Girish Karnad

Personal context

Summary

Girish Karnad was an Indian playwright, actor, and director whose plays include Tughlaq, Hayavadana, and Nagamandala, and whose film work includes Samskara and Manthan. He often used myth, folklore, and history to examine political power, caste, religious conflict, and women’s lives under patriarchal social structures. In public, he repeatedly criticized religious nationalism and right-wing politics, protested after the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, and signed a 2019 appeal urging voters to reject the BJP and its allies. He also publicly supported the rights of LGBT people, women, Dalits, and religious minorities.