Draft:Nayana Sooda

Nayana J Sooda is an active Kannada theater artist, director, costume designer, stage designer and organizer. She has been involved in theater for more than 20 years, starting from acting in a play at the age of 7. She is constantly working in theater by making new plays through a cultural organisation called Rangapayan.

Birth, Childhood and Education
She was born in Shivamogga town as the daughter of a couple belonging to Hebri village near Karkala in the Udupi district of the coast. She migrated to KR Pura, Bangalore with her family at the age of 4. She completed her primary and secondary education at B Narayanpur Government School and pre-graduation at Government PU College K R Pura. She graduated from National College, Basavanagudi and is currently pursuing her PhD in Women's Studies at Bangalore University.

Theater
Nayana, who entered theater at the age of seven, has been active since then without taking a break at any stage. Apart from acting in all the major theaters of the country, she has acted in many stages of the country i.e. in Mumbai, Kanpur, Delhi and other states and has earned the love of theater fans. She has won many national and state awards for her acting that has brought the country to the fore through theatre.

Everyone knows that literature is the mirror of society. The work of conveying this literature to the people through drama has been going on for a long time. Nayana is no exception to this. From Kannadaʼs legendry author Kuvempu, to the present senior writer Jogi (Girishrao Hatwar), to the younger writer Hanamanta Haligeri, she has colored the plays of many.

Theater Entry
Nayana, who entered the stage with the play "Karanika Shishu" in C. Laxman's Garadi, has acted in more than five hundred performances of the same play. In between Kuvempu's Nanna Gopala, Modannana Tamma, Bommana Halli Kindari Jogi, Udaram Sarvanga Poshakam (Puppet Show), Bengaluringe Banda Narada, Swatantrya Deepike, Jhansirani - Dance Drama, Sangollirayanna, Kittur Rani Chennamma, Makkalira Hu Kilabedi, Cindrala, Gurumurthappana Garden, Tyagi Lakshmi, as well as many other children's plays, has painted different roles in thousands of performances

During graduation, she acted in many plays as an actress.. Among them are Halliyura Hammira, Chirasmarane, Bharatambe, Gazipurada Hazama of, Devaremba Hesarinalli, Nangyaako Doubtu, Sangyabalya, Buduganaada, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, Kharekhare Sangyabalya, Jalgara, Balidana, Birugali, Kaaneena, Eklavya, Mittabaile Yamunakka, Huli Hidida Kadasu, Muddhannana Promotion Parsanga, Antigone, Dore Edipus, Baduku Jataka Bandi, Kranti, Mama Moshi, Shivi, Karpoorada Gombe, Gubbiya Goodalli, Appa, Kinnudi Belakalli. Se has also tried to bring life to characters in many plays including Sharifa, Jenu Hudugi, Kempegowda Nritya Natak, Arahanta, Avani and has also been involved in re-enactments of these plays.

As a Stage Director
Nayana, who came to National College for graduation, took up drama direction by directing and acting Lorca's Yarma in the college's inter-class drama competition. During her college days, she directed the plays Yarma, Manthara and Mauna Kogile, Madara Chennaiyya. Next, Sara Abubukar's novel on Chandragiri Thirardalli was adapted and directed the play by nayana. This play also became a stage for many young actors and actresses. This play was performed in many major theaters of the country. It also gained fame as a performance in the International Drama Festival. The play was selected for the "Bahuroopi" drama festival held in Mysore. There were positive reviews about the play in the Kannada press as well as English newspapers.

As a Stage Organiser
Nayana expanded her theater education by giving free stage training to the children of the slum dwellers who are neglected by the prestigious communities of the city, who strive to keep our city clean, theater training to the children of laborers who came from different towns and put up sheds, then she got the opportunity to give free stage training to poor childrens of government schools and juvenile delinquents for months. From the theater itself. She is involved in social awareness through street plays and actively participates in many theater camps organized for social awareness.

Akkai
Acting as Padmashali Akkay.

Awards and Honors

 * 1) Best Child Actor (State Award)
 * 2) Best Child Actress (National Award)
 * 3) Best Female Achiever 2016 by Suvarna and Kannada Prabha
 * 4) Kannada Ratna Award,
 * 5) Kannada Seva Ratna Award
 * 6) Limca Award Winner
 * 7) More than 18 child actor awards
 * 8) Over 25 Best Actress Awards