Jayanth Kaikini

Jayanth Kaikini (born 24 January 1955) is a poet, short story writer, playwright, columnist in Kannada and a lyricist in Kannada Cinema. He has so far published six anthologies of short stories, four books of poetry, three plays and a collection of essays. He is valued as one of the best writers in Kannada literature and has revolutionized the field by giving it a fresh new perspective. He has bagged in many notable awards like ' Karnataka Sahitya Academy' award. Kaikini is regarded as one of the most significant writers in Kannada today. Kaikini has been conferred the honorary doctorate from Tumkur University.

Early life

Dr Kaikini was born in Gokarna to Gourish Kaikini, a thinker, litterateur and teacher, and Shanta Kaikini, a social worker. After studying a M.Sc. in Biochemistry from Karnataka University, Dharwad, he moved to Mumbai where he worked as a chemist for many years. Jayanth Kaikini began his career working as a production chemist, eventually working also as a copywriter for advertising agencies in Bombay for 23 years before moving to Bangalore, where he held several key institutional positions - as founder of Kannada television channels Etv Kannada, Zee Kannada, becoming the literary editor of a monthly magazine Bhavana and hosting a widely popoular television talk-show series Namaskara while being intellectually associated with the Kannada film industry.

Career

Kaikini has published a number of poetry collections including Rangadindondishtu Doora, Kothitheertha, Shravana Madhyana, Neelimale, Theredashte Bagilu. He is also the author of short stories collections for Dagadoo Parabana Ashwamedha, Aamruthaballi Kashaya, Shabda Teera, Bannada kaalu, Toofan Mail, Ondu Jelebi, Charminar, Anarkaliya Safety Pin and Vichitraseneya Vaikhari. His work in translation No Presents Please has won widespread acclaim and accolades across the globe, including the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. His first work in translation was Dots and Lines.

Jayanth Kaikini's initial foray into lyricism for Kannada film undustry includes movies like Dweepa and Chigurida Kanasu. Renowned Kannada film actor and singer Dr.Rajkumar sung
Bandhuve O Bandhuve
, for which V. Manohar composed the music. He is credited with revolutionising the image of Kannada film songs, with the classic touch of literature, a nouvelle vocabulary and imagery that belongs to our lived worlds. Films like Mungaaru Male, Gaalipata, Milana etc. have some touching and memorable songs with lyrics penned by him.

He was hosting a TV Show "Rasa Rushige Namaskara" in Etv Kannada which a biography on Rashtrakavi Kuvempu. This show was very popular with a particular section of audience. He continued it with other series' such as "Kadala Theerada Bharghava",..etc.Lately he was seen judging the
reality show "Yede tumbi Haaduvenu" along with the legendary singer S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and famous Kannada music director and lyricist naada brahma Hamsalekha.

Kaikini received the Karnataka Sahitya Academy award for his first poetry collection at the age of nineteen in 1974. He received the same award again in 1982, 1989 and 1996 for his short story collections. He has been awarded the Dinakara Desai award for his poetry, the B. H. Sridhar award for fiction, the Katha National award and Rujuwathu trust fellowship, the Kusumagraj Award, Masti Prashasti amidst several other honours for his writings as well as an honorary Doctorate from Tumkur University.

He now lives in Bangalore with his wife/partner Smita Kaikini, an analytic chemist by training and an archivist, manager of the Kaikini family archives. His daughter Dr Srajana Kaikini is a philosopher, artist, academic who has also a trained Odissi

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