Smitha Madhav and her team | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Over five decades after it first aired as a radio musical, Sirikakolanu Chinnadi — a lyrical tale set in the court of Sri Krishnadevaraya and centred on the devadasi Aliveni — is being presented on stage in Hyderabad. Written by Veturi Sundararama Murthy in 1969 and brought to life by legendary musicians like Pendyala Nageswara Rao, Voleti Venkateswarulu, Srirangam Gopala Ratnam, Balanthrapu Rajnikantha Rao, Kandukuri Chiranjeevi and others in 1975, the work blends devotion, music, and dance.
Inspired by a conversation with filmmaker K. Viswanath in 2019, Bharatanatyam dancer and Carnatic vocalist Smitha Madhav now revives this forgotten gem with a 40-member ensemble. The production premieres on June 26 at Ravindra Bharati, Hyderabad, under the aegis of Raga Saptha Swaram and the Department of Language and Culture, Government of Telangana.
SOURCE: THE HINDU
