactions with Girish during my journalistic years.'
Muralidhara goes back in time and recalls his association with the renowned actor and playwright. 'I was introduced to Girish in 1984 at the office of the Bengaluru-basedVaara Patrike (a Kannada weekly) by its Editor B.V. Vaikunataraja, who was also a playwright and screenplay writer. I was enamoured by Girish's personality and intellect. Soon after, Vaikuntaraju asked me to write a piece on Girish. I was nervous since I was a novice; but my Editor insisted.'
Muralidhara next went to meet Girish for the article. 'Girish realised that I had not only watched his films, but had also read the books they were adapted from. So the interview went on smoothly.'
The math of creativity
'Girish was a commerce student who took to cinema. He learnt the craft on-the-go. When he was asked to make a documentary on Da Ra Bendre, he went to FTII (Film and Television Institute of India), Pune, and watched 65 documentaries, and read books on filmmaking. There is so much more about Girish that could not be compressed into this book. At that time, there were directors, composers, and screenplay writers with new perspectives, out to make their mark. Hence, their films felt different. Girish's Samskara was one such — an iconic film.'
Karnad Kaleidoscope documents Girish's journey from Samskara to Kanooru Heggadithi, which was his last. The book also includes the classic Utsav, directed by Girish and produced by Shashi Kapoor. There are interesting anecdotes shared by actors, writers, and cinematographers, including B.V. Karanth and L.V. Sharada, who worked with Girish. 'The idea was to present his cinematic journey chronologically, giving the reader a peek into the behind-the-scenes. My years as a journalist at The Hindu and the stories I wrote about Girish and his works then helped me write this book,' says Khajane.
After the first meeting, Girish and Muralidhara met often. 'We would discuss literature, theatre and cinema. A few years later, I asked Girish if I could write a book on him. He refused straightaway saying, 'I will write one myself'.'
Girish's health started deteriorating, 'despite this, he gave The Hindu an interview, which turned out to be his last. After the interview, Girish asked me to meet him again, alone, and that is when he asked me if I was still keen to write a book on him and that I could go ahead. 'I do not think I can, but can share my notes with you for your book,' he said. I was moved because he was generous to me,' says an emotional Murlidhara, who started writing the book during the pandemic. 'The best part of the book are the photographs. Since I worked with The Hindu, I was able to access them from the newspaper's archives.'
The midas touch
Says M.K. Shankar, 'Karnad Kaleidscope is a result of an organic evolution over the years and not a result of an impulsive decision. Having worked as a film journalist, Murlidhara delves deeply into Girish's creations as a filmmaker and brings together varied aspects of his distinct style. Hence, 'Kaleidoscope' in the title.'
According to Shankar, who teaches Hindustani music and writes and directs plays, 'the book can be divided into three parts — Girish's filmography, people who worked with him in films and his unfinished works.'
'When he passed away, Girish had scripts for over 25 films ready. He always thought in terms of script first,' says Murlidhara.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The Godfather of metal takes his final bow
The Godfather of metal takes his final bow

Time of India

time8 hours ago

  • Time of India

The Godfather of metal takes his final bow

A voice like thunder, a heart that beat for rock, and a spirit that never stayed down — John Michael 'Ozzy' Osbourne or rather, the Prince of Darkness, who rose from the working-class neighbourhoods of Birmingham to become a global legend, has passed away at the age of 76. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now His early life was marked by hardship, mischief, and music. A high school dropout with a stint in prison behind him, Ozzy's path seemed uncertain until he found his true calling in 1968 when he co-founded Black Sabbath. With their debut album, Black Sabbath, that was released in 1970, the band essentially created heavy metal as a genre. Ozzy wasn't just the frontman of Black Sabbath, he was a symbol of rebellion, of survival, of music that refused to be tamed. His infamous on-stage antics — from biting the head off a bat to urinating on the Alamo — shocked the world and built the mythos of a man both revered and ridiculed. Osbourne's solo career took flight in the 1980s, further cementing his reputation as a rock god. Ozzy Osbourne's impact on music is beyond metal; it is colossal. Sure, there were battles with addiction, and some difficult chapters, but he never stopped bringing us joy through music. So many of us picked up instruments because we heard Ozzy or Black Sabbath and felt something click. For me, it wasn't only his vocal style but also his spirit, his bluesy roots and his ability to turn darkness into fun, which served as an inspiration. Ozzy's legacy is a reminder to us to keep doing what we love, despite the setbacks Bruce Lee Mani, a Bengaluru-based musician and frontman of Thermal and a Quarter Albums like Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman became classics, while hits like Crazy Train and Mr Crowley turned him into a household name. Later, a new generation came to know him through The Osbournes, a reality show that pulled back the curtain on the chaotic and oddly wholesome life of the rocker and his family – his wife Sharon, and his children Aimee, Kelly and Jack. Behind the wild headlines and chaotic shows was a man who loved deeply — his family, his fans, and the music that saved him. He fought addiction, illness, and his demons, always returning to the mic, in his seventies, like it was home. Ozzy didn't just sing about darkness. He walked through it and somehow came out glowing. As the world dims its lights, the echoes of Ozzy's growl and Sabbath's heavy riffs will ring on eternally. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The eyeliner, the shuffling walk, the voice that was both chaos and charm - Ozzy blurred the lines between legend and lovable lunatic. He was a pop culture phenomenon — wild, weird and unforgettable. OZZY IN POP CULTURE 1970 – Birth of Black Sabbath Ozzy and Black Sabbath release their debut album — forging the sound of heavy metal. A new era begins. 1982 – The Bat incident In a now-infamous moment on stage, Ozzy bites the head off a bat. A shocking act that seals his reputation as metal's ultimate madman. 1991 – 'No more tours': Ozzy announces retirement, but he doesn't stay gone. Fans begin to see the man behind the myth: tired, human, relatable. 2002 – The Osbournes on TV: Ozzy becomes a reality TV superstar. Confused, charming, and hilarious; he invites the world into his chaotic home. 2005–2010 – Meme magnet: His mumbling and misadventures turn into internet gold. Ozzy becomes a meme — and loves it. 2007 – Family Guy cameo: Ozzy appears in animated form, showing he's part of the mainstream cartoon hall of fame. 2010s – From Super Bowl to Skyrim: Ozzy features in video games, TV ads, Comic-Con panels — everywhere pop culture breathes, Ozzy is there. 2020 – Ordinary Man release: A reflective album full of mortality and melancholy — Ozzy opens up like never before. 2022–2023 – Still fighting, still Ozzy: Battling Parkinson's, stepping away from the stage — yet still larger than life in spirit. The world embraces him as both legend and survivor.

Rolls-Royce cars once owned by Big B, Aamir Khan fined Rs 38 lakh in Bengaluru
Rolls-Royce cars once owned by Big B, Aamir Khan fined Rs 38 lakh in Bengaluru

India Today

time10 hours ago

  • India Today

Rolls-Royce cars once owned by Big B, Aamir Khan fined Rs 38 lakh in Bengaluru

It is not every day that Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan's names appear on a fine notice from the Karnataka Regional Transport Office (RTO). But that is exactly what happened when two Rolls-Royce cars once owned by the Bollywood superstars landed in trouble — not for speeding, but for skipping state road person behind the wheel these days is not a film star, but Bengaluru-based businessman and politician Yusuf Sharif, better known as 'KGF Babu'. He earned the nickname thanks to his roots in Kolar Gold Fields, the mining town made famous by the Kannada film 'KGF'.advertisementSharif is now facing fines totalling Rs 38.26 lakh for driving the luxury vehicles — a Rolls-Royce Phantom once owned by Bachchan and a Rolls-Royce Ghost previously belonging to Khan — without paying the local road tax in Karnataka. The cars are still officially registered in Maharashtra under the actors' names, though neither of them owns the vehicles anymore. According to transport officials, the Phantom has been seen on Bengaluru's roads since 2021, and the Ghost since 2023. Karnataka law requires vehicles used in the state for more than a year to be re-registered locally and taxed accordingly. Since both Rolls-Royces crossed that deadline without compliance, the RTO has slapped a Rs 18.53 lakh fine on the Phantom and Rs 19.73 lakh on the while the ownership has changed, the paperwork has not. The vehicles remain registered under the actors' names, as Sharif never formally transferred them to his own. Officials confirmed that both vehicles are being used regularly but remain, on paper, Bollywood who once made a living selling scrap, later moved into real estate and politics. In 2021, he contested the Karnataka Legislative Council elections from the Bangalore Urban local authorities' constituency, declaring family assets worth over Rs 1,744 RTO had previously flagged the Phantom in 2021 over tax issues but did not take action since it had not completed a year in the state. - Ends IN THIS STORY#Karnataka#Bengaluru

"Joke": Bengaluru CEO On Astronomer HR Head's Alleged 'Boston Brahmin' Link
"Joke": Bengaluru CEO On Astronomer HR Head's Alleged 'Boston Brahmin' Link

NDTV

time15 hours ago

  • NDTV

"Joke": Bengaluru CEO On Astronomer HR Head's Alleged 'Boston Brahmin' Link

A Bengaluru-based CEO has slammed online chatter linking former Astronomer CEO and HR chief's "scandalous" moment at a Coldplay concert to "Brahmins". Anuradha Tiwari, who previously took pride in her "Brahmin genes", has called the link "bizzare". "That Coldplay concert controversy has bizarrely been linked to Brahmins. What a joke!" "Didn't even know 'Boston Brahmins' was a real term until I watched this video," she added. That Coldplay concert controversy has bizarrely been linked to Brahmins. What a joke! Didn't even know 'Boston Brahmins' was a real term until I watched this video. What do you all think? — Anuradha Tiwari (@talk2anuradha) July 22, 2025 The viral concert clip shows Kristin Cabot, the Chief People Officer of US-based software company Astronomer, with the company's former CEO, Andy Byron. They were both married to other people. Ms Tiwari's comment came in response to internet sleuths discovering that Ms Cabot was married to Andrew Cabot, is a sixth-generation heir to the Privateer Rum fortune and a direct descendant of Andrew Cabot, one of the earliest members of the so-called "Boston Brahmin" elite. Ms Tiwari's post soon went viral. "What next? BBC? British Brahmin Corporation?" a user mocked. Someone commented, "Boston Brahmins were the wealthiest and most influential Americans in New England. The Rockefellers, etc were all Boston Brahmins. So called because they were the direct descendants of the first English settlers." A user wrote, "I guess I missed the part where he blamed the Brahmins." The Cabot family is widely regarded as one of New England's most elite old-money dynasties. Their influence, along with that of the Lowells, Peabodys, and other elite families, shaped Boston's financial and cultural institutions for generations. A local saying goes, "The Lowells talk only to Cabots, and the Cabots talk only to God." Who are Boston Brahmins? Oliver Wendell Holmes coined the term in his 1861 novel Elsie Venner, calling Boston's elite families "the Brahmin Caste of New England", according to a PBS report. Brahmins are the highest priestly caste in India, and Mr Holmes borrowed the term to describe Boston's upper-class, Anglo-Saxon Protestant families, which has stuck since then. The Boston Brahmins were the descendants of Puritans, having made their fortune as American merchants. They were the closest thing the United States has ever had to a true aristocracy. In India, the word "Brahmin" carries a very different sociopolitical meaning, often tied to debates over caste privilege, reservation policies, and social justice. Last year, Ms Tiwari, posted a photo writing, "Brahmin genes." In follow-up posts, she argued that being proud of being a Brahmin identity was no different from claiming pride in being Dalit, Muslim, or tribal. "A mere mention of word 'Brahmin' triggered many inferior beings. Tells a lot about who real casteists are. UCs (upper class) get nothing from the system - no reservation, no freebies. We earn everything on our own and have every right to be proud of our lineage. So, deal with it," she wrote. She added, "There is an entire system working to make Brahmins feel guilty for their very existence."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store