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.
Review
A sparkling, unputdownable memoir by a towering literary and theatrical genius - AMITAV GHOSH
Not just the story of an exceptional writer but a manifesto for the roots of our contemporary culture - ARSHIA SATTAR
An autobiography as vividly theatrical as any of this titan's works - BARADWAJ RANGAN
Karnad at his captivating best - GOPALKRISHNA GANDHI
A mesmerizing and magical account - MARIA AURORA COUTO
What an extraordinary man. What an extraordinary life - NAGESH KUKUNOOR
Warm, witty, and deeply insightful memoir - RAMACHANDRA GUHA
Dense with people, places, events, inquiry, insight, observation and, above all, creative expression - SHANTA GOKHALE
A candid and intimate account of a life rich in achievements and friendships - SHASHI DESHPANDE
By turns humorous and moving, and always insightful, This Life at Play reminds us of the life and times of one of our greatest national treasures - SHASHI THAROOR
About the Author
Girish Karnad (1938–2019) was a playwright, actor and director. His notable plays include, among others,
Yayati,
Tughlaq,
Hayavadana,
Naga-Mandala and
The Dreams of Tipu Sultan. He worked in films and in TV across various languages – Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English and Assamese – and in a number of capacities, including as actor, screenwriter and director. He served as director of the Film and Television Institute of India (1974–75), chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi (1988–93), and director of the Nehru Centre, London (2000–3). His work brought him numerous honours, including multiple National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards, the Kalidas Samman, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the Padma Shri, the Padma Bhushan and the Jnanpith Award.
Srinath Perur is the author of If It's Monday, It Must Be Madurai (2013) and the translator of Vivek Shanbhag's Ghachar Ghochar (2015).
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