04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Banu Mushtaq brought honour to Karnataka: Prakash Raj
Mysuru: Actor-activist
Prakash Raj
on Friday hailed Kannada writer Banu Mushtaq for bringing laurels to Kannada by winning the first International Booker Prize for Kannada. It was an honour for the Kannada intellectual who also brought pride to Karnataka, he said.
He was speaking after Banu was felicitated at a function organised in the city by Abhiruchi Publications which celebrated its 30 years.
Raj recalled that he came to know Banu when she was writing for Kannada tabloid Lankesh Patrike. Mushtaq wrote stories in Kannada depicting women-centric struggles, injustice and discrimination against women and explained her inner voice in her writings.
Kannada writer Latha Mysuru highlighted the resistance from some Muslim community members during Banu's initial years of writing.
Her family not only faced ostracism but was also boycotted, prevented and restricted by her writings. However, the writer overcame such struggles and penned more than 40 books, including fiction, novels, and collections of short stories during her 40-year literary career, she said.
Banu thanked the International Booker Prize selection committee jurists for selecting her short stories. Recalling her Mysuru connection, Banu said she studied in a primary school in KRS, where her father served as a health inspector. She also stressed the need to protect the heritage buildings of Mysuru like the United Kingdom protected its heritage structures. There are a lot of similarities between London and Mysuru, like its palaces and its salubrious environment.
Banu said she would continue to fight against injustice and inequality as a writer and advocate.
Historian PV Nanjaraje Urs, state information commissioner Harish Kumar and publisher BN Sriram were present.
