Kosaraju Raghavayya (23 June 1905 – 27 October 1987), known
mononumously by his
surname Kosaraju, was an Indian
lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment.
Royalties
A lyricist's incom ...
and poet known for his works in
Telugu cinema
Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu cinema is based in Film Nagar, ...
. He wrote about 3,000 songs in 350 films.
His lyrics are steeped in Telugu folklore and rural idiom. He was awarded the prestigious
Raghupathi Venkaiah Award
The Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu Award is an award issued by the Indian state government of Andhra Pradesh, to recognise lifetime achievements in Telugu cinema. The award was introduced in 1981 in honour of Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu, a pioneer of t ...
by the
Government of Andhra Pradesh
Government of Andhra Pradesh, abbreviated as, GOAP, or, Andhra Government, is the subnational government for the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is an elected government with 175 MLAs elected to the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh fo ...
for his contribution to Telugu cinema in 1984.
He wrote memorable songs like "Eruvaka Sagaro", "Niluvave Vaalu Kanuladhana", "Illarikamlo Unna Maza", "Chethilo Dabbulu Poyene", "Anukunnadokkati Ainadi Okkati", "Ye Nimishana Yemi Jaruguno", "Jayammu Nischayammu ra", "Maa Voollo Oka Paduchundi".
Early life
Born in an agricultural family in
Appikatla
Appikatla is a village in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Bapatla mandal of Tenali revenue division.
Geography
Appikatla is situated to the northwest of the mandal headquarters, Bapatla, at . It is sp ...
village,
Guntur district,
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
, Kosaraju studied Telugu literature, epics and puranas. Kosaraju was influenced by a Telugu scholar Kondamudi Narasimham Pantulu in whose play based on the ''
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
'' he acted when still in his teens.
Initially, he worked as a journalist in the ''Raithu Patrika'' where he met the famous writer
Samudrala Sr. and the director
Gudavalli Ramabrahmam
Gudavalli Ramabrahmam was an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Telugu cinema. He is known for directing critically acclaimed social problem films like ''Mala Pilla'' (1938) and ''Raithu Bidda'' (1939). At a time w ...
. He published his first poetry anthology, ''Kadagandlu''. He died in 1987.
Film career
Kosaraju acted in the
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
film ''
Raithu Bidda
''Raithu Bidda'' (''English:'' Farmer of Common Origins) ( ''Telugu'': రైతు బిడ్డ, lit. Farmer-Son of the Soil) is a 1939 Telugu social problem film directed by Gudavalli Ramabrahmam. It is a social reformist film during th ...
'' (1939). Later, he shifted his focus to writing lyrics for films. He penned humorous lyrics for
K. V. Reddy's ''
Pedda Manushulu'' (1954), followed by one of his most famous songs, "Jebulo Bomma Je Jela Bomma" (in
B. A. Subba Rao's ''
Raju Peda
''Raju Peda'' () is a 1954 Indian Telugu-language film, produced and directed by B. A. Subba Rao. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, Lakshmirajyam, S. V. Ranga Rao and Master Sudhakar, with music composed by S. Rajeswara Rao. The film is based on Mar ...
'', 1954). He was well known for his earthy poetry, often referring to popular tales of morality and ethics. Kosaraju wrote about 3,000 lyrics for 350 Telugu films.
He wrote memorable songs like "Eruvaka Sagaro", "Illarikamlo Unna Maza" and "Chethilo Dabbulu Poyene".
Filmography
Awards and honours
*He was awarded the prestigious
Raghupathi Venkaiah Award
The Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu Award is an award issued by the Indian state government of Andhra Pradesh, to recognise lifetime achievements in Telugu cinema. The award was introduced in 1981 in honour of Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu, a pioneer of t ...
by the State Government of Andhra Pradesh for his outstanding contribution to Telugu cinema in 1984.
*He was given the titles ''Janapada Kavi Sarvabhouma'' and ''Kaviratna''.
See also
*
Raghupathi Venkaiah Award
The Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu Award is an award issued by the Indian state government of Andhra Pradesh, to recognise lifetime achievements in Telugu cinema. The award was introduced in 1981 in honour of Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu, a pioneer of t ...
References
External links
Listen to some of the songs of Kosaraju at Old Telugu SongsListen to some of the songs of Kosaraju at Chimata Music.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raghavaiah, Kosaraju
1905 births
1987 deaths
20th-century Indian composers
People from Guntur district
Film musicians from Andhra Pradesh
Indian male poets
Telugu-language lyricists
Poets from Andhra Pradesh
Indian male composers
Indian lyricists
20th-century Indian poets
20th-century Indian male writers
20th-century male musicians