Remembering Suryakumari, the woman who immortalised ‘Ma Telugu Thalli ki’ with her voice
The neice of Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu brought much popularity to the song written by Sankarambadi Sundarachari
Tanguturi Suryakumari began acting at the age of 12, in 1937, with Vipranarayana (Tamil). Her first Telugu movie was Rythubidda (1939), with Devatha (1941) and Deenabandhu (1942), among others
| Photo Credit: File Photo
In 1953, during the inauguration programme of the newly formed Andhra State in Kurnool, a ‘lean, lissome, tall woman, with sparkling eyes’ got on to the stage to render her favourite song, ‘Maa Telugu Thalli Ki’, written by Sankarambadi Sundarachari. Her performance was received by a resounding applause.
The woman who, with her mellifluous voice, not just captivated the Telugu people but also Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Chief Minister C. Rajagopalachari is Tanguturi Suryakumari, an actress, singer, classical dancer and writer. It is Suryakumari’s 98th birth anniversary on Wednesday.
Born on November 13, 1926, in Rajahmundry to Rajeswari and Tanguturi Sreeramulu, brother of Andhra Kesari Tanguturi Prakasam, Suryakumari had learnt the ropes quite quickly, thanks to her uncle, Prakasam Pantulu. Her family lived close to the Government Arts College in Rajahmundry.
Tanguturi Suryakumari (right) singing along with chorus singers.
| Photo Credit:
File Photo
“Not many know are aware that her illustrious uncle, Prakasam Pantulu, was a well-known amateur stage actor (as he specialised in playing female roles) in Rajahmundry, where he was practising as a lawyer,” writes Randor Guy, one of the contributors in Suryakumari Elvin-A Memorial Volume, brought out by Gutala Krishnamurthi after her death in 2005.
He adds that Prakasam Pantulu used to take a young Suryakumari to every political meeting organised by the Indian National Congress in Telugu-speaking districts of the Madras Presidency.
“Those days, every meeting, cultural or political, would begin with the prayer song, ‘Maa Telugu Thalli Ki’. Everyone had to compulsorily stand up during the song,” recalls Samala Ramesh Babu, Editor of the Telugu magazine Amma Nudi, in a conversation with The Hindu.
Suryakumari never attended a school, but she prepared herself for the Cambridge Senior Matriculation Examination and studied Carnatic music, violin and Indian classical dancing-Kuchipudi Natyam, Krishanmurthy writes. By 1947, she had completed her studies in these four disciplines and became the first star to receive a foreign qualification.
It is said that every programme of hers would draw huge crowds, so much so that meetings had to be abandoned due to unmanageable crowds. Buses and trams in those days carried thousands of her publicity pictures.
Apart from singing, Suryakumari began acting at the age of 12, in 1937, with Vipranarayana (Tamil). Her first Telugu movie was Rythubidda (1939), with Devatha (1941) and Deenabandhu (1942), among others.
It was for Deenabandhu, that the song ‘Maa Telugu Thalli Ki’ was written at first, some people believe. But the song was not used in the movie.
“Even before Suryakumari brought the song to fame, the lyricist Sankarambadi Sundarachari, who was a teacher at a school in Chittoor, would make students repeat the song after him,” says K.S.S. Seshan, formerly the head of the History Department at the University of Hyderabad.
He adds that though the song was written during the Andhra movement, it was not meant to invoke any feelings for the movement; it was only meant to express appreciation for the Telugu land.
Krishnamurthy, in his book, writes that in one of her foreign trips, Suryakumari was also invited by the Motion Picture Association of America to visit Hollywood. Here, she enthralled the audience with her performances. In one such performance, she sang ‘O Mahatma, O Maharshi’, written by the beloved poet of Telugu society, Sri Sri (Srirangam Srinivasa Rao), when M.K. Gandhi was assassinated in 1948.
Alfred Hitchcock, one of the most famous English directors, was also in the audience. He became fascinated by her beauty, fluent English, and honeyed voice. However, Gutala Krishnamurthy writes in his book that she did not work in any of his films.
In 1975, Suryakumari was invited to render ‘Maa Telugu Thalli Ki’ at the Telugu Prapancha Mahasabhalu. “It was my father, Mandali Venkata Krishna Rao, who invited her to the programme. She was in London then. It was during this programme that the song was declared the State anthem,” recalls Jana Sena Party MLA Mandali Buddha Prasad.
After her renewal application for American Visa was unsuccessful, she decided to make London her home, where she met her future husband Harold Elvin and performed Indian music in hired theatres, accepted offers of television work from the BBC and was also invited to perform at centenary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi where Lord Mountbatten was the chief guest. She was also sought by The Beatles to work with them.
Krishnamurthy writes that Suryakumari, a celebrity in India and England, sang songs until her last breath. On the last night before her death, she sang songs to cheer other patients. She went back to bed and died in sleep on April 25, 2005.
Published – November 12, 2024 11:08 pm IST
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