Bio
Pakkirappa Kattimani and Baramavva Kattimani’s last son, Huligappa Kattimani, was born in Hagaribommanahalli in 1961. He grew up observing, and admiring his father, Pakkirappa, a farmer, as he brought together all the interested people and played “Doddata”. He also witnessed how he resolved conflicts in the village and was involved in its fabric.
After noticing his versatility while reading the Alexander and Paurava lessons in the government school Kannada textbook, a Kannada scholar by the name of B.L. Krishnasharma gave him a part in a play that the children performed on the school’s annual day and painted his face personally. Kattimani would help his brothers with farming and cattle grazing during the school breaks, and he would also imitate the famous actor of the time, Rajkumar.
He graduated from Ninasam Theatre Studies in 1985, under the tutelage of Gurumurthy Pendakur and Mudenur Sanganna, and went on to perform in Ninasam tours in 1987 and 1988, eventually appearing on stage, while at the same time learning by observing Enagi Nataraja’s performances in the troupe.
He then joined B.V. Karanth’s Rangayana in 1989. In 1992, he toured America with B.V. Karanth, performing the Greek Rudranataka. In 1995, he toured Germany performing William Shakespeare’s play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Acting and teaching acting classes became his passion.
In Barrister Gandhi from the play “Gandhi vs. Gandhi”, Nagappa from Yashwant Chittalar’s “Shikhari”, Bijjala from Karnad’s “Taledanda”, Tipu from the drama “Tippukanda Kanasugalu”, Brutus from Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”, Ravana from Kuvempu’s “Ramayana Darshanam”, Duryodhana from Bhyrappa’s “Parva”, it was Kattimani who let the spirits of all these disguises rent his body.
For around 25 years, since 1997, “acting” was not a chore, but an inevitable requirement for him. Acknowledging that this is “therapy,” he has been offering “theatre therapy” to prisoners who were convicted due to their transient rage. He has directed plays like the well-known Shakespearean plays “Macbeth”, “King Lear”, “Julius Caesar”, “Raktakshi”, “Taledanda”, “Ward No. 6”, “Shivaratri”, “Gokarnada Gaudashani”, “Jathegiruvanu Chandira”, “Sangya Baliya”, and Bisham Sahni’s “Madhavi” for male and female inmates, removing them from police custody without shackles and performing for the public throughout the state. After performing in front of the public, prisoners who received praise from everyone felt a bit mentally freed and spent the time inside those four walls with a sense that there was some meaning to life.
Kattimani demonstrates that theatre teaches “a way of life” in addition to acting. Furthermore, in order to preserve the heritage of Karnataka’s performing artists or actors, he has set out to plant the seeds of acting in the hearts of anybody, anywhere, by carrying Natyashastra (based on life experience) in his knapsack along with the actors.