Robin Uthappa is a versatile cricketer. with his hard hitting aggressive style of batting, has won the hearts of cricket fans in the Indian subcontinent.
Personalities
Over ages and eras, Karnataka has produced numerous noteworthy personalities who have contributed commendably to the nation in different ways. Famous personalities of Karnataka have made their mark in domains including social work, education, sports, politics, literature, dance, music, cinema and philosophy.
Basavanna, a 12th century philosopher from Karnataka, had spread awareness against caste system through his verses. Another notable personality from the same era, Akka Mahadevi emerged as a leader of the Bhakti movement and she is also one of the earliest female poets of the nation.
Karnataka has produced a number of distinguished scientists like C.N.R. Rao and Narayan Hosmane and respected politicians like George Fernandes, K.C. Reddy and H.D.Deve Gowda, too. Stalwarts of Indian cinema like Aishwarya Rai, Guru Dutt, Deepika Padukone and Prabhu Deva are from Karnataka. Celebrated sports personalities like Prakash Padukone, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rahul Dravid are Kannadigas as well. Read more about eminent personalities from Karnataka
Adya Rangacharya – An Eminent Theatre Personality
Adya Rangacharya, a novelist, scholar, actor, dramatist, director and a renowned scholar contributed his entire life to Kannada theatre, becoming a cultural icon of his times.
A. V. Varadachar – The Doyen of Kannada Theatre
A. V. Varadachar, a contemporary of Bellave Narahari Sastri, was one of the foremost playwrights in the gestation period of Kannada literature. His Early Life Born in 1869 to a family of Brahmin civil servants, A. V. Varadachar was a person with an attractive physique and a good voice. He never had any formal training […]
The Sahasa Simha of Kannada Cinema – Vishnuvardhan
Vishnuvardhan, initially called Sampath Kumar, was a popular actor in the Kannada film industry. He acted in some Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil movies. An Honorary Doctorate was awarded to the actor by Bangalore University in 2005. His Early Days and Education Sampath Kumar was born on September 18, 1950 to H.L. Narayana Rao and […]
The King of Good Times – Vijay Mallya
Vijay Mallya is one of the most recognized Indian businessmen in the world, and he’s well known for his flamboyant persona and his penchant for doing everything in a supremely glamorous way. The stylish business tycoon and liquor baron is one of India’s billionaires, and he has tested his feet in every possible field and […]
Between the Lines – U R Ananthamurthy
U R Ananthamurthy is one of the pioneers of the Navya literary movement in contemporary Kannada literature. He is a Jnanpith award winner and a renowned academic who’s well known for his striking literary work. His Early Years and Education Ananthamurthy was born on the 21st of December 1932 in Melige village in Karnataka’s Shimoga […]
In a League of His Own – T. Chowdiah
Tirumakudalu Chowdiah, who’s also known as T. Chowdiah, was a gifted violinist and was considered as a legend in the realm of Carnatic music. He was born in 1895 in a village named Tirumakudalu near Mysore. Chowdiah trained under renowned musician Ganavisharadha Shri Bidaram Krishnappa who used to play in the Mysore Royal Court from […]
An Actor and Visionary – Shankar Nag
Shankar Nag was a famous Kannada actor and director, who acted in around 90 Kannada movies, in a career spanning 12 years from 1978 to 1990. A Short Biography Shankar Nagarkatte, better known as Shankar Nag, was born to a Konkan speaking Brahmin family on November 9, 1954, to Sadanand and Anandi Nagarkatte. After finishing […]
The One Who Knows All – Sarvajna
Sarvajna or ‘the one who knows all’ was a famous Kannada poet from the 16th century known for his Thripadis or three-line pomes. Sarvajna is reputed to have written 2000 poems on the topics of religion, idolatry, sophistry, astrology and Kannada culture. His pithy three line expressions on these topics are relevant even in the […]
The Classical Novelist – Samasa
Sami Venkatadri Iyer, popular called Samasa, was a novelist, poet and dramatist of the classical Kannada school of literature. The language used in his works is mellifluous and heavy on imagery, though the same is far removed from colloquial Kannada. Of his of works, very few survive today. The handful of his works which are […]