Acclaimed playwright and actor,Girish Karnad passes away aged 81

Veteran actor and playwright, Girish Karnad passed away aged 81 in Bengaluru, Karnataka today. Recently seen in acclaimed roles in films like ‘Beyond the Clouds’, ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ and ‘Shivaay’, Karnad has other credits like the iconic Kannada film ‘Samskara’, Hindi films like ‘Swami’, ‘Nishaant’ , televised works like ‘Turning Point’ and ‘Malgudi Days’ and even more critically acclaimed plays like ‘Nagamandala’, ‘Tughaq’, ‘Yayati’ on his mantle. Recipient of several accolades like the Jnanpith Award, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and the President’s Golden Lotus Award, Karnad died after an ongoing battle with a prolonged illness. Actors,  film directors ,  theatre playwrights from the industry along with the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi have poured in condolences on his demise,  stating that it’s an end of an era.