ಮೌನಿ | Mouni

The story ‘Mouni’ (The Silent One), published in1966, is a confrontation between Appanna Bhatta and Kuppanna Bhatta, two average Brahmin landowners from a Malnad village, stuck in an entangled property dispute. The former is talkative, practical and therefore more successful in life, while the latter is silent, an introvert and impractical.

A Kannada film by the same name is based on this novella, for which U. R. Ananthamurthy won his 4th Karnataka State Film Award, for Best Story in 2003.

U. R. Ananthamurthy is the 6th Kannada writer to win the Jnanpith Award.