Though it takes a lifetime to really understand another culture; its literature, however, provides the best glimpse into it. “Sirigannada”, an anthology of contemporary Kannada writings — translated into English and edited by Vivek Shanbhag — takes the reader on a journey through Karnataka's rich and varied history and culture.
A discussion on “Sirigannada”, interspersed with readings of excerpts, was held last week at the British Library. Organised by TFA (Toto Funds the Arts), the conversation between Vivek Shanbhag and theatre person Prakash Belawadi gave much food for thought. The selection of stories and poetry wasn't a “conscious process” for Shanbhag. He, however, ensured that the works he chose were of different styles and narratives.
Poet and theatre personality, Deepika Arwind, Mounesh Badiger, and Kannada theatre personality H.S. Shiva Prakash read out excerpts from the book. Shiva Prakash's eloquent rendition of some of the pieces impressed. Jayant Kaikini's “Tick-Tock Buddy”, Sandhya Devi's “Love of Death”, Kum. Veerabhadrappa's “The Handshake Episode”, D.R. Nagaraj's “The Kannada-English Combat”, Pratibha Nandakumar's poem “The Saviour” were some of the pieces that were read out.
“Tick-Tock Buddy”, an aesthetically-sculpted story laced with humour, is about a casual quiz contest held in hospitals. Sandhya Devi uses striking metaphors to juxtapose love and death in her poem, “Love of Death”, so as to reveal its intertwined relationship. Veerabhadrappa's “The Handshake Episode”, written in the curious Kannada-Telugu dialect, tells the story of a school master in a little village. The story also addresses issues of caste and class.
Each of the stories and poems brought alive seemingly uninteresting and ordinary aspects of daily life through simple, yet evocative language. In D.R. Nagaraj's essay on the roots of Kannada in the English language, he speaks of how English is the privilege of the upper class who own property, which is why the lower class relentlessly pursue learning English with the hope that “it will transport them to a new heaven”, while Nandakumar's poem “The Saviour” is laced with mild sarcasm.
