User:ThaRanga111/T.N.Narasimhan

T.N.Narasimhan ( 1944 - 1996 ) had a highly creative and multi-dimensional personality with significant contributions to the culture of Kannadigas - the modern segment of society that speaks Kannada, a highly developed language in Karnataka State, INDIA. Right from his school days he was fascinated by the open air theatre - Bayalu Nataka, in Kannada - and spent many nights watching them and enacting the same to his family and friends. During his high school and early college days in Mysore, Karnataka, India, he was taken in by English films. Nearby theatres, Ganesha Talkies and Gayathri Theatre, provided ample film-viewing opportunity at very low rates and catered to English film fans. His father's admiration of the English language and Shakespearean plays germinated his love of literature and fine arts. By the end of his first graduation (Batchelor of Science) he had read fully the book 'The Complete works of Shakespeare', a treasured possession of his father's. During his college days he loved mathematics and enjoyed teaching the same to his colleagues and juniors. From this job he earned pocket money for his other ventures as well. Around the same period he was highly critical of the memorising, and reproducing methodology of Science Education. With this as the main theme he enacted his first one-man Kannada play for the college annual. He took on three roles with fantastic variations of voice, intonation and symbolic gestures- those of Yama ( God of the Under World where humans end up after Death), Mruthyunjaya ( his loyal assistant),and, thirdly a poor science student who had committed suicide. With higly satirical and humorous dialogues he bared open the fallacies of the traditional Education System. The student audience and some teachers too were full of applause for his talent and display. This was the start of his one-man venture to change traditional notions in the society around him. Each one of the plays he wrote and directed, as well as the Films and television serials he produced, directed and scripted had something new and far removed from local tradition. Change and Dynamism were innate to all his efforts. During the college days, he was a recognized athlete in long distance running and a good Kho-Kho (traditional Indian sport) player. He earned many prizes and his mother had a tough time storing his trophies in their tiny house! His long distance trips to various sports competitions, gave him ample scope to develop his talents in narrating stories full of humour,composing songs and singing them in his very special booming voice. He was well aware that the world outside the class room would be his best training ground for the variety of things he wanted to do. ... to be continued