An earnest call to artistes to help revive Telugu theatre

“We enjoyed the celebrity status till the television came into existence” says Madugula Rama Krishna, who worked for 35 years in All India Radio, Vijayawada as announcer. Born in 1955 in Vijayawada, Rama Krishna completed his college studies in the same city. He worked in Osmania University as secretary to vice chancellor and then entered into All India Radio in 1979 and retired as senior grade announcer in 2015.

Producing more than 500 dramas in radio of which two productions namely ‘Railprayanam’ and ‘Nadabandham’, a National Award winning drama, Rama Kirshna started his drama journey right from his school days with Manjusri Kala Niketan. Madugula Ramakrishna penned 10 stage playlets like Vamsodharakudu, Mali sandhya, Chevilo puvvu, Vinave Sumathi, Debbatinnav Subbarao, Muddayi Nirdoshi, Alludugaru Bahuparak, Sitapati Chapegati.

Ramakrishna learned the difference between stage and radio drama and how to render dialogue from his gurus GSR Murthy, Nanduri Subba Rao and C Ramamohan Rao. He also wrote 50 stories which were published in leading magazines. All his writings communicate a little moral and inculcate human relations. Shortly one book contains 20 of his stories will be released shortly.

Ramakrishna visited all over the state and also Gujarat, Maharastra, West Bengal, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Telangana states to give performances along with Prahlada paduranga Rao, Ushasri and other theater group. He acted with noted personalities like Koka Sanjeeva Rao, Peri Kameswara Rao, M. Vasudeva Murthy, A.B. Anand, Beta Rama Surya Praksh, Sutti Veerabhadra Rao, AVS, Gundu Hanumantha Rao, Rentichintala Ramachandra Rao, Kota Sankara Rao, Vinnakota Vijayaram, Uma (Annapurna). Pelli Sandadi, Brahma Neerata Tarumaru, Varudu Kavali are some of the plays he acted. Madugula also contributed comedy tracks for movies like Srivariki sobhanam, Dabbevariki Chedu.

Madugula is the president for Hasam Club, Joint Secretary for Artistes Association, executive member in Sumadhura Kala Niketan and Andhra Nataka Kala Samithi. Many Cultural Organizations felicitated Ramakrishna in recognition of his services to arts. Talking about drama, the multi-faceted personality says “It is one of the powerful medium to project any social problem because the artistes are just near to the audience.

So the spectators will feel the essence of the play and think about it.” He felt that there is no qualitative productions are coming on stage because both the production units and writers are confined to a parishad frame. Unless this trend is changed Telugu theater will not get a national level drama”. Ramakrishna is urging the writers who left the drama for movies to rededicate themselves to promote the Telugu Theater.