Dubai: Prakash Rao Payyar to be honored during Akhila Bharat Kannada Sahitya Sammelan

- Media Release

Dubai, 28 Jan 2015: Prakash Rao Payyar, president of Dhwani Prathishthana, UAE will be honored along with P G R Sindhya, Ashwat Narayana, Dr Ramachandre Gowda, Dr Padmaraj Dandavati, Y K Muddu Krishna, Ambhatanaya Mudrady and 85 other dignitaries at 4-day 81st Akhila Bharath Kannada Sahitya Sammelana scheduled to begin at Shravanabelagola, Hassana district, Karnataka on Sunday February 1.

 

Kannada Sahitya Parishat has chosen Prakash Rao Payyar for this prestigious honour in recognition of his contributions to Kannada culture, theater and literary field overseas. Noted poet Dr Siddalingayya will chair the Sammelan and will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

 

 Prakash Payyar a postgraduate in Kannada literature started writing and directing plays at his teenage.  When he was student he directed his first play titled, ‘Akka Thangiyare, Anna Tammandire,’ for college  day  and it was appreciated by all. The same play was staged elsewhere several times. His short  stories,  poems and other articles are published in all leading  Kannada newspapers and magazines of  Karnataka  and Maharashtra. He is the founder of ‘Dhwani Prathishtana,’ which was established in the  year 1985 in  Mumbai. Under his leadership Dhwani organized several literary and theatre workshops,  seminars,  contests and staged different experimental plays. Under his leadership first ever Kannada  Sahitya    Sammelan presided by noted poet Chennaveera Kanavai was held in Dubai during 2010  to  mark the silver  jubilee of Dhwani Pratishthana, in the year 2011 Dhwani organized Chutuku Sahitya  Sammlean presided  by poet Dundiraj in Dubai.

 

 Prakash Rao Payyar has directed number of plays in Mumbai and Pune including plays of noted Kannada  playwrights Sriranga, Kailasam, Girish Karnad, Poornaprajna Tejasvi, Chandrakanta Koosanor, Jayant  Kaikini, Mohan Rakesh etc. He directed and staged Kannada famous plays ‘Nagamandala,’ ‘Hayavadana,’  ‘Vodakalu Bimba,’ ‘Bali,’ ‘Ashadada Ondu Dina,’ ‘Iti Ninna Amruta,’ in Dubai, all performances were grand success. His first collection of poems titled "Viparyasa" was published in the year 1985 in Mumbai. Thereafter his second collection of poems "Koogu" was published in the year 1987. ‘Rangadhwani,’ a collection of critical essays on Kannada theatre edited by him containing articles of well-known critics and theatre activists such as Prof Kirthinath Kurthukooti, Dr Sinduvalli Anathmurti, Dr H K Ranganath, Dr Aravind Malagatti, Dr N Damodar Shetty and others was published in the year 1990. Since from 2006 in his leadership Dhwani started honouring Kannada theater activist with the award titled Sriranga Prashasthi in the name of playwright late Adya Rangacharya (Sriranga).

 

He wrote ‘Indira Priyadarshini’ a full-length play based on the life of the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi which was published in the year 1999. His ‘Suryanigondu Savalu,’ Kannada full-length play was published in the year 2000. ‘Thare Enisi Motta Heli,’ a collection of poems of non-resident Kannadigas and ‘Kannada Nadunudi Rakshane,’ critical essays on Kannada language and culture from different authors are his other two edited books published in the year 2004 and 2005 respectively.

 

Prakash Rao Payyar was also honored with Karnataka Nataka Academy award in 2010, Da Ra Bendre award from Abu Dhabi Karnataka Sangha 2014, Mayura Award from Sharjah Karnataka Sangha 2009, ‘Karnataka Chetana,’ award from Ranga Samaja Cultural Association, Bangalore in 2004 and ‘Jnana Saraswati Award’ from Jnana Mandara Academy, Bangalore in 2005. He was honoured with ‘Nobel Man’ award in All India Kannada Cultural Convention held in Goa in May 2007. Rashtra Kavi Dr Shivarudrappa honored him on the occasion of World Kannada Culture Convention held in Kuwait in 2007. In 2012 he was honored with Kuvempu Vishwa Kannada Ratna during the Vishwa Kannada Sammelana held by Abu Dhabi Karnataka Sangha.