Shanthakavi: The architect of modern Kannada theatre

Sakkari Balacharya, a famous poet and dramatist, popularly known as Shantakavi, lit the light of Kannada identity through theatre, and other literary and cultural experiments.

He is known as Adya Natakakar or the architect of modern Kannada theatre. He authored 75 literary works which include 20 plays, with an aim to rebuild Kannadattva or Kannada identity.

Shantakavi was born in 1856. There is no clarity on the place of his birth.

During his childhood, he was attracted towards folk arts like doddata, Radhanata, shadow puppetry etc. During the time, Marathi was the dominant language in the region which was under the Bombay Presidency. Even though Marathi was the medium of education, he grew up in a family of pandits who were well-versed in Kannada and Sanskrit. He learnt the nuances of Kannada dialects through folk art.

After education, Shantakavi became a primary school teacher and soon he put in efforts to bring modern theatre to Kannada-speaking people. He wrote plays in Kannada to achieve this. He wrote his first play Ushaharana in the 1870s.

It is said that he drew inspiration from his family deity Satenhalli Shantesh, which is reflected in his pen name — Shantakavi.

He is said to be the first playwright to write original Kannada plays. Before him, there were only translations and adaptations from Sanskrit dramas or Shakespeare’s plays.

He also promoted the first professional theatre company of Karnataka, formed by theatre enthusiasts of the time, Veeranarayana Prasadita Kritapur Nataka Mandali (1877).

He was also a keertanakara (one who sings devotional songs). He sung keertanas and raised funds for the fourth Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held in Dharwad in 1918, which was about to be called off due to the shortage of funds.

He considered himself as Kannadada dasayya (servant of Kannada language). When he was working in Gadag town, higher officials didn’t approve of his involvement in theatre. They alleged that Shantakavi was spreading hatred among people of different languages. But he firmly believed that one need not hate other languages to strengthen one language.

Due to this, Shantakavi was transferred from Gadag to Hombal, a village 10 km away. But that didn’t demotivate Shantakavi. He would come to Gadag after duty hours and do the rehearsals.

He chose themes from mythology and used the local dialect of North Karnataka for dialogues. Shrungara (romance), veera (valour) and hasya (comedy) rasa are the key elements of his plays. The dialogues are marked by elaborate rhetoric. His books have interesting titles, Vasappa Nayakana Farce (Vasappa Nayaka's Farce), Adda Kathegala Booku (A book of anecdotes) are just two examples.

He translated a few literary works from Sanskrit including Kalidasa’s Meghadoota, Ritusamhara, and Raghuvaṃsha.

Ahead of his time

His literary and theatre experiments show that he was ahead of his time and modern in approach.

Shantakavi was self-assertive and uncompromising. He joined as primary school teacher at the age of 16 with a payment Rs 12 in 1872 and retired in 1912 with pension Rs 11.

He took to farming after retirement and formed a cooperative society of farmers in 1917 at Varanagalavi village near Dharwad. He also wrote a few poems on the importance of agriculture.

His 10-year stint in Agadi village of Haveri district in the early years of the 20th century is considered a golden period of his work.

He wrote Vidyaranya Vijaya, the first keertana in Kannada with a historical theme, in 1918.

It is said that Sufi saint Shishunala Sharif appreciated his keertanas with these words: Sakkariyappa, ninna Kannada vani andara nijavagi sakkari iddhanaga. (Sakkari ji, your Kannada recitation and speech is as sweet as sugar)

Celebrated poet Da Ra Bendre wrote an elegy, Shantakavigala Vishranti, when Shantakavi died in 1920.

Most of his works are not available in public domain now. The need of the hour is to collect his works and publish them before they are completely lost. The government should work towards this and also honour his work by instituting an award in his memory.

(The author is a theatre practitioner based in Dharwad)