K Y Narayanaswamy | |
---|---|
Born |
Kuppur village near Masthi, Malur taluk, Kolar district, Karnataka |
June 5, 1965
Nickname | KYN |
Occupation | Kannada Language Professor, Playwright & Poet |
Nationality | Indian |
Alma mater | Bangalore University |
Notable awards | Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award |
Kuppur Yalappa Narayanaswamy, also known as KYN, is a popular Kannada poet, scholar, critic, and playwright. He is currently a Kannada professor in the Government Arts College, Bangalore. He is the author of many popular Kannada plays including Kalavu, Anabhigna Shakuntala, Chakraratna, Huliseere, and Vinura Vema. He has also translated Kuvempu’s Shudra Tapaswi into Telugu. He is credited with adapting Kuvempu’s magnum opus Malegalalli Madumagalu into a 9-hour play. He has also written the screenplay for the films Kalavu and Suryakaanti.
He won the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award for his play Pampabharatha, which is considered a milestone in modern Kannada theatre. He is considered to be an influential writer and thinker. His plays are representative of Kannada theatre’s search for new frontiers in experimental theatre.
KYN was born in Kuppur village near Masthi in Malur Taluk, Kolar district, Karnataka. He was born to Yalappa and Muniyamma. He finished his schooling in Masthi and moved to Bangalore to obtain his BA, MA and M.Phil degrees in Kannada. His PhD, titled Neeradeevige, is considered a milestone in the societal understanding of cultural associations with water. He currently lives in Bangalore with his wife and two children.
KYN first came into prominence with his play Pampabharatha, whose essence is based on Adikavi Pampa’s epic poem Vikramarjunavijaya, which is also known as Pampabharatha. While Pampa’s epic relates the Mahabharatha from the perspective of Arjuna, KYN’s play is based on Karna’s viewpoint of events in Mahabharatha. However, the play is also a deconstruction of Pampa’s version and the Mahabharatha itself, and it moves the narration to contemporary times and also focuses on issues of contemporary relevance. The play, staged by the theatre group Samudaya, has seen a hundred shows.
Since Pampabharatha, his other plays such as Kalavu, Anabhigna Shakuntala, and Male Mantrika have been widely appreciated by Kannada audiences. He is currently working on a new play tentatively titled Mallige.
In 2010, KYN adapted Kuvempu’s Malegalalli Madumagalu (The Bride in the Mountains) into a 9-hour play that was directed by noted theatre director and NSD alumnus C. Basavalingaiah. The play was staged about 15 times each in Bangalore and Mysore, and showcased to nearly 60,000 audience members.
KYN also co-authored the script for the light and sound show Manushya Jathi Tanonde Valam with Kotaganahalli Ramaiah and Lakshmipathy Kolar. This show, also directed by Basavalingaiah, with music composed by famed music director Hamsalekha, was staged in 28 districts in Karnataka.
KYN has also written screenplays for the films Kalavu (a cinematic adaptation of his play) and Suryakaanti. He is currently working on screenplays with renowned Kannada film directors TS Nagabharana and Nagathihalli Chandrashekar.