FranciscaFortney at 18:56, 2 April 2026

2026-04-02T18:56:41Z

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{{Short description|Indian film director}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kavitha Lankesh
| image = Ms Kavita Lankesh, (Director) addressing a press conference at Black Box, Kala Academy during the 37th International Film Festival (IFFI-2006) in Panaji, Goa on November 25, 2006.jpg
| caption = Lankesh at the [[International Film Festival of India|IFFI]] ([[37th International Film Festival of India|2006]])
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|12|13|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Bangalore]], [[Karnataka]], India
| occupation = [[Film director]]
| education = [[Bangalore University]]
| children = 1
| notable_works = ''[[Deveeri]]'' (1999)
| parents = [[P. Lankesh]]<br />Indira
| relatives = [[Gauri Lankesh]] (sister)<br />[[Indrajit Lankesh]] (brother)
| website = {{Official website|kavithalankesh.com}}
}}

'''Kavitha Lankesh''' is an Indian film director, screenwriter and a lyricist known for her work in [[Cinema of Karnataka|Kannada cinema industry]]. She began as a [[documentary film]]-maker before directing her first feature film, ''[[Deveeri]]'' (1999), which went on to win international, national and state awards. She is considered to be one of the renowned film-makers of Kannada cinema.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/kannada/interview.php?id=6006671&cid=2404 |title=Archived copy |website=[[Sify]] |access-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123054510/http://www.sify.com/movies/kannada/interview.php?id=6006671&cid=2404 |archive-date=23 November 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> She has directed and produced more than fifty documentaries and informational films, along with over forty corporate films.<ref name="thehindu2003">{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/08/11/stories/2003081102010200.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040117223515/http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/08/11/stories/2003081102010200.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2004-01-17 |title=Back after a break |date=2003-08-11 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=2015-12-23}}</ref> Some of the films Kavitha directed have won awards and accolades from critics.

==Early life and background==
Kavitha was born in Bangalore to journalist [[P. Lankesh]] and Indira. Her mother runs a sari shop in Bangalore. Kavitha hails from a prominent family of journalists and media publishers. Her father [[P. Lankesh]] founded the highly successful weekly tabloid ''[[Lankesh Patrike]]''. She has two siblings, [[Indrajit Lankesh|Indrajit]] and [[Gauri Lankesh|Gauri]]. Her brother is also a film-maker and her sister, Gauri Lankesh, was the chief editor of the tabloid.<ref>[[Lankesh Patrike]]</ref> Kavitha holds a master's in English Literature from [[Bangalore University]] and a diploma in advertising. Before her film career, Kavitha owned an advertisement agency.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2004/08/31/stories/2004083101060100.htm |title=Encore! |date=2004-08-31 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=2015-12-23}}{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Kavitha decided to remain single. Instead, Kavitha is a single mother by choice to her daughter, Esha Lankesh.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theweek.in/health/cover/single-parents.html |title=Solo riders |publisher=Theweek.in |access-date=2015-12-23 |archive-date=23 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123095419/http://www.theweek.in/health/cover/single-parents.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> She now lives in a suburb of Bangalore with her daughter and her two Labradors.<ref name="tribuneindia2000">{{cite web |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20001104/windows/above.htm |title=The Tribune - Windows - This Above All |publisher=Tribuneindia.com |access-date=2015-12-23 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304105845/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20001104/windows/above.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Career==
Kavitha started in films with a series of documentaries. She has made films about [[Bannerghatta National Park]] in Bangalore, the [[Siddi]] tribe, and [[Ninasam]], a cultural organization that promotes the development of theater and films.<ref name="thehindu2002">{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/03/25/stories/2002032500770200.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020817082554/http://thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/03/25/stories/2002032500770200.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2002-08-17 |title=Fighting the formula |date=2002-03-25 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=2015-12-23}}</ref> Kavithas first documentary was on a children's nature camp. She went to more than 50 documentaries and corporate films. ''[[Deveeri]]'', a movie based on a short story by [[P. Lankesh]], ''Akka'', represented Kavitha's debut as a feature film director. The film stars [[Nandita Das]], [[Bhavana (Kannada actress)|Bhavana]], Master Manja, Kashi, [[B. Jayashree]].<ref name="bharatmovies1">{{cite web |url=http://www.bharatmovies.com/director/kavitha-lankesh-movies.htm |title=Kavitha Lankesh movies list |publisher=Bharatmovies.com |access-date=2015-12-23 |archive-date=17 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117022308/http://www.bharatmovies.com/director/kavitha-lankesh-movies.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Deveeri'' won Kavitha Lankesh state, national and international awards, including the International Critics Award, National Debut Director Award, and the [[Aravindan Puraskaram]] for best debutante director in 2000.<ref name="thehindu2003"/> ''Deveeri'' participated in eighteen international film festivals and won nine awards. Kavitha's second film was ''Alemaari'' was never released. The film has Bhavana and [[Prakash Raj]] in the lead roles.<ref name="thehindu2002"/> Kavitha wrote the story and screenplay and directed ''Bimba''. The film has Raksha, Prakash Raj, [[Daisy Bopanna]] and Sampath Kumar in the lead roles. ''Bimba'' was selected to compete in the Bangkok film festival and received raving reviews from critics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.viggy.com/english/chow_bimba.asp |title=Kavitha Lankesh's Bimba to compete in Bangkok film festival |publisher=Viggy.com |date=2011-03-13 |access-date=2015-12-23 |archive-date=17 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117031420/http://www.viggy.com/english/chow_bimba.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> Kavitha wrote and directed ''[[Preethi Prema Pranaya]]'', a drama film, in 2003. It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada and the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Story and was a commercial hit running for 100 days in theaters across Karnataka. ''[[Malgudi Days (TV series)|Malgudi Days]]'' was a Hindi television series originally directed by [[Shankar Nag]], but was revived in 2006 with Kavitha as director. The reviews were positive. Kavitha also wrote and directed ''[[Tananam Tananam]]'', a romantic musical drama in 2006. The story was based on a Tamil story written by [[Kalki Krishnamurthy|Kalki]]. This film debuts Tamil actor, [[Shaam (actor)|Shaam]], with [[Ramya (actress)|Ramya]] and [[Rakshita]] in the lead roles. Although the film had average to negative responses from critics, it won at Filmfare Awards South for Best Actress and Best Lyricist. Kavitha directed ''[[Avva]]'', a Kannada drama film, in 2008. The film was based on a novel, ''Mussanjeya Katha Prasanga'', written by her father. The film has [[Shruti (actress)|Shruti]], [[Duniya Vijay]] and [[Nivedhitha|Smitha]] in the lead roles. The film had many positive reviews from critics and won awards at the Karnataka State Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Story writer. Kavitha also directed ''[[Crazy Loka]]'' in 2012. The stars of the film were [[Ravichandran (Kannada actor)|V. Ravichandran]] and Daisy Bopanna. Crazy loka was commercially successful but a film that Kavitha is not proud of because of many ' uncontrolled factors'. Kavitha directed and produced a socially relevant film, ''[[Kariya Kan Bitta]]''. The film stars Pradyumna a child artist who won the state award and also had Duniya Vijay, [[Yogesh (actor)|Yogesh]], [[Srinagar Kitty]], and [[Anu Prabhakar]]. The film won rave reviews across the state.<ref name="filmibeat1">{{cite web |url=http://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/kavitha-lankesh/filmography.html |title=Kavitha Lankesh Filmography, Kavitha Lankesh Movies, Kavitha Lankesh Films |publisher=Filmibeat |access-date=2015-12-23 |archive-date=17 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117014610/http://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/kavitha-lankesh/filmography.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
Kavitha Lankesh also runs a resort exclusively for children called Grameen Camp which introduces school children to various traditional village games and life styles as well educate them about farming.

==Filmography==
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Language !! Notes
|-
| 1999 || ''[[Deveeri]]'' || rowspan="3"|[[Kannada]] ||
|-
| 2003 || ''[[Preethi Prema Pranaya]]'' || National Award for Best Regional Film;<br />Karnataka State Film Award for Best Story
|-
| 2004 || ''[[Bimba (film)|Bimba]]'' || Karnataka State Award for Best Screenplay
|-
| 2006 || ''[[Malgudi Days (TV series)|Malgudi Days]]'' || [[Hindi]] || Television series; season 4
|-
| 2006 || ''[[Tananam Tananam]]'' || rowspan="4"|Kannada ||
|-
| 2008 || ''[[Avva (film)|Avva]]'' || Karnataka State Film Award for Best Story
|-
| 2012 || ''[[Crazy Loka]]'' ||
|-
| 2013 || ''Kariya Kan Bitta'' ||
|-
| 2018 || ''[[Summer Holidays]]'' || English<br />Kannada || Children's film
|-
| 2023 || ''Gauri'' || English || Documentary
|}
<ref name="filmibeat1"/>
Kavitha Lankesh has also served as Jury for many festivals -International Film Festival of India, Kerala State Awards, Jagran Film Festival and the Oscar film selection.

{{commons category}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|id=0486896}}
{{National Film Award Special Mention feature film}}
{{Kavitha Lankesh}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lankesh, Kavitha}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Kannada film directors]]
[[Category:Kannada-language writers]]
[[Category:Kannada screenwriters]]
[[Category:Indian women screenwriters]]
[[Category:Hindi-language film directors]]
[[Category:Film directors from Bengaluru]]
[[Category:Filmfare Awards South winners]]
[[Category:Indian women film directors]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Women writers from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Bengaluru]]
[[Category:Special Mention (feature film) National Film Award winners]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian screenwriters]]

Kavitha Lankesh - Revision history

FranciscaFortney at 18:56, 2 April 2026