Chandrashekhara Kambara was born on 02-01-1937 in Ghodageri, Belgaum in the state of Karnataka, he is a multi-talented personality who is a poet, Playwright, Dramatist, Translator, Writer, Novelist, Author, Professor, Chancellor, Screenwriter & Film Director.
Chandrashekhara was the third son in the family, with brothers Parasappa and Yallappa who still reside in the small house belonging to the Kambara family in the village.
From early age, Kambara was interested in folk arts, local culture and ritual. His favorite Kannada writers include Kumara Vyasa, Basava, Kuvempu and Gopalakrishna Adiga and among English writers, it is W. B. Yeats, William Shakespeare and Federico García Lorca.
He developed an interest in ritual, folk arts and local culture from a very young age. He did his Phd and post that, he left to the US and started teaching in University of Chicago. After a short while, he returned back to India and started teaching in the Bangalore University.
From the year 1980 to 1983, he served as the president of Karnataka Nataka Academy and then from 1996 to 2000, he served as the president of NSD (National School of Drama), Delhi. To his credit, he has written 5 novels, 25 plays, 16 research works and 11 anthologies among others. Almost all his plays have been translated into other Indian languages and English as well. He is known for effective adaptation of the North Karnataka dialect of the Kannada language in his plays, and poems, in a similar style as in the works of D.R. Bendre
In addition to writing, he has also directed some Kannada films such as Sangeeta and Kadu Kudare, and Karimayi among others. A couple of his plays have been made into television series as well. He has also directed some documentaries for the Government of India and Karnataka as well.
For his contribution in the field of Arts, he has been conferred with various prestigious awards such as Kalidas Samman, Pampa Award, Sahitya Akademi Award, and the Padma Shri by the government of India. He was nominated as a member of the KLC (Karnataka Legislative Council) and through his interventions, he made significant contributions.