Doddarangegowda | |
|---|---|
 Doddarangegowda (left) in 2019 | |
| Member ofKarnataka Legislative Council | |
| In office 21 June 2008 – 20 June 2014 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1946-02-07)7 February 1946 (age 79) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Spouse | K. Rajeshwari |
| Children | 2 |
| Occupation | Poet, writer, professor, lyricist |
| Awards | Padma Shri |
Doddarangegowda (born 7 February 1946)[1] is an Indian poet and lyricist working inKannada 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 areTera Yeri Ambaradaage andNotadaage Nageya Meeti ofParasangada Gendethimma,Nammoora Mandara Hoove ofAalemane,Sri Rama Bandavne ofPaduvaaralli Pandavaru.[3] He was also a Bharatiya Janata Party MLC.[4] In 2018, he was awarded with the civilian awardPadma Shri.[5]
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 inHubli as a mail sorter, he met renowned Kannada poets and writers likeD. R. Bendre,Patil Puttappa andG. B. Joshi. He recalled meeting P. V. Acharya, editor of the weeklyKasturi, as a "turning point" in his career. Acharya encouraged him to write for his weekly which he would do, while also writing poems forChandrashekhar Patil'sSankramana, a literary magazine. After a short stint inBirur, Doddarangegowda was transferred toBangalore. Here, he contributed to Khadri Shamanna'sGokula, 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 theCentral College, Bangalore. His professors were renowned writers such asR. 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 principal 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's work in films began in 1977 withK. S. L. Swamy'sMaagiya Kanasu. Swamy, one of the attendees of the 1977 seminar at theBangalore University where Doddarangegowda presented a paper on Bendre's poems, introduced him to poet M. N. Vyasa Rao. Doddarangegowda then wrote the song "Bandide Badukina Bangarada" for the film;Vijaya Bhaskar scored the music for the song and was sung byVani Jairam. He then wrote three songs forPuttanna Kanagal'sPaduvaaralli Pandavaru (1978). Subsequently, he met directors K. V. Jayaram andA. V. Seshagiri Rao, with who he would become a frequent collaborator. Doddarangegowda's "Thera Eri Ambaradaage" forParasangada Gendethimma (1978) received praise. He then wrote dialogue forMaralu Sarapani (1979) andKappu Kola (1980). He received theSpecial Jury Award at the 1981–82Karnataka State Film Award for his lyrics on the soundtrack ofAalemane (1981). He would receive the award again for 1990–91, for his work inGaneshana Maduve (1990). For his work inKavya (1995) andJanumada Jodi (1996) received theKarnataka State Film Award for Best Lyricist.[6]
Doddarangegowda was noted for his collaborations with composers such as the duos,Rajan–Nagendra and Ashwath–Vaidi, andM. Ranga Rao. Speaking toDeccan 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 a son and daughter.[6]
Doddarangegowda has written lyrics, odes, travelogues, and some other prose works.
Doddarangegowda has written lyrics for the soundtrack of the following Kannada films:[7][8]
