New Delhi: President of India Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and various political leaders across country on Monday expressed grief over the death of noted actor and playwright Girish Karnad. After a prolonged illness, Karnad, 81 breathed his last earlier on Monday in Bengaluru.
Taking to Twitter, President Kovind wrote, "Sad to hear of the passing of Girish Karnad, writer, actor and doyen of Indian theatre. Our cultural world is poorer today. My condolences to his family and to the many who followed his work."
Sad to hear of the passing of Girish Karnad, writer, actor and doyen of Indian theatre. Our cultural world is poorer today. My condolences to his family and to the many who followed his work #PresidentKovind
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) June 10, 2019
PM Modi outlined Karnad's versatile acting over various platforms while paying the tributes to the veteran actor.
"Girish Karnad will be remembered for his versatile acting across all mediums. He also spoke passionately on causes dear to him. His works will continue being popular in the years to come. Saddened by his demise. May his soul rest in peace", wrote PM Modi on Twitter.
Girish Karnad will be remembered for his versatile acting across all mediums. He also spoke passionately on causes dear to him. His works will continue being popular in the years to come. Saddened by his demise. May his soul rest in peace.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 10, 2019
"Deeply saddened by the demise one of our greatest playwrights & theatre artists, Shri #GirishKarnad. He was among the eight crown jewels of Kannada art & literature world to be conferred with Jnanpith Award. He & his works will be cherished for long. Om shanti," tweeted Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minsiter Dr. G Parameshwara.
Deeply saddened by the demise one of our greatest playwrights & theatre artists, Shri #GirishKarnad. He was among the eight crown jewels of Kannada art & literature world to be conferred with Jnanpith Award.
— Dr. G Parameshwara (@DrParameshwara) June 10, 2019
He & his works will be cherished for long. Om shanti.
Other leaders who paid their tributes were Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and actor-turned politician Kamal Haasan.
Sad news coming in the morning about the passing away of veteran noted actor and playwright Girish Karnad. Girish ji's views and artistic contribution will be missed by the country.
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 10, 2019
Litterateur par-excellence, actor, director, playwright and activist- the passing away of Girish Karnad shall leave an irreplaceable void in the Indian creative arena.
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) June 10, 2019
My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fans.
May his soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/sbXi0sCH4A
Mr.Girish Karnad, His scripts both awe and inspire me. He has left behind many inspired fans who are writers. Their works perhaps will make his loss partly bearable.
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) June 10, 2019
Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor tweeted his tributes and wrote "a flame has been extinguished that lit up so many minds". "This is a devastating loss. Just a few months ago he sent me the draft of his brilliant new historical play. He was at the peak of his creative talent. Profound condolences to his devoted wife Saras & brilliant son @rkarnad," he also wrote.
This is a devastating loss. Just a few months ago he sent me the draft of his brilliant new historical play. He was at the peak of his creative talent. Profound condolences to his devoted wife Saras & brilliant son @rkarnad. A flame has been extinguished that lit up so many minds https://t.co/Z8dqtdSx4U
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 10, 2019
The Karnataka government on Monday announced three-day state mourning and one-day public holiday over the demise of Veteran playwright, actor and film-maker Girish Karnad.
"Deeply saddened to hear of the demise of Jnanpith laureate writer and iconic actor/film maker, Sri # GirishKarnad. His outstanding contribution to literature, theatre and films will always be remembered. In his death, we lost a cultural ambassador. May his soul rest in peace," Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy tweeted.
Deeply saddened to hear of the demise of Jnanpith laureate writer and iconic actor/film maker, Sri #GirishKarnad .
— H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) June 10, 2019
His outstanding contribution to literature, theatre and films will always be remembered.
In his death, we lost a cultural ambassador. May his soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/s5bfbh0VgE
Karnad, who was 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.
