Mangalore: Renowned Tulu playwright Machendranath Pandeshwar no more

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Apr 7: Machendranath Pandeshwar, whose contribution to Tulu and Kannada theatre and cinema over a career spanning several decades has been immense, passed away at his daughter's residence in Yekkur here on Saturday April 6. He was 78.

Pandeshwar began his career with the play 'Mokeda Magaleg Kuselda Kandani', a Tulu play that he wrote.

Since then, he has given Tulu theatre some of its best known plays like 'Mokena Jokay', 'Telpere Kalpi', 'Bombayida Podu', 'Satya Sayyand', 'Badukonji Kana', and over a hundred others.

Some of his plays have been recorded on cassettes and cds, and some even made into movies. He was also well-known in cinema circles, having penned lyrics and dialogues for several movies.

Pandeshwar has written more than 160 Tulu plays, some of which were performed at the international level. 'Mokeda Magaleg Kuselda Kandani', 'Porthu Kanthundu' and 'Dare Sere' have been made into films.

He has written Tulu lyrics and acted in some Tulu films like 'Pettai Pilli', 'Badkere Budle', 'Bangarda Kural', and 'Baghyavanthdi'.

For his immense contribution, he was awarded the Dakshina Kannada Rajyostava Award, the Karnataka Nataka Academy Award, and Tulu Sahitya Academy Award. He was the Tulu Drama Artists' Union founder-president for 8 years.

'Na Sayalare', 'Devadas', 'Mathrubhumigagi Madive', 'Alexander' were his Kannada dramas. He has written plays for radio also.

A condolence meet will be held on April 12 evening at around 4 pm at Tulu Sahithya Academy office.

Kasargodu Chinna, president of Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy condoled the sad demise of Machendranath Pandeshwar.