Veteran actor, playwright Girish Karnad passes away

Bengaluru: Veteran actor, playwright and director Girish Karnad, 81 passed away on Monday morning.

Born in Maharashtra's Matheran in the year 1938, Karnad rose to fame with a Kannada play named Tughlaq which he had written at the age of 26.

Karnad, known for his work in the field of literature and cinema, also became a renowned face in the country after essaying the role of Swami's father in Malgudi Days TV series.

He was conferred with Padma Shri in 1974 and Padma Bhushan in 1992.

For his outstanding contribution towards literature, Bharatiya Jnanpith also awarded him with Jnanpith, the highest Indian literary award in 1998, four years after winning the Sahitya Academy award in 1994.