Kuntagodu Vibhuthi Subbanna (20 February 1932 – 16 July 2005) was an acclaimed dramatist and writer in

Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

. He was the founder of the world-famous ''NINASAM'' (''Neelanakantheshwara Natya Sangha'') drama institute.History of Ninasam is explained by Founded in 1949 in

Heggodu Heggodu is a village located in the Sagar Taluk of Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, ...

, Sagara. ''

Ninasam Ninasam (Kannada: ನೀನಾಸಂ) is a cultural organisation located in the village of Heggodu in Sagara, India, Sagar Taluk of the Shivamogga district in the state of Karnataka, India. Ninasam (also spelt as Neenasam) is the short form of S ...

'', under the guidance of K.V. Subbanna, made significant contribution to Kannada theatre and other performing arts. He was awarded, in 1991, the ''

Ramon Magsaysay Award The Ramon Magsaysay Award (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Gawad Ramon Magsaysay'') is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in governance, courageous service to the people, ...

for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts'', in recognition of his contribution to ''enrich rural

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

with the world's best films and the delight and wonder of the living stage''. He was awarded the

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

during 2004–05.

Early life

He was born in Mundigesara to parents who were Havyaka Brahmins. He then went to Mysore to do his B.A.(Hons.) in Kannada Literature at the University of Mysore, where he had such acclaimed teachers as Kuvempu and S.V. Parameshwara Bhatta and U.R. Anantha Murthy as a fellow-student. After his degree he returned to his village to continue his family profession in areca farming. Under the influence of Shantaveri Gopala Gowda, a senior leader of the socialist movement in Karnataka, Subbanna espoused socialist ideology, to which he was committed throughout his life. To promote

dramas Subbanna set up training centres in various parts of Karnataka. He also establishe
Akshara Prakashana
a publishing house, to publish literature in

related to theatre, which included translations of plays from other languages. His son K. V. Akshara is also a playwright.

Awards and recognition

in 1991 *

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IAST: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recogni ...

in 1994 *

Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...

in 2003 * Padma Shree in 2004

Notes

External links

* Sudhanva Deshpande, 'The World was his Stage',
Remembering Subbanna at kamat.com
1932 births 2005 deaths Indian theatre directors Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Subbanna, K.V. People from Shimoga district Ramon Magsaysay Award winners Kannada people Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Kannada 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights Dramatists and playwrights from Karnataka {{India-writer-stub