Noted theatre activist, writer, poet, and playwright S. Malathi, 66, passed away at a private hospital in Manipal. She was ailing for some time and breathed her last late on Sunday

An alumnus of the National School of Drama, Malathi was associated with Samudaya, the radical theatre movement in Karnataka that fought Emergency through cultural activism by performing street plays and participating in jathas.

Hailing from Sagar, Malathi went to Mysuru to pursue Masters in Kannada literature, after finishing her graduation in Commerce in Mangaluru. She debuted Samudaya through Taayi an adaptation of Maxim Gorky’s Mother.

According to Shashidhar Barighat, theatre activist, Malathi’s recent experiment was the theatre adaptation of Swapna Saraswata, a novel by Gopalakrishna Pai. Malathi was engaged in children’s theatre and even wrote plays for them.

Malathi also directed plays Kerege Hara, Siri Sampige, Yayathi, and Hayavadana. She wrote Dalithaloka, Bheemakathanaka, Sita Charita, and Mooru makkala natakagalu. Kshakinavallada kshanagalu, an anthology of poems, won the Pejawara Sadashiva Rao award instituted by Mumbai Kannada Sangha. Malathi had presided over the fifth taluk-level Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in Sagar.

The cremation was held in her native Sagar town on Monday evening. The theatre fraternity across the State paid tribute.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – Shivamogga, April 01st, 2019