Veturi Sundararama Murthy (29 January 1936 – 22 May 2010), known mononymously by his

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

Veturi, was an Indian poet, lyricist and journalist who is popular for writing

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 ...

songs. His career in the

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, Hy ...

spanned more than four decades. He was highly admired and cherished for his deep and thoughtful lyrics in Telugu songs.

Early life

Veturi was born to Chandrasekhar Sastry and Kamalamba in

Pedakallepalli Pedakallēpalli is a village in Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Mopidevi mandal of Machilipatnam revenue division. It is one of the villages in the mandal to be a part of Andhra Pradesh Capital Region. ...

, near

Challapalli Challapalli (officially known as Challapalle) is a village in the Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in the Challapalli mandal, Machilipatnam revenue division. Geography Challapalli is located at . It has a ...

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

into a

Telugu Brahmin Telugu Brahmins are Brahmin communities native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. History Origin theories According to the ''Aitareya Brahmana'' of the Rigveda, the Andhras left north India from the banks of the River Yamuna ...

family. Veturi was a nephew of the Telugu Research Scholar

Veturi Prabhakara Sastri Veturi Prabhakara Sastri (7 February 1888 – 29 August 1950) was a Sanskrit and Telugu scholar, editor, translator and historian. He was born in the town of Pedakallepalli in the Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh. He was known for decipheri ...

. His grandfather Veturi Sundara Sastry was also a poet.

Education

Veturi completed his schooling in Diviseema,

Jaggayyapeta Jaggayyapeta, also spelled “Jaggiahpet”, is a census town in NTR district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located just southwest of the border with Telangana. It is also the mandal headquarters of Jaggayyapeta mandal of Nandigama revenu ...

, near

Vijayawada Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises N ...

in Krishna district, and SSLC in his grandmother's village. Later, Veturi went to Chennai for his intermediate studies and came back to

where he completed his degree in S.R.R. Government College. He was a student of legendary

Viswanatha Satyanarayana Viswanatha Satyanarayana (10 September 1885 – 18 October 1976) was a 20th-century Telugu writer. His works included poetry, novels, dramatic play, short stories and speeches, covering a wide range of subjects such as analysis of his ...

at this college.

Career as a journalist

Veturi joined ''

Andhra Prabha ''Andhra Prabha'' - ''Journalism first'' is a Telugu language daily newspaper of India sold mostly in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The newspaper is one of the oldest running Telugu-language daily newspapers of India. The newspaper ...

'' as a journalist in 1952, after his education. He learned the basics of editing a news

article Article often refers to: * Article (grammar), a grammatical element used to indicate definiteness or indefiniteness * Article (publishing), a piece of nonfictional prose that is an independent part of a publication Article may also refer to: G ...

from his senior at

Narla Venkateswara Rao Narla Venkateshwara Rao or V. R. Narla (1 December 1908 – 13 March 1985) was a Telugu language writer, journalist and politician from Andhra Pradesh in India. He was Rajya Sabha member twice from 3 April 1958 to 2 April 1970, and wrote a sataka ...

, whom he considers his first teacher. In 1959, he joined a weekly called

Andhra Patrika Andhra Patrika was the weekly newspaper of the nationalist movement in the Telugu speaking region founded by Kasinadhuni Nageswara Rao in 1908. It later transformed into a daily newspaper before it closed down in 1991. It helped to shape both mo ...

, where Bapu and

Mullapudi Venkata Ramana Mullapudi Venkata Ramana (28 June 1931 – 24 February 2011) was an Indian writer known for his work in Telugu language. Noted for his humorous and metaphorical style of writing, Mullapudi received Raghupathi Venkaiah Award from the Government ...

were his colleagues. He was the in-charge of the Cinema section at ''Andhra Patrika''. He also worked for the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee's official daily newspaper, called ''Andhra Janata'', as an editor. In 1962, he became the first and only Telugu journalist to interview the then Prime Minister,

Jawaharlal Nehru Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat— * * * * and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...

, who came to inaugurate

Srisailam Srisailam is a census town in Nandyal district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the mandal headquarters of Srisailam mandal in Atmakur revenue division. It is located about from the district headquarters Nandyal, from Kurnool, and ...

Hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

project. He covered the speeches of national leaders like

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (; 5 September 1888 – 17 April 1975), natively Radhakrishnayya, was an Indian philosopher and statesman. He served as the 2nd President of India from 1962 to 1967. He also 1st Vice President of India from 1952 ...

. In 1964, he worked as an

assembly Assembly may refer to: Organisations and meetings * Deliberative assembly, a gathering of members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions * General assembly, an official meeting of the members of an organization or of their representa ...

reporter. His articles are said to be very catchy and witty. For instance, he referred to the meeting of

MLAs The Max Launch Abort System (MLAS) was a proposed alternative to the Maxime Faget-invented "tractor" launch escape system (LES) that was planned for use by NASA for its Orion (spacecraft), Orion spacecraft in the event an Ares I malfunction du ...

in Hotel Dwaraka, near the

Andhra Pradesh State Assembly The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly or Andhra Pradesh Śāsana Sabha is the lower house of the Andhra Pradesh Legislature. The Legislative Assembly consists of 175 members which are elected by adult universal suffrage under the first-p ...

as "Adigo Dwaraka - Ivigo Alamandalu" ("This is Dwaraka and here are the cattle") ( te, అదిగో ద్వారక). His writing style caught the attention of the film industry due to his prowess in using traditional poetic rules related to

alliteration Alliteration is the conspicuous repetition of initial consonant sounds of nearby words in a phrase, often used as a literary device. A familiar example is "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers". Alliteration is used poetically in various ...

and rhyme for describing current affairs.

Career as a lyricist

Entry into films

Veturi had contacts with the

Telugu film industry 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, Hy ...

during his days as a journalist. He used to meet veteran lyric writer Dasarathi often. Legendary director

V. Nagayya V. Nagayya (born Vuppaladadiyam Nagayya Sarma; 28 March 1904 – 30 December 1978) also known as Chittoor Nagayya was an Indian actor, singer, music composer, and director known for his works in Telugu cinema, Tamil cinema, and Telugu theatre. ...

offered him a role in his film, ''

Naa Illu ''Naa Illu'' ( en, italic=yes, My Home) is a 1953 Telugu-language film produced and directed by V. Nagayya. The story was written by Devulapalli Krishnasastri. The film had two dance sequences and full-length Hindi songs sung by Meena Kapoor. ...

'' (1953). However, two days before the shooting began, Veturi decided not to act as he felt that he was not fit for acting, and wrote a letter of apology to Nagayya for rejecting his offer.

N. T. Rama Rao Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996), often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who served as List of Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh fo ...

, has invited him to join the film industry as a lyricist. In 1974, he wrote his first song, "Bharatanaari Charitamu" ( te, భారతనారి చరితము), in the form of

Harikatha ''Harikatha'' (Kannada: ಹರಿಕಥೆ : ''Harikathe''; Telugu: హరికథ : ''Harikatha;'' Marathi: हरीपाठ '': Haripatha'', ), also known as ''Harikatha Kaalakshepam'' in Telugu and Tamil (), is a form of Hindu tradition ...

, for ''

O Seeta Katha ''O Seeta Katha'' () is a 1974 Indian Telugu-language film directed by K. Viswanath. The film won the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film (Silver), and the Filmfare Best Film Award (Telugu). The film was later remade both in Malayalam and Tamil la ...

'' (1974) under the direction of

K. Viswanath Kasinadhuni Viswanath (born 19 February 1930) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor, known for his works primarily in Telugu cinema. He is recipient of five National Film Awards, seven state Nandi Awards, ten Filmfare Awards South ...

1970s

In 1977, actor Sr. N.T.R's '' Adavi Ramudu'' showcased Veturi's talent for penning inspirational and romantic lyrics. The album was an instant hit among various audiences. In 1978, K Viswanath's ''

Siri Siri Muvva ''Siri Siri Muvva'' is a 1976 Indian Telugu-language drama film written and directed by K. Viswanath. It stars Jaya Prada and Chandra Mohan. K. Viswanath later remade the film with his leading lady Jaya Prada, as '' Sargam'', in 1979. ''Siri ...

'' proved his prowess in expressing diverse emotions with poetry. Acharya Aatreya, the leading lyricist in those days, was known to take days for writing a song. Veturi became the first choice for directors and producers too because of his ability to write a song to the director's taste in a few minutes. He went on to pen more than 5,000 songs in his career. He wrote more mass numbers for movies like ''Vetagadu'' and ''Driver Ramudu'', and classics for movies like '' Sankarabharanam'' and

Sagara Sangamam ''Sagara Sangamam'' () is a 1983 Indian Telugu-language dance film written and directed by K. Viswanath and produced by Edida Nageswara Rao. The film stars Kamal Haasan, Jaya Prada, Sarath Babu, S. P. Sailaja and Chakri Toleti. Upon release, ...

. In particular, '' Sankarabharanam'' stood as a landmark in the

1980s

After the surge of his popularity during the 1970s, he went on to work with a variety of directors and actors in the 1980s. He wrote classics for directors like

Singeetam Srinivasa Rao Singeetam Srinivasa Rao (born 21 September 1931), commonly known as Singeetam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, composer, and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the most versatile directors of India. He is credited with hav ...

Dasari Narayana Rao Dasari Narayana Rao (4 May 1947 – 30 May 2017) was an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, lyricist, and politician known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema, in addition to Hindi cinema. He has directed more than 150 ...

, Bapu,

Jandhyala Jandhyala Subrahmanya Sastry (14 January 1951 – 19 June 2001), known mononymously by his surname Jandhyala, was an Indian film director, screenwriter, playwright, and actor known for his works in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He is popu ...

Vamsy Vamsy is an Indian film director, screenwriter and music director known for his works in Telugu cinema. In 1985, he received the National Film Award for ''Sitaara''. Vamsy has his own style of making the movie with art like the director Bap ...

and mass numbers for directors like

Raghavendra Rao Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao (born 23 May 1942) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema besides having directed a few Hindi films. He has garnered four state Nandi Awards and fiv ...

A. Kodandarami Reddy A. Kodandarami Reddy (born 1 July 1950) is an Indian film director best known for his works in Telugu cinema. His association with Chiranjeevi created blockbusters in multiple genres such as ''Nyayam Kavali'' (1981), ''Khaidi (1983 film), Khaidi ...

Vijaya Bapineedu Gutta Bapineedu Chowdary (22 September 1936 – 11 February 2019), better known as Vijaya Bapineedu, was an Indian film screenwriter and director, known for his works predominantly in Telugu Cinema. He started his career as a magazine editor and ...

. He delivered a number of hits for senior actors like Sr. N.T.R,

Akkineni Nageswara Rao Akkineni Nageswara Rao (20 September 1923 – 22 January 2014), widely known as ANR, was an Indian actor and producer, known for his works majorly in Telugu cinema. He starred in many landmark films in his seventy five-year career, and became on ...

Ghattamaneni Krishna Ghattamaneni Siva Rama Krishna Murthy (31 May 1943 – 15 November 2022), known mononymously as Krishna, was an Indian actor, director and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. In a film career spanning five decades, he ...

Shobhan Babu Sobhan Babu (born Uppu Sobhana Chalapathi Rao; 14 January 1937 – 20 March 2008) was an Indian actor known for his works in Telugu cinema.Bangaru Panjaram in Venditera Paatalu, Krishnasastri Sahityam, third volume, Vishalandhra Publishing House ...

Krishnam Raju Uppalapati Venkata Krishnam Raju (20 January 1940 – 11 September 2022) was an Indian actor and politician. He was known for his works in Telugu cinema and was widely known as "''Rebel Star''" for his rebellious acting style. He was also the ...

and upcoming stars like

Chiranjeevi Chiranjeevi (born Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad; 22 August 1955) is an Indian actor, film producer and former politician, who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. Chiranjeevi starred in over 150 feature films in Telugu language, Telugu, as ...

Nandamuri Balakrishna Nandamuri Balakrishna (born 10 June 1960), simply known as Balakrishna or Balayya or NBK, is an Indian actor, producer and politician. He appeared in more than 100 Telugu films over forty years in a variety of roles and established himself as ...

Nagarjuna Nāgārjuna . 150 – c. 250 CE (disputed)was an Indian Mahāyāna Buddhist thinker, scholar-saint and philosopher. He is widely considered one of the most important Buddhist philosophers.Garfield, Jay L. (1995), ''The Fundamental Wisdom of ...

Daggubati Venkatesh Daggubati Venkatesh (born 13 December 1960) is an Indian actor known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema and a few hindi films. Venkatesh debuted with the 1986 film '' Kaliyuga Pandavulu'' for which he won his first Nandi Award. In a c ...

. This golden period in his career saw memorable albums like ''

Saptapadi Saptapadi () is regarded to be the most important rite (Sanskrit: ) of a Hindu wedding ceremony. After tying the sacred knot known as the mangalasutra, the newly-wed couple takes seven steps together, during which the marriage is solemnised. Aft ...

'', ''Subhodayam'', '' Subhalekha'', ''

'', ''

Meghasandesam ''Meghasandesam'' () is a 1982 Telugu-language drama film, produced and directed by Dasari Narayana Rao under his Taraka Prabhu Films banner. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Jaya Prada, Jayasudha and music composed by Ramesh Naidu. This film i ...

'', ''Mudda Mandaram'', ''Malle Pandiri'', ''Nalugu Stambhalata'', ''Rendu Jalla Seeta'', '' Amarajeevi'', '' Sreevariki Prema Lekha'', ''

Ananda Bhairavi Anandabhairavi or Ananda Bhairavi (pronounced ānandabhairavi) is a very old melodious rāgam (musical scale) of Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). This rāgam also used in Indian traditional and regional musics. ''Ānandam'' (San ...

'', ''Srivari Sobhanam'', ''Mogudu Pellalu'', ''

Chantabbai ''Chantabbai'' () is a 1986 Indian Telugu-language comedy drama film written and directed by Jandhyala. It is based on the novel of same name by Malladi Venkata Krishna Murthy. Produced by Jyothi Art Pictures, the film stars Chiranjeevi and Suh ...

'', ''

Sitaara ''Sitaara'' () is a 1984 Indian Telugu-language drama film written and directed by Vamsy. The film marked the debut of Bhanupriya in Telugu film industry. The film was adapted from Vamsy's own novel ''Mahal lo Kokila'' (). The film deals with the ...

'', ''

Anveshana ''Anveshana'' () is a 1985 Indian Telugu-language mystery thriller film written and directed by Vamsy. It stars Karthik, Bhanupriya, Kaikala Satyanarayana and Sarath Babu with music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. The story revolves around an or ...

'', ''

Alapana In Carnatic classical music, alapana is a form of manodharmam, or improvisation, that introduces and develops a raga (musical scale). It communicates the permitted notes and phrases of the raga, setting the mood for the composition that follow ...

'', ''

Mayuri Mayuri may refer to: * ''Mayuri'' (film), a 1984 Telugu film produced by Ramoji Rao * ''Maya'' (2015 Tamil film), released as ''Mayuri'' in Telugu * Mayoori (actress) (1983–2005), a South Indian actress in Malayalam film industry * Mayuri Up ...

'', ''Amavasya Chandrudu'', ''Janaki Ramudu'' and '' Geetaanjali''.

1990s

During the late 1980s, Veturi's mass numbers garnered a lot of response from the public resulting in directors demanding more and more of them. However, Veturi still maintained his balance between classics and mass-numbers with movies like ''

Jagadeka Veerudu Atiloka Sundari ''Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari'' (), also known by the initialism ''JVAS'', is a 1990 Indian Telugu-language fantasy film directed by K. Raghavendra Rao who co-wrote the script with Jandhyala and Yandamuri Veerendranath. The film stars Chir ...

'', ''Sarigamalu'', ''Sitaramayya Gaari Manavaralu'', '' Matru Devo Bhava'', and ''

Mechanic Alludu ''Mechanic Alludu'' () is a 1993 Telugu-language action comedy film directed by B. Gopal. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Chiranjeevi, Vijayashanti with music composed by Raj–Koti. The film was produced by Allu Aravind under the Geetha Art ...

''. Veturi was given the opportunity to dub many

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...

and

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

movies. Some of his dubbed albums, for instance ''Iruvar'' and ''

Devaraagam ''Devaraagam'' is a 1996 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by Bharathan and starring Sridevi and Arvind Swamy. It also had KPAC Lalitha, Kozhikode Narayanan Nair, Zeenath, and Nedumudi Venu in supporting roles. The film was famous for its ...

'', received wide acclaim.

2000s

During this period, Veturi created classics like '' Gangotri'' and ''

Swarabhishekam ''Swarabhishekam'' is a 2004 Indian Telugu-language musical drama film written and directed by K. Viswanath. Viswanath also played the lead role, along with Srikanth, Sivaji, Urvashi, and Laya. Vidyasagar won the National Film Award for Best ...

''. His association with young directors like Sekhar Kammula and Gunasekhar produced some memorable albums, like '' Anand'', ''

Godavari The Godavari (IAST: ''Godāvarī'' �od̪aːʋəɾiː is India's second longest river after the Ganga river and drains into the third largest basin in India, covering about 10% of India's total geographical area. Its source is in Trimbakeshwa ...

'', ''

Varudu ''Varudu'' () is a 2010 Indian Telugu film, Telugu-language romantic action film directed by Gunasekhar in his tenth directorial film. This film stars Allu Arjun, Arya (actor), Arya, and Bhanu Sri Mehra, while Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Ashish Vidyar ...

'', '' Arjun'', '' Premishte'' (Dubbed version of Kaadhal) and ''

Leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...

''.

Relations with other artists

Veturi had cordial relationships with the prominent figures of the industry. He worked with all classes of directors, producers, music directors and actors, ranging from stars to debutants. In his book ''Kommakommako Sannayi'', he describes his relationship with some of the

music directors A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the di ...

, singers, lyricists, actors and directors he worked with. He was a teacher-like figure for many artists in the industry. He is considered one of the most complete lyricist in the history of

. Even his competitors called him

guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...

. Fellow lyricist

Sirivennela ''Sirivennela'' () is a 1986 Indian Telugu-language romance film written and directed by K. Viswanath. The film stars Suhasini, Sarvadaman Banerjee and Moon Moon Sen. The film has music composed by K. V. Mahadevan. The film won five Nandi Awar ...

praised him as a source of inspiration. He identified Veturi as the one who broadened the horizons of

music.

wrote an article in a Telugu monthly magazine, ''Haasam'', explaining the breadth and depth of Veturi's poetry. Being a competitor, he ended the article saying: ''"aakaaSaannaakramiMchina aayana bhaavanaapaadaaniki, bhoogOLaanni aakramiMchina aayana bhaashaapaadaaniki bhaktithO aMjali ghaTistoo "naa mooDO paadaanni nee nettina peDataa" aMTunna aayana taaMDava paadaaniki bhayaMtO namaskaristoo, mummaaru mokkutoo"''( te, "ఆకాశాన్నాక్రమించిన ఆయన భావనాపాదానికి, భూగోళాన్ని ఆక్రమించిన ఆయన భాషాపాదానికి భక్తితో అంజలి ఘటిస్తూ "నా మూడో పాదాన్ని నీ నెత్తిన పెడతా" అంటున్న ఆయన తాండవ పాదానికి భయంతో నమస్కరిస్తూ, ముమ్మారు మొక్కుతూ") which roughly translates to "I pray unto your two feet with devotion: one who has occupied the sky of imagination, one which has occupied the earth called language; and with terror, I pray salute the third foot which he says he would keep on my head". This is in reference to

Vamana Vamana (), also known as Trivikrama (), Urukrama (), Upendra (), Dadhivamana (), and Balibandhana () is an avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu. He is the fifth avatar of Vishnu, and the first Dashavatara in the Treta Yuga, after Narasimha. O ...

, an

Avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appeara ...

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

. Veteran director

referred to him as brother. Director Sekhar Kammula referred to him as his

. Actor, writer and director

Tanikella Bharani Tanikella Bharani (born 14 July 1954) is an Indian actor, screenwriter, poet, playwright and director who works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He has worked as an actor in more than 750 films, including some in Tamil and Hindi; while he was ...

referred to him as a manifestation of

Saraswati Saraswati ( sa, सरस्वती, ) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati. The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a g ...

in male form. Acclaimed director Mani Ratnam, who worked with him for '' Geetaanjali'', praised him as one of the best he has come across. Veturi was very flexible with remunerations while working with young and upcoming artists, which made him very approachable and close to almost every director and producer.

Awards and honors

Veturi received several national and regional awards for his contributions to literature and films. He has been conferred an honorary Doctorate in the 23rd convocation of Acharya Nagarjuna University. In 2007, he received the Jandhyala Memorial Award. Veturi, Tummalapalli Kshetrayya Kalakshetram Vijayawada

Veturi, Tummalapalli Kshetrayya Kalakshetram Vijayawada

National Awards

He got the

National Film Award for Best Lyrics The National Film Award for Best Lyrics (the Silver Lotus Award) is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards by the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) to a lyricist who has composed the best song for films produced within the In ...

for the song "Ralipoye Puvva" ( te, రాలిపోయె పువ్వా) in the film

Matrudevobhava ''Matru Devo Bhava'' is a 1993 Telugu drama film written and directed by K. Ajay Kumar. The film won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics by Veturi for the song "Raalipoye Puvva" and Filmfare Best Film Award (Telugu). The film was dubbed in ...

, making him the second Telugu film lyricist to achieve the distinction after the revolutionary poet, Sri Sri. In 2006, he declared that he would return the National Award if Telugu is not given the status of Classical Language by the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

.The Hindu: Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News: Going all out for 'classical' tag
/ref> In 2008, the

declared

as a classical language.

Filmfare Awards

He received

filmfare award The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...

for the song, ''Uppongele Godavari'' ( te, ఉప్పొంగెలే గోదావరి) in the 2006 movie,

. In 2008, he received the

Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, initially named Raj Kapoor Award for Lifetime Achievement after Raj Kapoor is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. List of honourees † - Indicates t ...

Nandi Awards

He received the Nandi award for best lyrics, from the Government of Andhra Pradesh, six times. They are listed here.

Manaswini Awards

He received two Manaswini awards. #Song: ''Venuvai vachchaanu'' ( te, వేణువై వచ్చాను), Movie: ''

'', Year: 1993. #Song: ''Aakaashaana suryudundadu'' ( te, ఆకాశాన సూర్యుడుండడు), Movie: ''Sundarakanda'', Year: 1992.

Filmography

He wrote thousands of songs as a lyricist for many successful Telugu films. He has also acted in very few films in cameo roles. He acted as a fake swamiji in a film, which succeeded in producing good comedy. He also penned Dialogues along with writer Jandhyala for the movie ''

''.

1970s

* ''

'' (1974) (lyrics: ''Bhaaratanaarii Charitamu'' (

)) * '' Adavi Ramudu'' (1977) (lyrics: ''Krushi Vunte Manushulu Rushulautaru'') * '' Pantulamma'' (1977) (lyrics: ''Maanasa Veenaa Madhu Geetam'') * ''

'' (1978) (lyrics: ''Andaaniki Andam'', ''Eavari Kevaru Ee Lokamlo'', ''Gajje Gallumantuntae'', ''Jhummandhi Nadam Sayyandi Padam'', ''Maa Voori Devudamma'', ''Odupunna Pilupu'', ''Raa Digi Raa Divi Ninchi'') * '' Gorintaku'' (1979) (lyrics: ''Komma Kommako Sannayi'') * '' Sankarabharanam'' (1979) (lyrics: ''Sankara Nadasareena Para'')

1980s

(1981) * ''

Manchu Pallaki ''Manchu Pallaki'' () is a 1982 Indian Telugu-language film, produced by M. R. Prasad Rao and directed by Vamsy. It stars Chiranjeevi, Suhasini, Rajendra Prasad and Sai Chand, with music composed by Rajan–Nagendra. This film was director Vams ...

'' (1982) (lyrics) * '' Subhalekha'' (1982) (lyrics: ''Raagaala Pallakilo Koyilamma Raaledu Eevela Endukammaa?'') * '' Khaidi'' (1983) * ''

Manthri Gari Viyyankudu ''Mantri Gari Viyyankudu'' s a 1983 Telugu-language film released directed by Bapu and stars Chiranjeevi in the lead role and Poornima Jayaram, Nirmalamma and Allu Ramalingaiah in important roles. Plot Kobbarikayala Subba Rayudu (Allu Ramali ...

'' (1983) (lyrics: ''Manasa Sirasa née namame padeda ee vela'', ''Coconut manaku dosti okate asti raa, jabaru dasti cheste nasti raa'', ''Chi chi po papa oppulakumma '', ''Koluvainade urki korivayinade maa kobbarikayala subbarayude '', ''Emanani née cheli padudane '', ''Sala sala nanu kavinchanela '') * '' Meghasandesham'' (1983) (lyrics: ''Aakaasa Desaana Aashada Masaana'') * ''

Mundadugu ''Mundadugu'' () is a 1983 Indian Telugu-language drama film produced by D. Rama Naidu of Suresh Productions and directed by K. Bapaiah, starring Krishna, Sobhan Babu, Sridevi and Jaya Prada. It is remade in Hindi language in 1984 as ''Ma ...

'' (1983) * ''

'' (1983) * '' Rustum'' (1984) * ''

Agni Parvatam ''Agni Parvatam'' () is a 1985 Indian Telugu-language film, produced by C. Ashwini Dutt and K. Raghavendra Rao under the banner of Vyjayanthi Movies. The film stars Krishna. It was an industry hit in the box office of Tollywood, with 5 musica ...

'' (1985) (lyrics: ''Agni Parvatam'', ''Ee Gaalilo'') * ''

'' (1985) (writer: ''Edalo Laya'', ''Keeravani'', ''Ekanta Vela'', ''Ilalo Kalise'') * ''

'' (1986) * ''

Padamati Sandhya Ragam ''Padamati Sandhya Ragam'' ( te, script=latn, Paḍamaṭi Sandhyārāgaṁ; ) is a 1987 Telugu-language drama film written and directed by Jandhyala. It stars Vijayashanti as Sandhya, a young Indian woman, and Thomas Jane as Chris, a white Amer ...

'' (1986) * ''

Pratighatana ''Pratighatana'' () is a 1985 Indian Telugu-language action drama film written and directed by T. Krishna. The film is produced by Ramoji Rao under Ushakiran Movies. The plot follows a woman's fight against corruption and criminalization of poli ...

'' (1986) (lyrics: ''Ee Duryodhana Dussaasana Durvineeta Lokamlo'') * ''

Aakhari Poratam ''Aakhari Poratam'' () is a 1988 Indian Telugu-language action film produced by C. Ashwini Dutt under the Vyjayanthi Movies banner and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars Nagarjuna, Sridevi with music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. Based on the ...

'' (1988) (lyrics: ''Tella Cheeraku'', ''Eppudu Eppudu'') * ''

Marana Mrudangam ''Marana Mrudangam'' () is a 1988 Indian Telugu-language action crime film, produced by K. S. Rama Rao under the Creative Commercials banner and directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy. It stars Chiranjeevi, Radha, Suhasini and K. Naga Babu , with m ...

'' (1988) * '' Geetaanjali'' (1989) (lyrics: ''Jallanta Kavvinta Kaavaalile'', ''Nandikonda Vaagullona'', ''Jagada Jagada Jagadam'', ''Om Namah Nayana Shrutulaku'', ''O Paapaa Laalii!'', ''Aamani Paadave Haayigaa'')

1990s

* '' Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari'' (1990) (lyrics: ''Abba Nee Teeyani Debba'', ''dhinakkuta chamakkuro'', ''mana bhaaratamlo'', ''amdalalo ahomahodayam'', ''jai chiranjiiva, jagadekaveera'', ''priyatama nanu palakrinchu pranayama'', ''yamaho ni yama yama andam'') * ''Chanti'' (1991) (lyrics: ''Pavuraniki Panjaraniki'', ''idi tailam petti'', ''jabiliki vennalaki puttina punnamile'', ''o prema na prema'', ''ennenno andalu'') * ''

Gang Leader ''Gang Leader'' is a 1991 Indian Telugu-language action crime film written and directed by Vijaya Bapineedu, and produced by Maganti Ravindranath Chowdary. The film stars Chiranjeevi and Vijayashanti, while Rao Gopal Rao, Anandaraj, Murali Mo ...

'' (1991) (lyrics: ''paalabugga'', ''vayasu vayasu'') * '' Nirnayam'' (1991) (lyrics: ''Mila Mila Merisenu Tara'') * ''Dharma Kshetram'' (1992) (lyrics: ''Koramenu Komalam Sora Shobanam and more songs from this film'') * ''President Gari Pellam'' (1992) (lyrics: ''Nuvvu Malle Teega'', ''Paruvala Kodi'', ''Manduri Ambothu'', ''Aa Oddu Ee Oddu'', ''Umma Kavali'', ''Kandirrega Nadumu Daani'') * '' Sundarakanda'' (1992) (lyrics: ''AakaaSaana SuuryuDunDaDu SandevELakE'', ''kokilamma kotha pata paadindi'', ''sundarakaamdaku sandade sandadi'', ''inka inka'', ''ulikipadaku'', ''arey mava illaliki'') * '' Govinda Govinda'' (1993) (lyrics: ''O Naveena'', ''andama anduma'', ''indira mandira sundara taara'', ''premante idena'') * '' Matru Devo Bhava'' (1993) (lyrics: ''Raalipoye Puvva Neeku Raagalenduke'', ''venuvai vachanu bhuvananiki'', ''kanniti kaluvalu'', ''raagam anuragam'') * ''

'' (1993) * '' Super Police'' (1994) * ''Ramudochhadu'' (1996) (lyrics: ''Maa Palle Repallanta'', ''Gumma Gumma Muddu Gumma'', ''Vareva'', ''Guvva Koose Puvvu Poose'', ''srumgaara kaavyaala'') * ''

Iddaru ''Iruvar'' () is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language epic political drama film co-written, produced and directed by Mani Ratnam. The film, inspired by the lives of M. Karunanidhi, M. G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa is set against the backdrop of ...

''(1997) * ''Annamayya''(1997) * ''

Ravoyi Chandamama ''Raavoyi Chandamama'' () is a 1999 Indian Telugu-language romance film directed by Jayanth C. Paranjee. It stars Nagarjuna, Jagapathi Babu, Anjala Zhaveri, Keerthi Reddy, and the music was composed by Mani Sharma. The film was produced by C. ...

'' (1999) (lyrics: ''Nanda Nandana'', ''Jagadajam Jawani'', ''Swapna Venuvedo'', ''Mallepuvva'', ''Leta Leta'', ''Love to Live'', ''Jhummani Jhummani'') * ''Adbhutam'' (1999) (lyrics: lyrics ''Nityam ekanta kshaname adiga'') * ''Chudalani Unadhi''(1998) "Yamaha Nagari" Lyrics

2000s

* '' Badri'' (2000) (writer: ''Vevela Mainala Ganam'' ''Chali Pidugullo'') * '' Annayya'' (2000) (writer: ''Himaseemallo'', ''Gusagusale'', ''Vaana vallappa'') * ''sakhi'' (2000, Dubbed version) (lyrics: ''sakhiya celiya'', ''alai pongera kanna'', ''kaay love chedugudu'', ''kalalai poyenu na premalu'', ''snehituda snehituda'', ''September maasam September maasam'', ''ede ede vayyari varudu'') * ''

Bava Nachadu ''Bava Nachadu'' is a 2001 Indian Telugu-language romantic film directed by K. S. Ravikumar. It stars Nagarjuna Akkineni, Simran and Reema Sen, with music scored by M. M. Keeravani. It is produced by M. Arjuna Raju under the Roja Movies ba ...

'' (2001) (lyrics: ''Akka Bava Nachada'') * '' Mrigaraju'' (2001) (writer: ''Ramaiah Paadaletti'', ''Satamanamannadile'', ''Yelaley Yelalamma'') * '' Indra'' (2002) (writer: ''Ammadu Appachi'') * ''

Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resha ...

'' (2003) (writer: ''Manmadha Manmadha'') * '' Simhadri'' (2003) * '' Anand'' (2004) (writer: ''Vacche Vacche'', ''Yamunatheeram'', ''Nuvvena'', ''Charumati I Love You'', ''Telisi Telisi'', ''Yedalogaanam'') * '' Arjun'' (2004) (lyrics: ''Madhura Madhura Meenakshi'') * ''

Arya Aryan or Arya (, Indo-Iranian *''arya'') is a term originally used as an ethnocultural self-designation by Indo-Iranians in ancient times, in contrast to the nearby outsiders known as 'non-Aryan' (*''an-arya''). In Ancient India, the term ' ...

'' (2004) * ''

Yuva ''Yuva'' ( Youth) is an Indian Hindi-language political thriller film directed by Mani Ratnam and released in 2004. The film was simultaneously shot in Tamil as ''Aaytha Ezhuthu'', and it is loosely based on the life story of George Reddy, a s ...

'' (2004, Dubbed version) * '' Premisthe'' (2004, Dubbed version) * ''

Chatrapati Chhatrapati is a royal title from Sanskrit language.The word ‘Chhatrapati’ is a Sanskrit language compound word (tatpurusha in Sanskrit) of ''Chatra (umbrella), chhatra'' (''parasol'' or ''umbrella'') and ''pati'' (''master/lord/ruler''). Th ...

'' (2005) *

Ghajini (2005 film) ''Ghajini'' is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by A. R. Murugadoss and produced by Salem Chandrasekharan. The film stars Suriya and Asin in the lead, with Nayanthara, Pradeep Rawat and Riyaz Khan in supporting role ...

(lyrics: Rangola Ola, Oku Maru Kalisina) * ''

'' (2006) (lyrics: ''Uppongele Godavari'') * ''

Sainikudu ''Sainikudu'' () is a 2006 Indian Telugu-language political action drama film written and directed by Gunasekhar, with music composed by Harris Jayaraj. It stars Mahesh Babu and Trisha. Irrfan Khan, in his only South Indian film, plays the ant ...

'' (2006) * ''

Madhumasam ''Madhumasam'' ( te, మధుమాసం) is a Telugu-language romantic drama film directed by Chandra Siddhartha. The film stars Sumanth, Sneha, and Parvati Melton in the lead roles. It was produced by D. Ramanaidu on Suresh Productions b ...

'' (2007) * ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most su ...

'' (2007) * ''Dashavataram'' (2008, Dubbed version) * ''

Kantri ''Kantri'' is a 2008 Indian Telugu-language action film written and directed by Meher Ramesh, a protégé of director Puri Jagannadh and who had earlier worked on Kannada films. Jr. NTR, Hansika Motwani, and Tanisha Mukherjee star in the lead ...

'' (2008) (lyrics: ''Vayasunamy'') * '' Sundarakanda'' (2008) (lyricist) * ''

Malli Malli ''Malli Malli'' () is a 2009 Indian Telugu-language action-drama film directed by Raaj Adithya and starring Skanda Ashok and Kalyani in their Telugu debuts. The film is inspired by the Hollywood film ''If Only'' (2004). The film also marked th ...

'' (2009) (lyricist) * '' Bendu Apparao R.M.P'' (2009) * ''

'' (2010) (lyrics: ''All songs'') * ''

'' (2010) * '' Simha'' (2010) (lyrics: Kanulara Chudhamu) * ''Villain'' (2010) (dubbed version of '' Raavanan'') * ''

Badrinath Badrinath is a town and nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. A Hindu holy place, it is one of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage and is also part of India's Chota Char Dham pilgrimage circuit. ...

'' (2011) (lyrics: ''omkareshwari'') * ''Surya S/o Krishnan'' (2008) (dubbed version of ''

Vaaranam Aayiram ''Vaaranam Aayiram'' () is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon and produced by Venu Ravichandran of Aascar Films. The film stars Suriya in dual lead roles as father and son, with Sam ...

'') * ''Abhi''(2011)("lyrics: Vangathota malupu kada") * Bus Stop (2012) ("Lyrics: "Rekkalocchina Prema" and "Pattuko Pattuko")

Books

''Sirikaakolanu Chinnadi''

This book was originally a "musical play" telecasted on the All India Radio. The story describes the culture and people during the time of the king

Krishna Deva Raya Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Empire, reigning from 1509 to 1529. He was the third monarch of the Tuluva dynasty, and is considered to be one of the ...

through the story of a Devadasi. The original play has music by the great music director

Pendyala Nageswara Rao Pendyala Nageswara Rao (6 March 1917 – 31 August 1984), known mononymously by his surname Pendyala, was an Indian composer, multi-instrumentalist, conductor, music producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema along with Tami ...

. One can see the beauty of the Telugu language in this book. Veturi was introduced to the director

through this book and later their combination was a big hit.

N.T.Rama Rao Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996), often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who served as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for seven years over three terms. He starred ...

was so impressed by the story of this book that he wanted to make it as a movie. It is believed that there were some discussions on the script but the movie was never produced.

''Kommako Kommako Sannaayi''

A book titled ''komma kommakO sannAyi'' was published by "Veturi Sahitii Samiti". This book contains 27 articles written by Veturi celebrating his association with some famous personalities in the Telugu film industry. It also contains descriptions of some of his songs. The personalities covered include the following: # Music directors: Pendyala Nageswara Rao, S. Rajeswara Rao, K. V. Mahadevan, Adi Narayana Rao, Ramesh Naidu, Rajan – Nagendra, Chakravarty, Ilayaraja, MM Keeravaani & A.R.Rahman # Singers:

S._P._Balasubrahmanyam Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam (4 June 1946 – 25 September 2020), also referred to as SPB or SP Balu or Balu, was an Indian playback singer, television presenter, actor, music composer, dubbing artist, and film producer. He is wi ...

# Lyricists: Daita Gopalam, Samudrala (Sr), Atreya, Dasarathi, # Actors: Nagayya, Jagayya,

& Relangi # Directors and producers: Nagi Reddy, Jandhyala, Bapu – Ramana Many of these articles were originally published in a Telugu magazine called ''Haasam''. Veturi's prowess in the Telugu language & literature and his vast knowledge of Carnatic music can be seen in this book. Veturi often quotes many of his own lyrics in this book and those examples offer a glimpse of his genius. In particular, his explanation of the song ''Swararaaga gangaa pravaahamE'' (Movie: ''Sarigamalu'') is a masterpiece.

Personal life

Veturi was married to Seeta Maha Lakshmi and has three sons: Ravi Prakash, Chandrasekhar and Nanda Kishore.

Controversies

In March 2010, Veturi openly criticized the Film Nagar Cooperative Society officials for not handing over the 1000 sq.yard land that was allotted to him about 28 years ago. He alleged that several juniors and ineligible people were given plots ahead of him. He was allegedly offered a double bedroom flat for 1.5 million. After his death, noted singer

Mano Mano may refer to: People * Mano people, an ethnic group in Liberia * Mano (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname * Mano (Mozambican footballer) (born 1984), real name Celso Halilo de Abdul * Mano (Portuguese footballer) ...

and senior actor Vijay Chandar demanded the government to give the land to his family.

Death

Veturi died of a

pulmonary hemorrhage Pulmonary hemorrhage (or pulmonary haemorrhage) is an acute bleeding from the lung, from the upper respiratory tract and the trachea, and the pulmonary alveoli. When evident clinically, the condition is usually massive.

at a private hospital in

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

on 22 May 2010, aged 74, at about 9:30 p.m. local time. He was admitted to the hospital two days earlier and was kept in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) there as his health was deteriorating. K. Viswanath, who introduced Veturi to the film industry, stated that "his works would please even the gods". Director Sekhar Kammula, who worked with him to deliver some critically acclaimed songs, wrote a four-page article in the daily '' Sakshi'' describing Veturi's death as his "personal loss".

Legacy

Appaji Ambarisha Darbha, a creative digital-media professional turned actor made a font with the name "Veturi" which was inaugurated by Telugu lyricist Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry in 2018.

References

External links

List of Veturi Movies
* Lyricist Sirivennela'

on Veturi, originally published in the magazine ''Haasam'' * Srinivas Kanchibhotla'

on Veturi in Idlebrain * Sekhar kammula's extensive article on vetur

on Idlebrain {{DEFAULTSORT:Veturi 1936 births 2010 deaths Telugu-language lyricists Telugu people Telugu poets Deaths from pulmonary hemorrhage Filmfare Awards South winners People from Krishna district Film musicians from Andhra Pradesh Poets from Andhra Pradesh 20th-century Indian composers 21st-century Indian composers Indian lyricists 20th-century Indian poets 21st-century Indian poets Best Lyrics National Film Award winners Respiratory disease deaths in India