Girish Karnad's son Raghu thanks people for their tributes: 'He enriched others' lives, and the reverse is also true'

The demise of renowned playwright, actor and Rhodes scholar Girish Karnad on the morning of 10 June, 2019 has left behind a shadow of grief in the world of literature, theatre and cinema. The Jnanpith awardee often courted controversies for his strong opinions, he was unafraid to speak his mind on issues that mattered.

In the wake of Karnad's death, his son, Raghu Karnad, a journalist and author in his own right took to Instagram recounting his memories of his father and the last couple of days spent with him. He also expressed gratitude to all those who peopled the life of this extraordinary figure.

Also read on Firstpost: Girish Karnad cut across linguistic and regional boundaries to become a nationally revered figure

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Posting a picture of Karnad's photograph, he said, "The picture that is growing rooted in my mind is of Appa in his spot on the sofa, his hand around a glass of whiskey, gently bubbling with bits of history, legend, song, folktale and philosophy. That was the man I loved."

"As many friends have pointed out, he had an immaculate sense of timing. This past weekend, my sister and I were both at home for a friend's wedding. On Saturday evening, he completed a set of audio interviews with Arshia Sattar. On Sunday evening, the family sat together warmed by the long lines of sun on the terrace. I gave him his physio and my sister cut his nails. We talked about some new, difficult issues with his body. It was sad, but not only sad. On Monday morning he was gone."

"In the days since then, it's felt like a tribute to Appa that the house and my mind have been swirling with languages; Konkani, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, English, Hindi, without much incomprehension.
We're all feeling a lot of love, relief and gratitude."

"Thank you for the many messages about how you felt enriched by his life and work. The reverse is also true. His life and work were enriched and elevated by gurus and professors, aunts and sisters, friends, collaborators, directors, students, publishers, actors, readers, rivals, aides, some very important drivers – and many drinking companions. In his last few weeks and even hours I heard many of those names. Thank you all for being a part of the journey and building up the extraordinary person."

Also read on Firstpost: Remembering Girish Karnad: Among India's literary greats, his versatility made him unique