| A. N. Krishna Rao (A Na Kru) | |
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A. N. Krishna Rao |
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| Born | 9 May 1908 Kolar, Kolar district, Karnataka |
| Died | 8 July 1971 (aged 63) Bangalore, Karnataka |
| Pen name | A Na Kru (ಅ.ನ.ಕೃ) |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | India |
| Genres | Fiction |
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Influences
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Dr. A. N. Krishna Rao (Kannada: ಅ. ನ. ಕೃಷ್ಣರಾಯ) (1908–1971) (Arakalagudu Narasigarao Krishna Rao - popularly known as ANaKru), is one of the well-known writers in Kannada language. He was popularly known as Kadambari Sarvabhouma (King of Novels). He is known as the person who started the Pragatishila (progressive) movement in Kannada literature. He has received an honorary doctorate from Mysore University and is the recipient of the Kannada Sahitya Akademi award.
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ANaKru was born on the 9th of May, 1908 in the Kolar town of the state of Karnataka, India.[1] His father's name was Narasinga Rao and mother's name was Annapoornamma. The family were natives of the town called Arkalgud in the Hassan district of Karnataka. At the start of his career, he edited literary Kannada magazines like Katha Manjari and Vishva Vani.[2] He was also an editor of the Kannada Sahitya Parishath’s publication called Kannada Nudi. ANaKru was the nominated as the president of 43rd Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held in Manipal.[2] Once introducing him to an audience, one of Kannada's other major writer Maasti Venkatesh Iyengar said "I am a Tamil Kannadiga, Sir Mirza Ismail is a Muslim Kannadiga, and Anakru is a pure Kannadiga". This tribute from a literary like Maasti mirrors the Kannada fervor Anakru was known for.
ANaKru was one of the persons who fought for the unification of Kannada-speaking people who were spread across different provinces in British India. He started a movement to promote and popularize Kannada. He openly criticized people in authority who neglected Kannada and fought against them. In one such case, he wrote an article in Kannada Nudi', criticizing the Hindi-oriented policies of R. R. Divakar (first governor of Bihar), the President of Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in 1929. On being asked to apologize, ANaKru resigned from the post of the editor and walked away.[1]
ANaKru lived for most of his life in a house called Annapoorna at VV Puram, a locality in South Bangalore.[2] He died on 8 July 1971 at the age of 63.
Starting from his first novel, Jeevanayathre (journey of life), ANaKru continued to write for about 40 years and wrote more than 100 novels.[2] He was a prolific writer and his literary output exceeded 80,000 pages. When he started writing his novels, the Navodaya form of Kannada literature was in vogue. He rejected this form of literature saying that such writings were a creation of aesthetes and did not reflect the disturbing truths of real life.[3] This led him to come up with writings that formed a new movement in itself, called Pragatishila (progressive). ANaKru wanted literature to become an instrument of social revolution. Influenced by ANaKru, many other writers like Ta Ra Su, Basavaraj Kattimani and Niranjana started writing novels that belonged to the Pragatishila form.[3]
ANaKru was well-known for going against the set rules, an example being his three novels, Nagna Sathya, Shani Santaana and Sanje Gaththalu, which talk of prostitution. He was condemned by many people for depicting vulgarity in these novels.[4] To defend these novels, ANaKru came up with another book called Sahitya mattu kama prachodane and he said:"If telling the truth is vulgar, then I am a vulgar writer; if the act of covering with a cloth, a downtrodden, helpless, naked woman on the street is vulgar, then I am a vulgar writer".[4] His non-moralistic approach to writing and extensive usage of dialogue contributed to vast readership.[5]
ANaKru also wrote many novels which belong to the Artist-Novel model. In this model, most of the novels follow a familiar pattern of a born artist who becomes famous, only to succumb to the charms of a woman and his hold on the art deteriorates. At the end, the artist either overcomes this to regain his art or succumbs to the woman's passion and is destroyed at the end.[6] One of ANaKru's most popular novels's called Sandhyaraaga belongs to this model and talks of the life of a dedicated musician contrasting him with his mean brother.[5] Other novels written by ANaKru in this model are Mia Malhar, Udayaraga, Sahitya Ratna and Nata Sarvabhauma
A. N. Krishna Rao acted as the president of the 43rd Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held in Manipal. Anakru was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Karnataka State award. Mysore University awarded Anakru an honorary doctorate in literature.
Based on Anakru's fiction Sandhyaraga, the Kannada movie Sandhyaraga released in 1966 was a hit movie.