Govindacharya Bhimacharya Joshi was a prominent Kannada dramatist, producer, poet, novelist and editor. He was born in Hombal village, Dharwad district, in 1904. He established a publishing firm, Manohara Granthamala, at Dharwad in 1933. This one grew into a prestigious imprint for Kannada literature, and encouraged new playwriting. He founded his own theatre group, the Vasudeva Vinodini Natya Sabha, at Bagalkot in Bijapur district in 1954. This was followed by the Kalopasaka Mandali in Dharwad.
Govindacharya Bhimacharya Joshi was most famous as a playwright, with seven scripts to his credit. Some of the important scripts, can be mentioned as Mukabali i.e. `Dumb Victim` in 1956. This was a domestic drama that ran for twenty-five shows. Kadadida niru i.e. `Perturbed Water` in 1963 contrasts idealism and opportunism in Indian politicians, and is noted for its mixture of Brahman and Lingayat dialects of north Karnataka. It had over seventy performances and is considered one of the finest plays in modern Kannada Theatre. A urn, i urn i.e. `That City, This City` in 1973 is another domestic drama. Sattavara neralu i.e. `Shadow of the Dead` in 1974, about religion, depicted the conflict between the individual and the Brahmanical monastery. This was directed by B. V. Karanth. It had a run of more than 200 performances across Karnataka. Nane Bijjala i.e. `I Am Bijjala in 1979 was written under the influence of Pirandello`s Henry IV, reconstructs the role of Bijjala, a king in twelfth-century Karnataka. Parimaladavaru i.e. `Man of Fragrance` in 1986 describes the life of His Holiness Raghavendra Swami of Mantralaya. German bangle i.e. `German Bungalow` in 1994 is a posthumous publication on the theme of time. The characters enter a haunted house where they learn of many past events.
In all his dramas, Govindacharya Bhimacharya Joshi presented the social, political, and religious problems of north Karnataka. He revealed a deep understanding of its culture and articulated the same in its racy speech patterns. He also translated many Western plays into Kannada. Govindacharya Bhimacharya Joshi died in 1993 at the age of 89 years.
