A tribute to Sankarambadi Sundarachari

Those were the last days of Sankarambadi Sundarachari, the famed writer of AP’s official poem ‘Maa Telugu Talli ........’ An unfortunate dipsomaniac and a victim of vicious circumstances, he breathed his last on the streets of Tirupati in 1976, the AP Government conducted its first World Telugu Conference to which he was not invited on the grounds of the unavailability of his address. Smt T Suryakumari, who was in London, was especially invited to the Conference. She sang the mellifluous lyric ‘Maa Telugu Talli ....’ so mesmerisingly that the audiences were swept off their feet. But after the Conference, the very author of the lyric, who was very much there among the audience, was not even noticed not to speak of being recognised by the officialdom. Sankaram badi was, however seen by the people sadly and solitarily shuffling his way across the rows of seats.

Let us have a glimpse of his life and works and pay him a fitting tribute! The spirit-stirring sweet song ‘Maa Telugu Talli ...’ describes the peerless glory of Telugus of yore and celebrates the greatness of Telugu poets of past, erudite emperors, renowned saint-composers, holy rivers and evergreen fertile lands was written in 1942 by the famed ‘Prasanna Kavi’ ‘Sankarambadi Sundarachari’. Born into a pious Vaishnava family in 1914, on August 10, Sundarachari inherited a deeply passionate aptitude for and love for Telugu classics from his father Rajagopalachari and Kamalamma. While his grandfather Krishnamachari, a scholar of great renown in Sanskrit language and literature. Groomed and guided him. He studied at Devastanam High School in Tirupati and later joined the Besant Theosophical College at Madanpalle. He passed the Intermediate but discontinued his studies due to financial problems. His passionate study of Telugu literature continued unabated under the inspiring guidance of his Telugu Teacher, Subrahmanya Sastry. Delving deep into the treasures of Telugu Literature, he mastered the fertile idiom and poetic style of great masters in the field of literature of yore. He co-authored with his friend a number of poems and published an anthology of essays titled ‘Netikalapu Kavitvam’ and a collage of poems under the title of ‘Kerataalu’ Endowed with an independent individualistic mind, Sundarachari switched jobs. He used to question the authoritarian officialdom and remained a square peg in society’s round hole. He used to roam around Madras, desperate for a job that could provide him with a square meal. For some time, he worked even as a Railway coolie and didn’t mind working in a hotel as a server. He worked as Secondary Grade Teacher at Zilla Parishad School in Nandaluru. He resigned even that job as he found it difficult to adjust to the social and cultural restrictions. He also joined Andhra Patrica as a SubEditor on a year’s contract..He also worked at ‘His Master’s Voice’, Bengaluru and authored eleven plays recorded and appreciated by the reigning cine artiste of those times, Chittori Nagayya.

Sankarambadi was an ardent votary of Guru Dev Rabindranath Tagore and translated his “Gitanjali into Telugu of appealing charm. His “Songs “were broadcast by the AIR.His prolific output included such classics as ‘Sundara Ramayanam’ ‘Sundara Bharatam’, Buddha Geet and Ekalavudu. Eminent Poet Sri Sri released his book ‘Agnipareeksha’ while Puttaparti Narayanacharya was said to have translated his song ‘Maa Telugu Talli’ into English. Sankarambadi was a multifaceted soul. Besides writing plays, he enacted characters like Bhakta Ramadas and Bahukudu in Chitranaleeyam and surprised the spectators by donning such roles as Chitrangi in ‘Sarangadhara’. He also scripted ‘Burrakathas’ and staged them.

Though unsung for a long time, Sundarachari never craved honours and official patronage. Literary giants, however, had to recognise him in 1955. Kavi Samrat Viswanatha Satyanarayana and Rayaprolu placed him high in the hierarchy and praised his Poetic fecundity and mastery of prosody. The unsung bard who breathed his last four decades ago on April 8, 1977, is now remembered and revered at every official function and every nook and cranny in Andhra Pradesh.