Tata Mumbai LitFest Lifetime Achievement Award for Girish Karnad

Image Courtesy: IANS

New Delhi: Veteran actor and playwright Girish Karnad will be honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at the upcoming Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest which is stated to begin from November 16.

"What makes theatre such an intricate world, a febrile network of human relationships woven in words, and this is why when, at the end of it all, one is told that one has succeeded, it is such an exhilarating experience," said the 79-year-old artist in a statement.

"This is why when the Tata Literature Live! honours me as a playwright, I feel enveloped by the warmth rolling in wave after wave - from across languages, cultures, and even from bygone generations - saying to me, 'Well done!' What more could one want? This is the moment a playwright lives for," he further added.

A recipient of Jnanpith, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awards, Karnad left his acting impact on several films and theatre shows. Some of his critically acclaimed Bollywood movies are "Nishaant", "Manthan", "Swami", "Pukar", "Iqbal" and "Dor".

Karnad made his screen debut in Kannada movie "Samskara" that won the first President's Golden Lotus Award for Kannada cinema. He is also remembered for his role of Swami's father in the TV series "Malgudi Days" based on R.K.Narayan's books. 

He also served as director of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of the Performing Arts.