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B V Karanth: The Man Who Put Music Into Kannada Theatre

A director and composer who ran the National School of Drama, founded Rangayana in Mysuru, directed films and gave modern Indian theatre its sound.

QUICK ANSWER

  • B V Karanth (1929 to 2002) was a theatre director, composer and filmmaker who shaped modern Kannada theatre.
  • He directed the National School of Drama, founded Rangayana in Mysuru in 1989 and directed the award-winning film Chomana Dudi (1975).
  • He received the Padma Shri in 1981 and died in Bengaluru in 2002.
Tariq Sallam, founder of The City 24/7 Tariq Sallam October 2, 2026 • 2 min read
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A performer in an ornate red and gold headdress and costume dances on a lamplit open-air stage as musicians play drums beside him

B V Karanth worked extensively in Bengaluru theatre.

“For Karanth, a play without music was only half written.”

• On his theatre

B V Karanth was a theatre director, composer and filmmaker, born in 1929 in Dakshina Kannada, who became one of the most influential figures in modern Indian theatre. He directed the National School of Drama, founded Rangayana, the Mysuru repertory theatre, in 1989, worked with the Bengaluru theatre group Benaka, and co-directed the film Vamsha Vriksha with Girish Karnad. He directed Chomana Dudi (1975), which won the national award for best film. He died in Bengaluru in 2002. He received the Padma Shri in 1981.

His productions and his music shaped a generation of Bengaluru theatre makers. This profile keeps to the well-documented record.

Quick Information

A theatre maker who heard every play as a piece of music, and taught the rest of Indian theatre to listen.

Born
September 19, 1929, Dakshina Kannada
Died
September 1, 2002, Bengaluru
NSD
Director, National School of Drama
Rangayana
Founded in Mysuru, 1989
Bengaluru
Worked with the theatre group Benaka
Films
Chomana Dudi (1975), Vamsha Vriksha (co-director)
One memorable fact
He composed music for many plays and films
Honour
Padma Shri, 1981

What Is Rangayana?

A repertory theatre in Mysuru founded by B V Karanth in 1989, which trains actors and stages productions in Kannada.

What Is Chomana Dudi?

A 1975 Kannada film directed by Karanth, based on Shivaram Karanth's novel about a Dalit farmer, which won the national award for best film.

A LESSER-KNOWN FACT

He was known for making music central to his productions, often composing the scores himself.

Why Does B V Karanth Belong in People of Bangalore?

THEIR BANGALORE CONNECTION

He worked in and influenced Bengaluru's theatre for decades and died in the city. Much of its modern Kannada stage tradition carries his mark.

HOW I PUT THIS TOGETHER

I haven't interviewed B V Karanth for this piece. It's pieced together from online research: published interviews, news reports, books and official records, cross-checked against each other. If you know B V Karanth and spot something I've got wrong, tap the WhatsApp icon at the bottom right and tell me, and I'll fix it.

FAQs

Who was B V Karanth?

A theatre director, composer and filmmaker, and founder of Rangayana.

What is Rangayana?

A repertory theatre in Mysuru that Karanth founded in 1989.

What film did B V Karanth direct?

Chomana Dudi (1975), among others.

A Theatre Person?

If you worked with Karanth or trained at Rangayana, Click the WhatsApp icon at the bottom right of your screen and tell me. That is also the easiest way to reach The City 24/7 about anything at all, including nominating someone for People of Bangalore.

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Tariq Sallam, founder of The City 24/7

Tariq Sallam

FOUNDER, THE CITY 24/7

placeBangalore calendar_monthSince 1991 groupsPeople. Places. Possibilities.

Tariq Sallam is the founder of The City 24/7, a platform dedicated to celebrating everything Bangalore. Having lived in the city since 1991, he has witnessed its remarkable journey from a laid-back Garden City to one of India’s most dynamic and innovative cities.

Passionate about its people, businesses, neighbourhoods, food, culture and hidden gems, Tariq believes every corner of Bangalore has a story worth telling. When he’s not writing or interviewing inspiring Bangaloreans, you’ll find him exploring the city. And through The City 24/7, he invites you to discover Bangalore with him, one story at a time.

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