Girish Kasaravalli

Girish Kasaravalli (born 3 December 1950) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works primarily the Kannada cinema. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of the Parallel Cinema. His films have received critical acclaim and he has received fourteen National Film Awards, National Film Awards, including four Best Feature Films: Ghatashraddha (1977), Tabarana Kathe (1986), Thaayi Saheba (1997) and Dweepa (2002). In 2011, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour.

A gold medalist from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, The film he made to fulfill his diploma, Avashesh, was awarded the Best Student Film and the National Film Award for Best Short Fiction Film for that year. He has received fourteen National Film Awards.