For the first time after five decades aired as a radio music, Cirikakol chinnadi – A lyrical story and Devdasi is focused on Alveinini in the court of Srikrishnadevaraya – is being presented on stage in Hyderabad. In 1969, written by Veturi Sundarama Murthy and brought to life by mythological musicians, who were brought to life by mythological musicians, like others, Voti Venkateswaraulu, Srirangam Gopala Ratnam, Balanathrapu Rajnikantha Rao, Kandukuri Chiranjevi and others in 1975, in 1975, convicts work in 1975.
Filmmaker of 2019. Inspired by a conversation with Vishwanath, Bharatanatyam dancer and Carnatic singer Smita Madhav now revives this forgotten gem with a 40-member dress. On 26 June, under the Raga Sipa Swaram and the Department of Language and Culture, Telangana Government, Rabindra Bharti, Hyderabad, was produced on 26 June.
Excerpt from an interview:
Tell us about the research and preparation that went on to include a radio play in a platform production.
I have been working on this since 2019. I did not hear Cirikakol chinnadi Of. Until a casual meeting with Vishwanath Garu, who suggested that I adapt it to the stage. I started doing research and eventually made the original audio sour from All India Radio.
The epidemic stopped everything. But from the beginning, I set a limit for myself, I did not want to change music. The original compositions were so beautiful that I decided to work creatively within that music structure. We re -recorded music using better technology, but replaced the tunes. Since the original was a radio drama, staging directly cannot work. So we re -created the sound while being loyal to the origin.
The biggest challenge was dramaticness. Being a radio play, it had very dramatic dialogues. People believe that the dancer is naturally good actor, but this is not always true. So I held sessions focused on acting and dialogue distribution to make everyone comfortable with classical Telugu and stage expression.
With 40 dancers in artists contingents, how did you contact for choreography?
My main power is Bharatanatyam, so the foundation of choreography lies in it. However, to match the rich, vintage feel of Telugu songs and music, I have taken some creative freedom. You will see the topical glow of semi-classical movement to tell the mood and story. Can see the puritarian mixture, but for a common audience, the experience will still feel classically grounded.
The performance will include a 40-member dress. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Veturi is mainly remembered for the lyrics of his Telugu film. Which side do we see Cirikakol chinnadi Can the audience not know?
In this work, you see the depth of Veturi beyond the cinema. While some of his film songs have Vedantic views in simple language, Cirikakol chinnadi Classical literature reveals its vast knowledge of Etihasa, Purana and Bhakti poetry. For example, he weaves in a six-power poetry Mukunda MalaA devotional poem by Alwar Saint Kulashekhara, feeling out of place. Veturi understood the reference and philosophy behind it. His integration of such elements shows how deeply he was in Indian spiritual and literary traditions. Nevertheless, he expresses all this in such accessible Telugu that it never looks heavy. Audiences will experience more scholars and devotional side of Veturi.
Was there any inputs from Veturi’s family or scholars?
I talked to Veturi Garu’s son to understand what was happening to his mind when he had written it. I also consulted Telugu scholar Muralikrishna Garu. He helped me decide some historical facts and philosophical alliances, which Veturi woven. For example, there is a mention of Hariharbhuka and Krishnadevaraya’s victory over their cousins. To choreographes such moments with depth, I thought it was necessary to understand their context. These discussions gave me valuable perspective and helped to ensure that the production went beyond the surface-level story and the layered economy remained correct for the weighturi.
Every artist has the right to take creative freedom. Did you turn the story for this production?
Not necessarily My life became very easy for All India Radio. I came to know that the original work of Veturi Garu was wide. But for its 1972 radio adaptation, Air already trimmed and refined it in a 90-minute version, selecting the most phasable and impressive parts. When I compared the book and the radio version, I realized that Air had done a great job of maintaining the essence by making the performance friendly. I was 99.9% loyal to the 1972 radio script. The remaining 0.1% I directly attracted from the original text of Veturi.
How has this production challenged or enriched you individually and artisticly?
As a singer, I had the longest cold legs. The original Srirangam was sung by Gopalartnam, one of my all -time favorite. His voice and style are so unique that you cannot expect to repeat them. So something that he did was difficult. Thankfully, we have used recorded music, so that the obstacle was avoided.
As a dancer, the challenge was different. In Bharatanatyam, we often face only bold expressions Padam Or JavalisAnd even, you can choose whether to include them or do them out. But in this production, the writing of the oatrici includes intimate, sometimes bold lines, which are originally woven in the story. He expresses these emotions so beautifully that he never feels nervous. Nevertheless, I had to think about how to present such moments with dignity and authenticity. I did not want to give them water, but I also needed to ensure that they translated sensitively into the movement and acting. I hope I have done justice to it.
(Veturi Sundarma Murti’s ‘Sirikakakolanu Chinnadi’, which will be presented and presented by Smita Madhav, director of Varna Arts Academy, will be presented on 26 June; 6.30 am; Ravindra Bharti, in Hyderabad)
Published – June 24, 2025 03:35 pm IST
