C. Narayana Reddy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dr. C. Narayana Reddy
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Dr. C. Narayana Reddy.
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| Born | 19 July 1931 |
| Died | 12 June 2017 (aged 85) |
| Alma mater | Osmania University |
| Occupation | Poet, playwright, composer, artist, professor, politician |
| Awards | Sahitya Akademi Award (1973) Padma Shri (1977) Kala Prapoorna (1978) Jnanpith Award (1988) Padma Bhushan (1992) |
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Dr. C. Narayana Reddy (born July 29, 1931, died June 12, 2017) was a famous Indian poet and writer. People often called him CiNaRe. He wrote in the Telugu language. He created over 80 literary works, including poems, plays, and even ghazals (a type of poem or song).
Besides writing, he was also a professor, wrote songs for movies, acted, and was a member of the Rajya Sabha, which is a part of the Indian Parliament. In 1988, he received the Jnanpith Award, one of India's highest literary honors. He also served as the Vice Chancellor of Telugu University.
He started writing songs for movies with the 1962 film Gulebakavali Katha. After that, he wrote lyrics for more than 3,500 songs! He also won two Nandi Awards for being the best lyricist.
Contents
Who was C. Narayana Reddy?
His Early Life and Education
Cingireddi Narayana Reddy was born on July 29, 1931. His birthplace was Hanumajipet village in what is now Telangana, India. His family was Telugu. His father, Malla Reddy, was a farmer, and his mother, Buchamma, was a housewife.
After finishing high school, he went to Osmania University in Hyderabad in 1949. He studied in the Urdu language until he graduated. This was because education in Telugu was not available under the Nizam's rule at that time. However, he chose Telugu as his main subject for his degree.
He earned his Master of Arts degree in 1954. The next year, in 1955, he became a college lecturer. In 1962, he received his Ph.D. for his study on "Modern Traditions of Telugu." By 1976, he became a full professor.
Reddy learned Telugu privately during his school days. He had special teachers, or Gurus, who helped him. He was also guided by the famous poet and Jnanpith award winner, Kavi Samrat Viswanatha Satyanarayana.
Family Life and Public Service
Narayana Reddy married Suseela, and they had four daughters. Reddy later started an award named after his wife. This award is given every year to female writers.
In August 1997, Reddy was chosen to be a member of the Rajya Sabha. This is the upper house of the Indian Parliament.
What did C. Narayana Reddy Write?
Famous Books and Poems
Reddy's first published work was a collection of poems called Navvani Puvvu (The Bashful Flower). This came out in 1953. He then published many other works. Some of these include Vennela Vada (The Moonlight Town, 1959) and Jalapatam (The Waterfall).
His poetic work Viswambhara (The Earth), published in 1980, became very famous. It has been translated into many Indian languages. The Sahitya Akademi (India's National Academy of Letters) praised it. They called it a "monumental work" that shows how humans have grown through history.
Reddy also wrote Nagarjuna Sagaram. This is an epic poem based on a sad love story. It's about a lady named Santisri who falls in love with a sculptor. Another epic poem, Karpura Vasantha Rayulu (1957), tells the romantic story of King Kumara Giri and his court dancer Lakuma.
Plays and Other Writings
Besides poetry, Reddy also wrote musical plays. One of them was Ramappa (1960), which was about the Kakatiya dynasty. He also published a collection of ten plays called Narayana Reddy Natikalu (Play-lets of Narayana Reddy, 1978).
He wrote a book called Adhunikandhara Kavitamu - Sampradayamulu Prayogamalu. This book analyzed modern Telugu poetry. It looked at how it started, how it changed, and its forms today.
Reddy also wrote travelogues, which are books about his travels. He wrote about his trips to Malaysia, Russia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and France.
Songs for Movies
C. Narayana Reddy's first film as a lyricist was Gulebakavali Katha (1962). He went on to write more than 3,000 film songs. His last song was for the movie Inkennallu (2011).
Some Popular Songs He Wrote
| Year | Song(s) | Film | Music Director |
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| 1962 | Nannu Dhochukunduvate | Gulebakavali Katha | Joseph, Vijaya Krishna Murthy |
| 1964 | Telisindile Telisindile | Ramudu Bheemudu | Pendyala Nageswara Rao |
| 1966 | Changure Bangaru Raja | Sri Krishna Pandaveeyam | T. V. Raju |
| 1970 | Telugu Jaathi Manadi | Thalla? Pellama? | T. V. Raju |
| 1973 | Ee Jeevana Tharangalalo | Jeevana Tarangalu | J. V. Raghavulu |
| 1977 | Chithram Bhalaare Vichitram | Dana Veera Soora Karna | Pendyala Nageswara Rao |
Awards and Honors
Reddy received many awards for his literary work.
- In 1973, he won the Sahitya Akademi Award for his poetry collection Mantalu Manavudu.
- In 1988, he received the Jnanpith Award for Viswambhara.
- In 2014, he was given the Sahitya Academy fellowship. This is the highest honor from India's National Academy of Letters.
- Andhra University honored him with the Kala Prapoorna in 1978.
- He also received the Soviet Land Nehru award in 1982 and the Raja-Lakshmi Award in 1988.
- In 2011, he got the "Visishta Puraskaram" from the Potti Sriramulu Telugu University.
The Government of India also honored him with high civilian awards:
- Padma Shri in 1977
- Padma Bhushan in 1992
He won the Nandi Award for Best Lyricist twice for his movie songs:
- "Kantene Amma Ani Ante Ela?" from Preminchu (2001)
- "Idigo Raayalaseema Gadda" from Seetayya (2003)
When did C. Narayana Reddy Die?
C. Narayana Reddy passed away on June 12, 2017. He was 85 years old. He had developed health problems and was taken to the hospital after complaining of chest pain.
