Vishnu Sarma English Chaduvu - A Telugu Play By Rasaranjini: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR VISHNU SARMA ENGLISH CHADUVU...

On the occasion of Andhra Pradesh Theatre Day, Rasaranjani is organising a famous Telugu play called Vishnu Sarma English Chaduvu, on 17th April, at Sri Thyagaraya Gana Sabha. The play is presented by Andhra Pradesh Theatres, Hyderabad.

This is an imaginary play written by Kavi Samrat Viswanatha Satyanarayana. It is about a dispute in Indra's heaven which requires Vishnu Sarma and Thikkana Somayaji to go to the land from heaven and learn English from Viswanatha Satyanarayana. After learning the language, they decide to go back to heaven and advise Indra to run the matters pertaining to heaven in English because they learn that most of the people on the earth knew English much better than their mother tongues.

The play is presented in a hilarious mode wherein Viswanatha Satyanarayana gives highly humourous answers to the questions put forward by Vishnu Sarma and Thikkana. Satyanarayana has penned the dialogues by using a straight-forward language so that even an average audience can easily understand and follow the lyrics, rather than double-meaning words. The short story is the result of a dream which the author experienced in 1961, which he started penning the next day onwards and finished in less than a week.

The novel is adopted as a play by O S Rao and directed by Dikshit D S. Dr G B Ramakrishna Sastry plays the role of Viswanatha Satyanarayana, whereas Malladi Bhaskar plays Vishnu Sarma, S S Vajpayee as Thikkana Somayaji, A S R Prasad as Lord Indra, while K Vijayalakshmi, Master Jagdish, Jyotirmayee, P Shyam Prasad, Srini, and Bellamkonda Raghu play the other characters. The sets are designed by Surabhi Srikrishna Devarayulu, sound effects by Sridhar Dikshit and music is by Rajababu.

Satyanarayana was born on October 10, 1895 in a Shaivite Brahmin family to Shobhanadri and Parvatamma in Nandamuri village. He started his writing career in 1916 with Visweswara Satakam, a devotional poetic composition as a tribute to his family God, Lord Visweswara. At the same time, he wrote Andhra Pourusham, a drama Dhanya Kailasam and a novel Antaraatma.

He also wrote Kinnerasani song, Girikumaara Geetalu, Nartanasala, Sringaraveedhi, and Anarkali in 1921-23. He wrote his famous composition Veyipadagalu in 1933-34 for which he was awarded with titles and awards, such as Kavisamrat and an award by Andhra University. Later he wrote Ramayana Kalpavriksham, Pamupaata, Terichiraju, Pillala Ramayanamu etc. For his contributions, he was felicitated with various awards, such as The Gnanpeeth Award for Ramayana Kalpavriksham in 1971 by Federal Government of the Indian Union.

Th entry to the play is ticket of Rs. 10 per head. For further details, please contact D Someshwara Rao at 94401-42266.