Karanth, Babukodi Venkatramana(b. 1929)
Kannada director born in Bangalore. Aged 7, acted the title role in Kuvempu’s play Nanna Gopala. Joined Gubbi Veeranna’s Gubbi Company in 1944. Embarked on a postgraduate degree in Hindi and studied music in Benares. Also studied at the National School of Drama (1963). School teacher in Delhi while working with the Dishantar theatre group. Stage productions in Kannada of Oedipus (adapted by P. Lankesh), Girish Karnad’s Hayavadana and Kambhar’s Jokumaraswamy (all in 1971) for his own theatre group Benaka. Introduced folk idioms borrowed from the Yakshagana to the stage, pioneering a trend later associated with cultural indigenism. Director of the National School of Drama (1978-81), and of Repertory at Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal (1981-6). He had to leave following allegations of having tried to burn alive one of the company’s actresses. Returned to his native Karnataka where he runs the state’s repertory company, Rangayana. Most of his film-making was partnered by Karnad, except for Chomana Dudi. Scored several films, e.g. G.V. Iyer’s Hamsa Geethe (1975), Mrinal Sen’s Parashuram (1978), Ek Din Pratidin (1979) and Kharij (1982), M.S. Sathyu’s Kanneshwara Rama (1977, also act), Girish Kasaravalli’s Ghattashraddha (1977), Akramana (1980), Mooru Darigalu (1981), Tabarana Kathe (1986) and Bannada Vesha (1988), Katte Ramachandra’s Arivu (1979), the children’s film Hangama Bombay Ishtyle (1978) and his wife Prema Karanth’s Phaniyamma (1982).
FILMOGRAPHY (* also act): 1971: Vamsha Vriksha*; 1975: Chomana Dudi; Kalla Kalla Bachitko/Chor? Chor Chhupja; 1977: Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane/Godhuli?.