Renowned director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao passed away on Saturday night at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai. He had been unwell for some time due to age-related health issues. His last directorial film, ‘Sing Geetham’, was released recently. The film was produced by Naga Ashwin. He created a record by becoming the first Indian director to direct a film at the age of 94.
The first Telugu film was made in 1932. A year earlier, on September 21, Singeetham Srinivasa Rao was born. Srinivasa Rao was one of the first people to enter the theatre field and later establish a strong position as a director in the film industry. Initially, he wrote stories and sketches for magazines such as Bharathi and Swatantra. He established himself as a writer by penning plays such as ‘Bhrama’, ‘Antyaghattam’ and ‘Chitraarjuna’.
He not only won prizes at several drama festivals for these plays but also earned a reputation for his performances. In particular, the lead role in ‘Chitraarjuna’ was played by Mrs. Tanguturi Suryakumari. The play was performed in the presence of then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and received praise. It was later translated into English and performed in America. During this period, Srinivasa Rao received training in direction from renowned poet and playwright Harindranath Chattopadhyay.
Born on September 21, 1931, in Udayagiri, Nellore district, Singeetham studied in Gudur, Nellore and Madras before obtaining a science degree. He started his career as a teacher and later established himself as one of the finest Telugu directors. He entered the film industry in 1954 as an assistant to renowned director K.V. Reddy for films such as ‘Dongaramudu’ and ‘Mayabazar’. Later, he became a director and went on to direct films in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and English. Many of his films successfully completed their centenary runs.
‘Sanskara’ (Kannada), ‘Taran Vairathi’, ‘Pushpaka Vimana’, a film made without dialogues, ‘Apoorva Sahodaragal’, ‘Aditya 369’, ‘Mayuri’ and ‘Bhairava Dweepam’ received prestigious honours such as the President’s Medal, Nandi Awards and L.V. Prasad Awards.
Singeetham always had a keen interest in experimenting with new ideas. He directed films featuring Kannada superstar Dr. Rajkumar and also composed music for Kannada films. He also made experimental animation films. The publication of his biography in book form by the Karnataka Journalists Association was a special honour for him. His last film, ‘Sing Geetham’, was released on June 12 this year.
A Rare Talent Who Won the Hearts of the Audience
Singeetham Srinivasa Rao was a rare talent who won the hearts of audiences with his unique filmmaking. At a time when Telugu audiences did not pay much attention to his work, he raised the banner of success in Kannada cinema.
Singeetham worked as the executive director of ‘Sanskara’, directed by renowned filmmaker and Telugu Pattabhirami Reddy. His hard work played a key role in the film receiving national-level recognition.
His first Telugu film was ‘Neethi Nandika’. Starring Kanchana and Nagabhushanam in the lead roles, the film was not a commercial success. However, its storyline earned Singeetham critical acclaim and brought him recognition. Later, the film ‘Zamindar Gaarammai’, which he directed, also failed to perform well commercially. However, the film became a musical hit.
‘Oka Deepam Veligindi’, starring Ranganath and Chandrakala in the lead roles, also did not perform well. Meanwhile, in 1975, with the financial support of the Tamil Nadu Film Finance Corporation, he made ‘Dikkatra Parvathi’. The film featured actress Lakshmi in a notable performance and was declared the Best Regional Film at the national level.
Many films directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao under the production of Navatha Krishnam Raju were successful. His film ‘America Ammayi’ became a huge success. Similarly, ‘Amavasya Chandradudu’, starring Kamal Haasan and Madhavi, brought him further recognition as a director.
‘Vichitra Sodharulu’ starring Kamal Haasan, ‘Pushpaka Vimana’, made without dialogues and featuring only background music, and films such as ‘Aditya 369’ and ‘Bhairava Dweepam’ starring Balakrishna established Singeetham as a director of great stature.
The film ‘Madam’, which featured Rajendra Prasad in a female role, was an experimental film for its time. His films ‘Intinti Ramayanam’, ‘Brindavanam’ and ‘Sommokadidi Sokokadidi’ were known for their entertainment value.
Apart from experimental social and folk films, Singeetham also directed mythological films such as ‘Sri Krishna Arjuna Vijayam’ with Balakrishna. He made the film ‘Rajahamsa’ under Amitabh Bachchan’s ABCL Corporation.
What makes Singeetham Srinivasa Rao’s career even more special is that he was not only a director and writer but also a music director. A long time ago, he provided the lyrics for the title song of the ‘Pelli Sandadi’ TV serial. He also wrote experimental stories under the title ‘Ka Raju Kathalu’ for the monthly magazine ‘Haasam’.
The death of Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, who lived an enthusiastic and eventful life until the end, is an irreparable loss to the Indian film industry. Many film personalities expressed their condolences after the news of his death was announced.
