Celebrated Thespian D Hanumakka, Nataka Academy Awardee, Dies at 58

On October 1st, 2025, D Hanumakka, a celebrated theatre artist from Mariammanahalli taluk, passed away at the age of 58 in Koppal due to illness. Hanumakka was a recipient of the prestigious Karnataka Nataka Academy Award in 2017, making her and her father, the esteemed theatre artiste Durgadas, a unique pair of awardees.

Hanumakka had been battling a brain tumor for the past year and had been in a coma for two months before succumbing to her illness without responding to treatment. She was living with her sisters at the time of her passing.

A graduate of the Neenasam theatre company in Heggodu, Hanumakka was nurtured under the mentorship of notable theatre and literary figures such as BV Karanth, KV Subbanna, CGK, C Basavalingaiah, Makeup Nani, Keerthinath Kurthakoti, UR Ananthamurthy, and Ki Ram Nagaraj. She had performed in various acclaimed plays, including Tughlaq, Agni Mattu Male, and Nagamandala, among others, with troupes like Neenasam's Thirugata and Sanehalli's Shiva Sanchar.

Hanumakka was also part of other renowned theatre groups, including Ranga Niranthara, Rupantara, and Kannada Kala Sangha. She was skilled in costume design, stage management, and even directed the play 'File No.11'. Hanumakka's talent and dedication to the art of theatre were recognized with numerous awards, including the TP Kailasam Award, the 'Ranga Gaurava' award, and the 2023 Joladarashi Doddanagouda Rangathorana award.