Prakash Payyar to be Honoured at Kuwait World Kannada Cultural Convention
Media Release
Dubai, Nov 29: UAE-based Kannada writer, stage director and organizer Prakash Rao Payyar will be honored on the occasion of World Kannada Cultural Convention to be held in Kuwait on Friday November 30 and Saturday December 1. The Convention is hosted by Kuwait Kannada Koota in association with Hrudayavahini Karnataka. Rashtra kavi Dr G S Shivaruddrappa will preside over the convention.
Payyar will be honoured for his outstanding contribution to Kannada literature and culture outside Karnataka. Other prominent personalities to be honoured in World Convention include Sandya Pai, Manipal (Journalism), C R Simha, Bangalore (Kannada theatre), Kolar Ramesh, Kolar (Bharath Natya), Chudamnai Ramachandra, Sagara (Dolu Kunitha), Srinivasa, Kenya, Kumar-London.
Payyar, a postgraduate in Kannada literature stared writing and directing plays at his teenage. When he was student of Shri Mahavera college Moodabidri he directed his first play titled “Akka Thangiyare, Anna Tammadire” for college day and it was appreciated by all. The same play was staged elsewhere several times. His short stories, poems and other articles are published in all leading Kannada newspapers and magazines of Karnataka and Maharashtra. He is the founder of “Dhwani Pratistana”, which was established in the year 1985 in Mumbai. Under his leadership Dhwani organized several literary and theatre workshops, seminars, contests and staged different experimental plays. Well-known writers including Vysaraya Ballal, Yashwant Chittal, Aravind Nadakarni, B A Sanadi, Jayant Kaikini, Dr Sunita Shetty, V G Bhat, Prof Ranganath Bhardwaj, Prof Sanjeev Shetty, Prof G D Joshi, Dr G V Kulkarni have participated in “Dhwani” activities over the years.
Prakash Rao Payyar has directed more than twenty five plays in Mumbai and Pune including plays of noted Kannada playwrights such as Sriranga, Kailasam,Girish Karnad, Poornaprajna Tejasvi, Chandrakanta Koosanor etc. Under his leadership Dhwani staged Karnads play “Nagamandala” in Dubai recently and it was grand success.
His first collection of poems titled “Viparyasa” was published in the year 1985 in Mumbai. Thereafter his second collection of poems “Koogu” was published in the year 1987. “Rangadhwani” a collection of critical essays on Kannada theatre edited by him containing articles of well-known critics and theatre activists such as Prof Kirthinath Kurthukooti, Dr Sinduvalli Anathmurti, Dr H K Ranganath, Dr Aravind Malagatti, Dr N Damador Shetty and others was published in the year 1990.
Udayavani newspaper recognized “Rangadhwani” as one of the best books of the year. He wrote “Indirapriyadarshini” a full-length play based on the life of the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi which was published in the year 1999. His “Suryanigondu Savalu” Kannada full-length play was published on the year 2000. “Thare Enisi Motta Heli”, a collection of poems of non-resident Kannadigas and “Kannada Nadunudi Rakshane,” critical essays on Kannada language and culture from different authors are his other two edited books published in the year 2004 and 2005 respectively.
Prakash Rao Payyar was also honoured with “Karnataka Chetana” award from Ranga Samaja Cultural Association, Bangalore in 2004 and “Jnana Saraswati Award” from Jnana Mandara Acadamy, Bangaloor in 2005. He was honoured with “Nobel Man” award in All-India Kannada Cultural Convention held in Goa in May 2007.