Although it was only the early part of his life that Girish Karnad spent in the city of Dharwad, he continued to maintain a close bond with it right through his life. It is for this and his contributions in strengthening its cultural lineage that the people of Dharwad cherish him.
He writes in his autobiography Aadaadtha Ayushya at length about his enduring bond with the city and the galaxy of greats from this place who influenced him, including D.R. Bendre, G.B. Joshi, V.K. Gokak and Keerthinath Kurtakoti. In fact, his autobiography drew its name from one of Bendre’s poems.
Till recently, it was common to see him either at cultural and literary events or in the company of friends on the premises of Manohar Granthamala, the publishers of all his Kannada books. His visits became rare after his health turned fragile. His last halt here was in 2018, when he came for the Sahitya Sambhrama literary festival braving poor health.
Karnad’s tryst with Dharwad began in 1952, when his father and eminent physician Raghunath Karnad made this town his home. He had a bungalow constructed for his family in the idyllic surroundings of Saraswatpur. It was a place where he could relax, discuss and do most of his writings, until he sold it in 2015. He did his schooling at Basel Mission High school and moved out after graduation at the Karnatak College Dharwad (KCD). Though his successful career took him far and wide, his attachment to Dharwad remained.
Chitra Film Society (CFS), set up in 1971 in Dharwad, was his brainchild, a first in the State, recalled A.M. Khan, secretary of the society. “It was a big success and through Karnad, several nationally and internationally acclaimed films were screened here,” he said. Karnad was its president till the end.
Yet another major contribution was his role in setting up the state-of-the-art Srijana auditorium in the town. When Nandan Nilekani, an alumnus of KCD, wished to do something for his native place, it was Karnad who suggested constructing the auditorium to augment the town’s cultural activities.