Kannada writer HS Venkateshamurthy, 80, passes away
Bengaluru: Renowned Kannada professor and writer HS Venkateshamurthy passed away at a hospital here Friday morning due to age-related health complications. He was 80.
Hodigere Shanbhog Venkateshamurthy – and more popular as his initials, HSV – wore many hats encompassing literary, music and cinema worlds.
Born in a remote hamlet of Hodigere in Channagiri taluk of Davanagere district in 1944, HSV obtained a master's degree in Kannada at Central College, Bengaluru, and a doctorate in Kannada literature.
He was influenced by traditional artforms, including Yakshagana and Bayalaata, along with the works of literary giants Kuvempu, DR Bendre, Masti Venkatesha Iyengar, Shivaram Karanth and Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar, among others.
HSV credited KS Nisar Ahmed, eminent poet from the Navya movement, as his 'poetic guru'.
Starting his literary journey with an anthology of poems 'Parivrutha', HSV dedicated the work to his Kannada teacher Narasimha Shastri. His creativity -- shaped by memories of vibrant rustic life, forts, and forests -- helped him blend the two phases (early and later) of Navya literature of Kannada.
While some stories were successfully depicted on the silver screen, HSV's story, screenplay, and songs in the Kannada movie 'Chinnari Mutha' won a national film award.
Subsequently, HSV wrote songs for 'Kotreshi Kanasu' (which also won an award), and 'America, America', 'Mythri', Shetty starrer 'Kirik Party', and recent movie 'Sapta Sagaradaache Ello, Side-B'. The title track of Kannada's famous tele serial 'Mukta', and songs such as 'Lokada Kannige Radheyu kooda…', 'Yeke Baradiruve Nanna Murali Mohana', 'Huchhu Kodi Manasu…', are hugely popular.
He had won awards from Central Sahitya Akademi, Karnataka Sahitya Academy, 66th Filmfare South award for the best song, and Rajyotsava award. He chaired the 85th Kannada literary meeting in Kalaburagi in 2019.
CM Siddaramaiah said HSV's death is a huge loss to the Kannada literary world. HSV was cremated with state honours in Bengaluru.
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