Girish Karnad, an acclaimed Indian actor and playwright, has died after a long illness, his family said on Monday. He was 81.
A Rhodes scholar, Mr Karnad debuted in films in 1970 and acted in nearly a 100 movies since then.
But he is perhaps best-known for his incisive plays which are widely seen as a commentary on contemporary India.
Mr Karnad died at hospital in the southern city of Bangalore, where he lived with his family.
He was outspoken about his political views and participated in protests against a spate of lynchings that targeted Muslims in recent years.
Mr Karnad won several awards, including the Jnanpith, India's most prestigious literary award and the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, which are among India's highest civilian honours.