Smitha Madhav to stage Veturi’s lyrical classic, ‘Sirikakolanu Chinnadi’, in Hyderabad

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.

Excerpts from an interview:

Tell us about the research and preparation that went into adapting a radio drama into a stage production.

I have been working on this since 2019. I hadn’t heard of Sirikakolanu Chinnadi until a casual meeting with K. Viswanath garu, who suggested I adapt it for stage. I began researching and eventually sourced the original audio from All India Radio.

The pandemic put everything on pause. But right from the beginning, I set one limitation for myself, I did not want to change the music. The original compositions were so beautiful that I decided to work creatively within that musical framework. We re-recorded the music, using better technology, but without altering the tunes. Since the original was a radio drama, directly staging it may not work. So we recreated the sound while staying faithful to the original.

The biggest challenge was the theatricality. Being a radio play, it had a lot of dramatic dialogue. People assume dancers are naturally good actors, but that is not always true. So I conducted focused sessions on abhinaya and dialogue delivery to get everyone comfortable with classical Telugu and stage expression.

With 40 dancers in the ensemble, how did you approach the choreography?

My core strength is Bharatanatyam, so the foundation of the choreography remains rooted in it. However, to match the rich, vintage feel of the Telugu lyrics and music, I have taken some creative liberties. You will see occasional flashes of semi-classical movement to enhance the mood and storytelling. Purists might spot the blend, but for a general audience, the experience will still feel classically grounded. 

Veturi is remembered primarily for his Telugu film lyrics. What side of him do we see in Sirikakolanu Chinnadi that audiences may not know?

In this work, you see Veturi’s depth beyond cinema. While some of his film songs contain Vedantic ideas in simple language, Sirikakolanu Chinnadi reveals his vast knowledge of classical literature, itihasa, puranas, and bhakti poetry. For instance, he weaves in a six-line verse from Mukunda Mala, a devotional poem by the Alvar saint Kulasekhara, without it feeling out of place. Veturi understood the context and philosophy behind it. His integration of such elements shows how deeply rooted he was in Indian spiritual and literary traditions. Yet, he expresses it all in such accessible Telugu that it never feels heavy. Audiences will experience a more scholarly and devotional side of Veturi.

Were there any inputs from Veturi’s family or scholars?

I spoke to Veturi garu’s son to understand what might have been going through his mind when he wrote this. I also consulted Telugu scholar Muralikrishna garu. He helped me decode certain historical facts and philosophical allusions that Veturi had woven in. For example, there is a passing mention of Hariharabhuka and Krishnadevaraya’s victory over his cousins. To choreograph such moments with depth, I felt it was essential to understand their context. These discussions gave me valuable perspective and helped ensure that the production went beyond surface-level storytelling and stayed true to the layered meaning Veturi intended.

Every artist has the right to take creative liberties. Did you tweak the narrative for this production?

Not really. My life was made much easier thanks to All India Radio. I discovered that Veturi garu’s original work was elaborate. But for its 1972 radio adaptation, AIR had already trimmed and refined it into a 90-minute version, selecting the most stage-worthy and impactful parts. When I compared the book and the radio version, I realised AIR had done a fantastic job of retaining the essence while making it performance-friendly. I stayed 99.9% faithful to the 1972 radio script. The remaining 0.1% I drew directly from Veturi’s original text.

How has this production challenged or enriched you personally and artistically?

As a vocalist, I had cold feet for the longest time. The original was sung by Srirangam Gopalaratnam, one of my all-time favourites. Her voice and style are so unique that you cannot hope to replicate them. So singing something she had done felt daunting. Thankfully, we have used recorded music, so that hurdle was avoided.

As a dancer, the challenge was different. In Bharatanatyam, we often encounter bold expressions only in Padams or Javalis, and even there, you can choose whether to include or exclude them. But in this production, Veturi’s writing contains intimate, sometimes bold lines woven seamlessly into the narrative. He expresses these emotions so beautifully that they never feel jarring. Still, I had to think about how to present such moments with dignity and authenticity. I did not want to water them down, but I also needed to ensure they translated sensitively into movement and abhinaya. I hope I have done justice to it.

(Veturi Sundararama Murthy’s ‘Sirikakolanu Chinnadi’, produced and presented by Smitha Madhav, director of Varna Arts Academy, will be presented on June 26; 6.30pm; at Ravindra Bharati, Hyderabad)

Published – June 24, 2025 03:35 pm IST