Bangalore: Prema (71), Wife of the Late B V Karanth, Passes away

Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (MB)
File pic by Akash Poojari Polali

Bangalore, Oct 29:  Prema Karanth (71), well-known film-maker and theatre person, and  wife of the celebrated theatre personality Babukodi Venkatramana Karanth for 44 years, passed away in a private hospital on Monday, October 29 afternoon. The cremation was held in the Wilson Gardens crematorium in the evening.

She was born in 1936. She obtained an NSD degree and worked for NiNaSam Rangayana threatre troupe. She devoted more time to children's drama and founded of Benaki troupe.

She directed the national award-winning film 'Phaniyamma', a landmark movie about a child widow. She had also directed 'Nakkala Rajakumari', a children's film and 'Jharoke' a Hindi movie based on Shashi Deshpande's story.

According to informed sources, she had been admitted to a hospital here after she suffered a heart attack on Wednesday. She had slipped into coma and both her kidneys had failed. She was on the ventilator over the past few days and the doctors attending her were to decide on whether to take her off the ventilator on Sunday or Monday.

Responding to a request from the Nataka Academy, the state government had released Rs 90,000 to cover the cost of her treatment.

Prema  shared her husband BV's total dedication and immersion in theatre. "We were like friends," she once said, "and we collaborated on numerous productions." Even after he was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, it was with her supported that Karanth led a very active life that took him to places as away as Manipur.

It was only in his last three months that his poor health confined him to the home. Prema devoted time to Babukodi Pratishthana, the trust set up by Karanth a few years ago. Karanth's large library and extraordinary collection of musical instruments formed part of a small museum. 

Babukodi is the name of B V Karanth's native village near Mani in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada.