{{other uses|Karanth (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}} {{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}} {{infobox person |name =Prema Karanth |image = PremaKaranthImg.jpg |birth_date =15 August 1936 |birth_place =Bhadravati, Kingdom of Mysore, British India |death_date ={{death date and age|2007|10|29|1936|8|15|df=yes}} |death_place=Bangalore, India |spouse = B. V. Karanth (1958–2002) |occupation =Playwright, film director }} '''Prema Karanth''' (15 August 1936 – 29 October 2007) was an Indian theatre personality and the first-ever woman film-maker of Kannada cinema.<ref name="obit">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/Theatre-personality-Prema-Karanth-dead/article14866412.ece|work=The Hindu|title= Theatre personality Prema Karanth dead|accessdate=2007-11-01|location=Chennai, India|date=2007-10-30}}</ref> She was the wife of B. V. Karanth and was known for the children's plays that she staged. She became the first ever woman director in Kannada cinema when she directed the film ''Phaniyamma'' (1983), which was based on a novel by M. K. Indira.<ref name="obit"/><ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-01-10 |title=Top female directors in Sandalwood |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/top-female-directors-in-sandalwood/photostory/67468282.cms?picid=67468450 |access-date=2024-05-09 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
==Early life== Prema Karanth was born in 1936 in Bhadravathi to a poor family. She lost her father Devoji Rao early.<ref name="obit"/> Her mother Kamalamma was diagnosed of tuberculosis and was not even allowed to touch her.<ref name="prema">{{cite web|url=http://www.hindujobs.com/thehindu/mp/2002/12/02/stories/2002120200730200.htm|work=Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 2002-12-02|title= Committed to theatre|accessdate=2001-11-01}}</ref> Prema spent her early life at Sidlaghatta in the Kolar district and after her mother's death, she was brought up by her grandparents. After completing her schooling, she came to Bangalore to join the St. Teresa's convent as a teacher.<ref name="obit"/> She learnt typing and began to teach in primary schools. Prema also started conducting small-time stage plays in the schools she worked in.<ref name="prema"/> She was determined not to get married but she changed her mind when she met B. V. Karanth at a friend's place. In 1958, they got married under Arya Samaj rites and moved to Varanasi, where Prema joined the Banaras Hindu University to continue her education.<ref name="obit"/> B. V. Karanth later moved to Delhi to join the National School of Drama. Prema accompanied him and joined the Aurobindo Ashram as a teacher.<ref name="obit"/> She started experimenting drama in education, and started to teach even subjects like History and mathematics using plays. On her husband's persuasion, she too joined the National School of Drama where she studied dramatics and completed her graduation. After graduation, she worked with the NSD repertory for two years.<ref name="prema"/>
==Career==
===In drama=== Prema Karanth started her career as a dramatist and directed plays like ''Heddayana'', ''Daithya'', ''Banda Banda Gunavantha'' and ''Giant Mama'' which were mainly oriented towards children. Her plays were mainly those that were written in Kannada or of other Indian languages which were translated to Kannada.<ref name="prema"/> She started a children's repertory called as ''Benaka Makkala Kendra'' which apart from staging plays like ''Alilu Ramayana'', was also involved in teaching children the art of mime, costume designing and usage of props. This repertory staged its first play titled ''Alibaba'' in 1979. She was also a well-known costume designer and has designed costumes for more than 120 plays including ''Hayavadana'', ''Oedipus'', ''Othello'' and ''King Lear''.
===In cinema=== Prema's association with the cinema world started when she was chosen as the costume designer for G. V. Iyer's movie ''Hamsageethe''.<ref name="wim">Wimal Dissanayake (2004), p83</ref> She was also chosen as the art director for a film ''Kudre Motte'' in 1977. Initially associated only with art direction, Prema also tried her hand at film-making. Her first directorial venture was ''Phaniyamma'' which was based on a Kannada novel and this film earned her critical acclaim. The film is about the story of a girl who is widowed at a young age and her struggles and courage to overcome the stigma attached to it in a male-dominated society.<ref name="gwen">Gwendolyn Audrey Foster (1995), p206</ref>
==Filmography== *''Phaniyamma'' (1983) (director) *''Kudre Motte'' (1977) (art director) *''Hamsageethe'' (1975) (costume designer) * ''Nakkala Rajakumari'' (1992) (director) * ''Band jharonken'' (hindi) (1996)
==References== {{reflist}}
==Sources== {{refbegin}} * {{cite book |last= Dissanayake|first= Wimal|title= Indian Popular Cinema: A Narrative of Cultural Change|year=2004|publisher=Trentham Books|isbn= 1-85856-329-1}} * {{cite book |last= Audrey Foster|first=Gwendolyn|title= Women Film Directors: An International Bio-Critical Dictionary|url= https://archive.org/details/womenfilmdirecto0000fost|url-access= registration|year=1995|publisher=Greenwood Press|isbn= 0-313-28972-7}} {{refend}}
{{Filmfare Award for Best Director - Kannada}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karanth, Prema}} Category:1936 births Category:2007 deaths Category:Kannada film directors Category:Indian women film directors Category:People from Shimoga district Category:Kannada dramatists and playwrights Category:20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights Category:Indian women dramatists and playwrights Category:Women writers from Karnataka Category:Screenwriters from Karnataka Category:Writers from Bengaluru Category:20th-century Indian women writers Category:Film directors from Bengaluru Category:20th-century Indian women artists Category:Dramatists and playwrights from Karnataka Category:Recipients of the Rajyotsava Award 2003 Category:20th-century Indian screenwriters Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award