'''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.

[[Director]]

[[Actor]]