Theatre will survive: Karnad

The multi-faceted director-actor said he was certain of continuity in the Indian theatre tradition and dismissed any thought of it getting stagnated."It is true that stage actors are not doing well but influx of modern technology has had a positive impact too. Today, even illiterate women in remote villages and children can have some form of entertainment, something which they could never have imagined before. Even the actors today are more employed then ever before," said a smiling Karnad.

The versatile playwright, theatre actor, film director and filmactor, Karnad is most comfortable being a playwright and considers play writing as most "interesting and profitable."

He said he was "delighted…Stunned" at receiving the Jnanpith award, the first ever to a dramatist. "I think awards give a boost to a writer’s confidence, grant recognition, draw attention and interest to his work and make him strive for the best". Girish karnad’s Writings present a blend of myth, folk tradition and historical context with apt contemporary relevance. His uniqueness lies in his subtle reflection upon the present through the idiom of the past.

"I cannot invent plots therefore I use myths. I cannot invent stories and hence go to history," he says.

He has conquered the conflict of modern man through symbols and tales which are almost puranic but which have acquired meaning as Karnad retold and reinterpreted them. Referring to his experiment with cinema, he said "I am drawn to films only due to money and not due to glamour. It’s a convenience".Karnad has also received thePadma Bhushan, the Sangeet Natak Akademi award and Kalidas Samman.

Among others for his immense contribution towards Indian drama and theatre. Born in 1938, Karnad established himself as a playwright with the publication of his first play Yayati in 1961. His other notable works are Tughlaq, Nagamandala, Hittina Hunja, Hayavadana, and Anjumallige.