Prema Karanth (15 August 1936 – 29 October 2007) was an Indian theatre personality and the first-ever woman film-maker of Kannada cinema.

[3] Prema spent her early life at Sidlaghatta in the Kolar district and after her mother's death, she was brought up by her grandparents.

In 1958, they got married under Arya Samaj rites and moved to Varanasi, where Prema joined the Banaras Hindu University to continue her education.

Prema's association with the cinema world started when she was chosen as the costume designer for G. V. Iyer's movie Hamsageethe.

The film is about the story of a girl who is widowed at a young age and her struggles and courage to overcome the stigma attached to it in a male-dominated society.