Prakash Belawadi

Prakash Belawadi is a theatre, film, television and media personality in Bangalore, India. He is an actor, writer, director and instructor working for the stage and screen. An ardent Bangalorean, he is involved in many Bangalore-based cultural and civic institutions working to improve life in the city. He writes a weekly column for the tabloid Bangalore Mirror. His debut film feature STUMBLE won the National Award in 2003 for Best Film in the regional language (English) and has now been included in the national telecaster Doordarshan's Best of Indian Cinema series.

Among other awards, he has been honoured with the Karnataka Nataka Academy Award for his contribution to Kannada and English language theatre. Prakash has participated in seminars, conferences and festivals in India and abroad, including the British Council meet on inter-racial understanding in London, 2008; the American Association of Comparative Literature annual conference at Harvard University, 2009; the Beyond Bollywood conference at the Gothenburg International Film Festival, 2010; the Performing Arts Market conference in Seoul, 2011; and the 50th Theatertreffen – annual theatre festival meet at Berlin, 2013.

As co-founder of Centre for Film and Drama, an integrated performing arts, cinema and media training and production organisation, now under the Suchitra Cinema and Cultural Academy in Bangalore, Prakash is part of the trust that is now building a film and drama school at the Suchitra premises. The school has an ongoing collaboration with School of Film Directing, Valand Academy, at Gothenburg University, Sweden.

Currently,Prakash Belawadi is

  1. Columnist for Bangalore Mirror
  2. Commentator on politics and society, TV channels
  3. Artistic Director & Founder-Trustee, Centre for Film and Drama at Suchitra, Bangalore
  4. Editor of 'Appreciation' (Suchitra Bulletin)
  5. Dy.Managing Trustee, Suchitra Cinema and Cultural Academy
  6. Trustee, India Foundation for the Arts
  7. Core Member, B-PAC, Bangalore

Awards and nominations include

  1. National Award for 'STUMBLE' (Best Feature in English, 2003);
  2. Karnataka Nataka Academy Award (2012);
  3. Pratibha Bhushan, Karnataka (2004);
  4. Rotary Centennial Excellence Award in Filmmaking (2005);
  5. Aryabhata Award for Best Direction of TV Serial, Garva (2002);
  6. Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Award for Best Actor in Supporting Role (2005).

TV & Filmography:

  1. Co-wrote serial PROF VASAN (Hindi) for Doordarshan National Network, 1992.
  2. Wrote 13-part serial KAVALODEDA DAARI for Doordarshan (Aryabhata Award for Best Serial in Kannada,1993).
  3. Wrote screenplay for TV Series KANNADIOLAGINA KANASUGALU (Kannada), Doordarshan (Nominated for Onida-Pinnacle Best Serial Award, 1994).
  4. Wrote screenplay and directed 22-part serial MUSSANJEYA KATHAPRASANGA (a celebrated novel by P. Lankesh) for ETV Kannada (2000).
  5. Wrote and directed the 202-episode serial GARVA for ETV Kannada, (Aryabhata Award for Best Direction, 2002).
  6. Wrote and directed STUMBLE, feature film in English (National Award, 2003).
  7. Wrote and directed 115-episode serial ILLIRUVUDU SUMMANE for ZEE Kannada (2009).
  8. Wrote DOOSRA (Hindi): Kerala International Film Festival (2008), Bangalore International Film Festival (2009).
  9. Acted in Girish Karnad-directed serial in Kannada and Hindi, KANOORU HEGGADITI for Doordarshan (1998)
  10. Acted in TN Seetharam's feature film MATADAANA (Kannada, 1998)
  11. Acted in Girish Karnad-directed serial CHIDAMBARA RAHASYA for Doordarshan (2005).
  12. Acted in Shoojit Sircar's MADRAS CAFE (Hindi, 2013); (Nominated for Best Actor in Supporting Role, Life OK Screen Awards, 2013)
  13. Acted in Syed Ahmed Afzal's YOUNGISTAAN (Hindi, 2014)
  14. Acting in feature films under production – AGASI SALOON (Kannada, 2014), BENKI PATTANA (Kannada, 2014) and UTHAMA VILLAIN (Tamil, 2014)


Theatre:

Lighting designer from 1978 to1991.

Directed and designed plays in English and Kannada languages. Recent works include Michael Frayn's COPENHAGEN, since 2008 (acting, design and direction); Richard Shannon's THE LADY OF BURMA, 2009; Dario Fo's THE ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF AN ANARCHIST 2009 (in a Kannada adaptation), the world premiere of Alan Brody's SMALL INFINITIES, 2009; an 4 CHAPTERS, 2010 (a stage adaptation in English of Rabindranath Tagore's Bengali novel); and GORA (adaptation of Tagore's famous novel), since 2011; Eve Ensler's NECESSARY TARGETS (2012); and Sam Peter Jackson's PUBLIC PROPERTY (2014).

All the above are productions were by Centre for Film and Drama.

CFD's production, Brian Friel's TRANSLATIONS (English) won the Best Play Award at the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards contest in New Delhi in 2005. (Best Actor in a Supporting Role).

CFD has been invited to perform at festivals in Mysore, Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata.


Journalism & Other Media

Reporter,INDIAN EXPRESS, Bangalore (1986–88); Correspondent, SUNDAY weekly (1988–90); Chief of News Service/ News Editor THE ASIAN AGE, New Delhi/Bangalore (1996–97); Founder-Editorial Advisor, BANGALORE BIAS (2006–07);

Co-hosted BY-2 COFFEE, an interview show on ETV Kannada television channel.

In July 2005, co-founded, co-designed and co-launched BANGALORE BIAS, a tabloid newspaper, initially as a weekly and then as a daily, from August 2006, to serve as a model afternoon paper. Served as EDITORIAL ADVISOR on the paper toll August 2007 when the paper stopped publication to reposition as an online version now awaiting re-launch.

Has worked as columnist for THE TIMES OF INDIA, THE HINDU, ECONOMIC TIMES, VIJAYA KARNATAKA, EXPRESS TRIBUNE (Pakistan)

Contributed to DECCAN HERALD, INDIA TODAY, THE ILLUSTRATED WEEKLY OF INDIA, FINANCIAL EXPRESS, KANNADA PRABHA and several other publications

25 years in software programming, journalism, corporate communications, media consultancy, television production, film production and media training.

Memberships:

  1. Film Writers Association of India, Mumbai
  2. Press Club of India, New Delhi
  3. Bangalore International Centre, Bangalore
  4. Suchitra Film Society
  5. Association of Motion Pictures & TV Programme Producers, Mumbai
  6. Bangalore City Institute
  7. Bowring Institute

Academic:

Mechanical Engineering Graduate (UVCE 1983), Bangalore University.



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