Jayant Kaikini (born 24 January 1955) [1] is a poet, short story writer, playwright, columnist in Kannada and a lyricist and script writer in Kannada cinema. He has published seven short story collections, six poetry collections, four essay collections and three plays so far. He is valued as one of the best writers in Kannada literature and has revolutionized the field by giving it a fresh new perspective.[2] He has bagged many notable awards like 'Karnataka Sahitya Academy' award(1974,1982,1989,1996), Kusumagraj National Literary Award (2010),[3] Katha Award for Creative Fiction (1996),[4] DSC South Asian Literature Prize (2018) amidst others. Kaikini is regarded as one of the most significant writers in Kannada today.[5] Kaikini has been conferred the honorary doctorate from Tumkur University.[6]
Early life
Dr Kaikini was born in Gokarna to Gourish Kaikini, a thinker, litterateur and high school teacher, and Shanta Kaikini, a social worker. After graduating with an M.Sc. in Biochemistry from Karnataka University, Dharwad, he moved to Mumbai where he worked as a chemist in pharmaceutical companies for many years.[7] Jayant Kaikini began his career working as a production chemist, eventually working also as a copywriter for advertising agencies in Bombay for 23 years before moving to Bangalore, where he held several key institutional positions - as founder of Kannada television channels Etv Kannada, Zee Kannada, becoming the literary editor of a monthly magazine Bhavana and hosting a widely popular television talk-show series Namaskara while being intellectually associated with the Kannada film industry writings dialogues, scripts.
Career and Work
Kaikini has published a number of poetry collections including Rangadindondishtu Doora, Kothitheertha, Shravana Madhyana, Neelimale, Theredashte Bagilu. He is the author of short stories collections for Dagadoo Parabana Ashwamedha, Aamruthaballi Kashaya, Shabda Teera, Bannada kaalu, Toofan Mail, Ondu Jelebi, Charminar, Anarkaliya Safety Pin and Vichitraseneya Vaikhari.[6] His work in translation No Presents Please has won widespread acclaim and accolades across the globe, including the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. His first work in translation was Dots and Lines in 2004 published by Indialog.[8]
In acclaimed literary critic G S Amur's words, "Jayant has a genuinely humanistic approach, to life and even his portraits of lonely and alienated individuals are not isolated from life in the community."[9] "As a poet Jayant Kaikini finds his subject in the contradictions of existence which are rather acute for a young man uprooted from his rural environment and placed in an urban situation."[10]
Jayant Kaikini's initial foray into lyricism for Kannada film industry includes movies like Girish Kasarvalli's Dweepa, Nagabarana's Chigurida Kanasu. Renowned Kannada film actor and singer Dr.Rajkumar sung his song "Bandhuve O Bandhuve", composed by V. Manohar. He is credited with revolutionising the Kannada cinematic vocabulary with new and modern imagery that belongs to our lived worlds. Kaikini's hit song 'Anisutide' penned for Yograj Bhat's Mungaaru Male, shot him to an unprecedented adoration amidst listeners of Kannada cinema music. Thereafter, the combinations of Jayant Kaikini, Yograj Bhat, Mano Murthy and playback singers Song Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal produced repeated hit songs for films such as Gaalipata, Milana, Geleya, Moggina Manasu etc.[11]
Before his lyrical career, Kaikini was popular for hosting the curated Namasakara series on four cultural laureates in Kannada namely, Dr Rajkumar, KuVemPu, D.R.Bendre and Shivarama Karanth. "Rasa Rushige Namaskara" produced for Etv Kannada was dedicated to Rashtrakavi Kuvempu.[6] This show was very popular across Kannada speaking community in the world. "Kadala Theerada Bharghavanige Namaskara" was dedicated to Shivarama Karanth. He has been jury member on the reality show "Yede tumbi Haaduvenu" along with the legendary singer S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Kannada music director and lyricist Hamsalekha.
Kaikini received the Karnataka Sahitya Academy award for his first poetry collection at the age of nineteen in 1974. He received the same award again in 1982, 1989 and 1996 for his short story collections.[12] He has been awarded the Dinakara Desai award for his poetry,[2] the B. H. Sridhar award for fiction,[2] the Katha National award and Rujuwathu trust fellowship, the Kusumagraj Award, Masti Prashasti amidst several other honours for his writings as well as an honorary Doctorate from Tumkur University.
He lives in Bangalore with his wife Smita Kaikini,[13] an analytic chemist by training and an archivist by passion who manages the Kaikini family archives. His daughter Srajana Kaikini is a philosopher, artist, curator, professor [14][15] and son Ritwik Kaikini is an artist, music composer, writer, educator.[16] Apart from Kannada, Jayant is fluent in Konkani, Marathi, Hindi and English.
Selected works
Poetry
Rangadindondishtu Doora (1974)
Kotitheertha (1982)
Shravana Madhyahna (1987)
Neelimale (1997)
Jayant Kaikini Kavithegalu (2003)
Ondu Jilebi (2008)
Vichitra Senana Vaikhari(2021)
Ello maleyagide(2012: Collection of Film songs penned by him)
