Doddarangegowda (born 7 February 1946)[1] is an Indian poet and lyricist working in Kannada cinema.[2] He is a retired professor of Kannada and has published a number of anthologies in Kannada. He has released several audio cassettes and CDs of his poems. Some of his noteworthy songs are Tera Yeri Ambaradaage and Notadaage Nageya Meeti of Parasangada Gendethimma, Nammoora Mandara Hoove of Aalemane, Sri Rama Bandavne of Paduvaaralli Pandavaru.[3] He was also a Bharatiya Janata Party MLC.[4] In 2018, he was awarded with the civilian award Padma Shri.[5]
Biography
Doddarangegowda was born on 7 February 1946 to K. Rangegowda and Akkamma.[1] He credited his father and Kannada-language teacher A. Ramachandra Rao as major inspiration for him to take interest in poetry. Doddarangegowda joined the Railway Mail Service in 1964. During his work in Hubli as a mail sorter, he met renowned Kannada poets and writers like D. R. Bendre, Patil Puttappa and G. B. Joshi. He recalled meeting P. V. Acharya, editor of the weekly Kasturi, as a "turning point" in his career. Acharya encouraged him to write for his weekly which he would do, while also writing poems for Chandrashekhar Patil's Sankramana, a literary magazine. After a short stint in Birur, Doddarangegowda was transferred to Bangalore. Here, he contributed to Khadri Shamanna's Gokula, and "picked up the nuances of journalism under him". This prompted Doddarangegowda to pursue a bachelor's degree in Kannada honors, and got himself enrolled in the Central College, Bangalore. His professors were renowned writers such as R. S. Mugali, G. S. Shivarudrappa, P. Lankesh, M. V. Seetharamiah. He would then acquire a master's degree there in 1972.[6][1]Chandrashekhara Kambara was one of his professors. That year, he began working as a Kannada lecturer in SLN College, Bangalore.[6] He worked till 1998 before serving as pricipal of the college from 2000 to 2004. Between 2004 and 2008, he worked at Seshadripuram College, Bangalore. In 2004, he secured a doctorate from Bangalore University, and submitted a thesis on reevaluation of Kannada romantic poetry of the Navodaya period.[1]
Doddarangegowda was noted for his collaborations with composers such as the duos, Rajan–Nagendra and Ashwath–Vaidi, and M. Ranga Rao. Speaking to Deccan Herald in an interview in 2021, about his style of writing, Doddarangegowda stated: "I use simple words and metaphors, and rural and folk images. People always welcome freshness, nativity and melody. A lyricist is a promoter of good taste and culture."[6]
Doddarangegowda's wife Rajeshwari Gowda a professor and writer. They have two children together: son Bharath and daughter Smitha, both of whom work as Kannada lecturers.[6]
Bibliography
Doddarangegowda has written lyrics, odes, travelogues, and some other prose works.
Anthologies
Maavu Bevu (Collection of songs)
Kannu Naalage Kadalu
Lyricist
Doddarangegowda has written lyrics for the soundtrack of the following Kannada films:[7]