“Samskara asked what tradition means when it is tested by a single body that nobody will cremate.”
• On the novel that made his name
U R Ananthamurthy was a Kannada novelist, critic and public intellectual, best known for Samskara (1965), which became a landmark of Indian literature and a celebrated film. Born in 1932 near Thirthahalli, he taught English, served as vice chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala and president of the Sahitya Akademi, received the Jnanpith Award in 1994 and the Padma Bhushan in 1998. He died in Bengaluru on August 22, 2014.
In his later years he was a regular presence at Bengaluru literary events and in its newspapers, often taking unpopular positions. This profile keeps to the well-documented record.
Quick Information
One short novel that changed Kannada literature, and decades of arguments that kept it lively. Bengaluru got the arguments.
What Is Samskara About?
It tells the story of a village of orthodox Brahmins who cannot decide how to perform the last rites of a man who rejected their customs, and of the scholar who must decide. It became a key work of modern Indian fiction and the basis of the 1970 film starring Girish Karnad.
What Was Ananthamurthy's Public Role?
He wrote and spoke widely on politics, language and culture, and was known for strong positions that often drew criticism. In Bengaluru he was a fixture of literary festivals, debates and the opinion pages.
The film of Samskara, scripted by and starring Girish Karnad, won the President's Gold Lotus and helped launch the Kannada new wave.
Why Does U R Ananthamurthy Belong in People of Bangalore?
He spent his later years in Bengaluru, where he remained one of the city's most prominent writers and public voices until his death here in 2014.
I haven't interviewed U R Ananthamurthy 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 U R Ananthamurthy 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 U R Ananthamurthy?
A Kannada novelist and critic best known for Samskara, who won the Jnanpith in 1994.
What is Samskara about?
A village's dilemma over the last rites of a man who rejected orthodox custom, and the crisis it causes for a scholar.
When did U R Ananthamurthy die?
On August 22, 2014, in Bengaluru.
Did U R Ananthamurthy win the Jnanpith?
Yes, in 1994.
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