Myth, Language and Translation: An Interview with Dr. Chandrashekhara Kambara
Abhimanyu Acharya
This interview was conducted on 14th July, 2017 in the morning at ‘Siri Sampige’- a beautiful house of Dr. Chandrashekhara Kambara, Jnanpith recipient, eminent Kannada poet and playwright. Kambara wore a sky blue shirt and a mundu, and looked enthusiastic about the interview. He talked with zeal and force about many things- his latest play, his beliefs about village and city life, and the threat posed by English to other Indian languages in an honest, graceful manner. The interview was conducted by Abhimanyu Acharya. Edited excerpts are as follows: AA. Are you currently working on something? CK. Yes, I am writing another play. AA. Would you please share what it is about? What are its major themes and concerns? What is it called? CK. It is a historical play called ‘Bullakayajji’, which is the name of a local deity of the village called Shravanabelagola in Karnataka. It is set in 11th Century, and captures the life of Chamundaraya, who made the famous statue of Bahubali, the deity of Jains. It is about how Bullakayajji, the local deity, breaks Chamundaraya’s arrogance that was acquired after he made the statue of Bahubali. It addresses the themes of politics and religiosity, and considering the political scenario today, it is an extremely relevant play. AA. Do you write regularly? Do you follow a routine? CK. No. I write whenever I feel like writing. I have always been like this. AA. Since your house is called ‘Siri Sampige’, and since it is also one 22
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