Prema Karanth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Prema Karanth
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| Born | 15 August 1936 Bhadravati, Kingdom of Mysore, British India
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| Died | 29 October 2007 (aged 71) Bangalore, India
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| Occupation | Playwright, film director |
| Spouse(s) | B. V. Karanth (1958–2002) |
Prema Karanth (born August 15, 1936 – died October 29, 2007) was a very important person in Indian theatre and films. She was the first woman to direct a film in Kannada cinema. Prema Karanth was married to B. V. Karanth, who was also a famous theatre and film personality. She was especially well-known for creating and directing plays for children. Her first film as a director was Phaniyamma (1983), which was based on a popular novel by M. K. Indira.
Her Early Life
Prema Karanth was born in 1936 in Bhadravathi. She came from a family that didn't have much money. Sadly, her father, Devoji Rao, passed away when she was young. Her mother, Kamalamma, became very sick with tuberculosis. Prema spent her early years in Sidlaghatta in the Kolar district. After her mother's death, her grandparents raised her.
After finishing school, Prema moved to Bangalore. She joined the St. Teresa's convent to become a teacher. She also learned typing and started teaching in primary schools. Prema began to put on small plays in the schools where she worked. She was determined not to get married. However, she changed her mind when she met B. V. Karanth at a friend's house.
In 1958, Prema and B. V. Karanth got married. They moved to Varanasi, where Prema continued her education at the Banaras Hindu University. Later, B. V. Karanth moved to Delhi to join the National School of Drama. Prema went with him and became a teacher at the Aurobindo Ashram. She started trying out new ways to teach using drama. She even taught subjects like History and Mathematics through plays. Her husband encouraged her to join the National School of Drama too. She studied dramatics there and graduated. After graduating, she worked with the NSD repertory, which is a group of actors, for two years.
Her Career in Arts
Working in Theatre
Prema Karanth started her career as a playwright and director for plays. She directed many plays, especially for children. Some of her famous children's plays include Heddayana, Daithya, Banda Banda Gunavantha, and Giant Mama. Many of her plays were written in Kannada or translated into Kannada from other Indian languages.
She also started a special children's theatre group called Benaka Makkala Kendra. This group not only put on plays like Alilu Ramayana, but also taught children about theatre. Kids learned skills like mime (acting without words), designing costumes, and using props (objects used on stage). This group performed its first play, Alibaba, in 1979. Prema Karanth was also a well-known costume designer. She designed costumes for over 120 plays, including famous ones like Hayavadana, Oedipus, Othello, and King Lear.
Working in Films
Prema's journey into the world of cinema began when she was chosen as the costume designer for G. V. Iyer's movie Hamsageethe. She also worked as the art director for a film called Kudre Motte in 1977. An art director helps create the visual look of a film.
At first, Prema was mainly involved with art direction. But then, she decided to try directing films herself. Her first film as a director was Phaniyamma. This movie was based on a Kannada novel and received great praise from critics. The film tells the story of a young girl who becomes a widow early in life. It shows her struggles and her bravery to overcome the challenges she faced in a society where men often had more power.
