Nationality Indian Occupation Writer, Novelist Name Niranjana Niranjana | Role Playwright Died March 13, 1992, Bengaluru | |
 | ||
Full Name Kulakunda Shivaraya Born June 15, 1924 ( 1924-06-15 ) Spouse Anupama Niranjana (m. ?–1991) People also search for Anupama Niranjana, Tejaswini Niranjana, Seemanthini Niranjana, Venkatalakshmi | ||
Kulakunda Shiva Rao (15 June 1924 — 13 March 1992), popularly known as Niranjana, was a prominent Kannada playwright, novelist and a freedom fighter. His childhood was spent in abject poverty. His father left his mother when Rao was a child and his mother brought him up with great difficulties. The hardships faced during the childhood, shaped Niranjana's later literary career.
Contents
Writing career
Niranjana wrote more than 60 books. His first published novel was Vimochane (Wait for the moon) published in 1953. Some of his other notable works are— Chirasmarane, and Mrityunjaya. He also edited Kannada translation of Vishwa Katha Kosha (A Treasury of World Short Stories). He also translated a number of works into Kannada language.
Niranjana was attracted to marxism during his youth and was an active member of the Communist Party of India. He became disillusioned later and left it but still continued to raise his voice for the downtrodden and oppressed through his writings. He suffered a stroke in 1971 when he was at his zenith of writing career. He wrote his most famous book Mrityunjaya in 1976. Chirasmarane, his most critically acclaimed work, is based on the historic Kayyur incident of the 1940s in Kasaragod district where peasants rose against local landlords.
He edited Vishwa Katha Kosha, a 25-volume work which made stories from around the world available in Kannada and also worked as an editor to bring out the Kannada Jnana Kosha.
Niranjana married Dr. Venkata Lakshmi, who later become a popular writer (with pen name Anupama Niranjana). They have two daughters, Seemanthini and Tejaswini. His wife died of cancer in 1991. Niranjana died a year later, on 13 March 1992 in Hyderabad, due to illness.
Awards and honours
Niranjana received these awards and honours—