Vasundhara Das is an Indian singer, musician and actress.
Palya Lankesh was an Indian poet, fiction writer, playwright, translator, screenplay writer and journalist who wrote in the Kannada language. He was also an award-winning film director.
Prajavani is a leading Kannada-language broadsheet daily newspaper published in Karnataka, India. Having a readership of over 2.01 million, it is one of the largest circulated newspapers in the state.
Thalagavara Narayanarao Seetharam is a prominent Kannada film and TV serial director, actor and screenwriter. He has become a cultural icon in Karnataka, India, through his work in several art mediums. Seetharam has written, directed, and produced plays, movies, and top-rated television series which have attracted millions of viewers.
Kavitha Lankesh is an Indian film director, screenwriter and a lyricist known for her work in Kannada cinema industry. She began as a documentary film-maker before directing her first feature film, Deveeri (1999), which went on to win international, national and state awards. She is considered to be one of the renowned film-makers of Kannada cinema. She has directed and produced more than fifty documentaries/informational films and more than forty corporate films. Some of the films Kavitha directed have won awards and accolades from critics.
Vartha Bharati also spelled as Vartha Bharathi is a prominent Kannada daily News paper published simultaneously from Bangalore, Mangalore and Shimoga. It was launched in August 2003. It is one of only 9 State level Kannada Daily newspapers of Karnataka, as recognized by the Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Karnataka. Its main focus was to provide voice and due representation to the deprived and marginalised sections of the society. Janapith and Padma Bhushan awardee Dr.U.R.Anantha Murthy was a great admirer and a regular contributor to this newspaper. Once, in a public meeting he called vartha bharati "The Guardian of Karnataka. The Guardian is the best and most honest newspaper of England, and has created a revolution in the whole of its nation. In the same way, Vartha Bharathi is Karnataka's Guardian," he lauded. Abdussalam Puthige, the editor-in-chief of Varthabharati was inspired by veteran journalist Vaddarse Raghuram Shetty, who had launched Mungaru Kannada daily back in 1984. Mungaru was well known for its generous policy of providing fair representation to all castes, communities and sections of the society. It left a significant mark in the history of Kannada journalism by identifying and nurturing several talents from Dalit, Muslim, Christian and Backward Communities. Numerous well-known Kannada leftist, social activists and Dalit ideologues including U. R. Ananthamurthy, U. B. Banakar, Dr. Niranjan Aradhya, write regularly for the paper. In 2017, a Vartha Bharati journalist was detained and served a showcause notice by the Dakshina Kannada police. The notice was later stayed by the Karnataka High Court. In 2017, Vartha Bharati's social media page was blocked by Facebook. Though it was later restored, there was no clear explanation as to why it happened.
Karnataka has been a leading state in electronic communications, in India, since the start of first private radio station in Mysore, in 1935.
Keshava Malagi is an Indian Kannada language writer of the post-Bandaya generation. He has published two novels, Kunkuma bhoomi and Angada dhare, and three short story collections, Kadala terege dande, Maagi moovattaidu and Vennela dorasani.
Ravi Belagere was an Indian writer and journalist based in Bangalore, Karnataka. He was the editor of the Kannada-language tabloid Hai Bangalore and fortnightly magazine O Manase. He founded Bhavana Prakashana, Prarthana School and Bhavana Audio Reach.
I. H. Sangam Dev is a Kannadiga investigative journalist. He was born and brought up in Kolar in Karnataka, India.
Chetan Kumar, also known as Chetan Ahimsa, is an American Kannada-language film actor and a public intellectual. He is a socio-political activist based in India. Chetan made his on-screen debut in the 2007 cult classic film Aa Dinagalu and was awarded as the best debut actor in Udaya Film Awards for the film. His most recent success came in the 2013 hit Myna, for which his performance received strong critical acclaim.
Indrajit Lankesh is an Indian filmmaker, producer, and director of Kannada and Hindi films. He is also the publisher of the weekly Kannada tabloid Lankesh Patrike. He is the son of iconic writer, journalist and film maker P. Lankesh.
Kotiganahalli Ramaiah is a Dalit poet, playwright, philosopher and cultural activist from Karnataka, India. He is one of the founders of Aadima, an institution that experiments with children's theatre, film, education and caste consciousness.
Chakravarthy Chandrachud (DJ) is a revolutionary journalist, well known poet, progressive thinker, social activist, actor, writer, director and debater from Karnataka.
Personal Background and Education:
Balaji Tangali Lalitha Naik is an Indian social activist, politician, writer, film actress who was the minister of Kannada, Culture, and Department of Women & Child Welfare of Karnataka. Naik has also served as an MLC (1986-1992) and MLA (1994-1999). She won the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award in 1991. She is also known for leading important literary, social and language-rights movements such as Bandaya movement and Gokak agitation.
Gauri Lankesh was an Indian activist and former journalist from Bangalore, Karnataka. She worked as an editor in Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada weekly started by her father P. Lankesh, and ran her own weekly called Gauri Lankesh Patrike. She was assassinated outside her home in Rajarajeshwari Nagar on 5 September 2017. At the time of her death, Gauri was known for being a critic of right-wing Hindu extremism. She was honoured with Anna Politkovskaya Award for speaking against right-wing Hindu extremism, campaigning for women's rights and opposing caste based discrimination.
Pallavi (transl. Refrain) is a 1976 Indian Kannada-language drama film directed by novelist P. Lankesh, in his directorial debut. He also stars, alongside Vimala Naidu and T. N. Seetharam. The film is based on his own 1967 novella Biruku (transl. Crack), and focuses on two lovers whose relationship ends when the man fails in life while the woman succeeds.
Girish Rao Hatwar, popularly known as Jogi, is a Kannada writer and journalist. Being one of the Kannada neo-literature writers, he has written short stories, novels and columns in many Kannada periodicals and daily newspapers. He has also written scripts for television serials, lyrics and screen play for movies. A journalist by profession, Jogi is currently a Magazine Editor of Kannada Prabha daily.
Lankesh Patrike is a 2003 Indian Kannada-language political thriller film directed by Indrajit Lankesh and starring Darshan and newcomer Vasundhara Das. Darshan played a journalist in the film and actor/singer Vasundhara Das made her Kannada debut with this film. Despite releasing to positive critical reception, the film was a box office failure.
