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A performing artiste
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It takes guts to capture glory. Madhavapeddi Murthy chose to walk on the path left untrodden by many, says G.V. Ramana Rao
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"VIVAHA BHOJANAMBU, vintaina vantakambu, viyyalavari vindu, aah ha ha naake mundu... " there cannot be a Telugu who is unaware of this classic song from Mayabazar. The voice that immortalised the number belonged to Madhavapeddi Satyam.
Though not a singer himself, his son, Madhavapeddi Murthy, studied Kuchipudi dance in the shadow of his father's fame.
He learnt the traditional dance form under the tutelage of Vempati Chinna Satyam, considered the greatest exponent of the art form.
His close association with the dance has taken him across the world but he likes to identify himself with Guntur. Born and brought up in Chennai, he is very fond of his ancestral native village of Brahmana Kodu.
Murthy's role as one of the classical dancers in Viswanath's new film `Swarabhishekam', scheduled to hit the silver scress on November 5, has brought him into the limelight.
A globe-trotter
A globe-trotting performer, he has enthralled people of over three-dozen places abroad including some exotic places like Frejuis and Auxerre in France, Kagamino and Mimasaka in Japan and Petermaritzburg in South Africa. Beginning as a disciple and later as a dancer, Murthy has had the privilege to spend over 20 years of fruitful association with Vempati Chinna Satyams's Kuchipudi Art Academy, Chennai.
He has also performed in several dance ballets with the gorgeous Dream Girl of yesteryears, Hema Malini, on stage and also for the small screen. "I have given more than 150 performances with Hema Malini and was part of her dance-based television serial `Noopur'," he says.
His portrayal of Lord Siva and Narada in Srinivasa Kalyanam, Sisupala in Rukmini Kalyanam, Ananda - the Buddhist monk in Chandalika, has won him laurels.
He cherishes the moments when he performed at the 70th birthday celebration of Satya Sai Baba at Puttaparti, at Kanchi for the Paracharya's centenary celebrations and at the Brahmotsavams of several important temples.
An opportunity to perform before the sitar legend, Pundit Ravi Shankar, was an achievement for him. Murthy also fondly recalls his lecture-demonstrations on Kuchipudi dance for the California State University fine arts faculty, Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Canada, and at the School of Contemporary Dance, Winnipeg, Canada.
The Siva Foundation
To satisfy his urge to promote fine arts, he set up Siva Foundation in Chennai. The greatness of a teacher is known from the talent of his students.
The modest dancer can boast of extending his charm to not only Tollywood but also Bollywood. Meenaski Seshadri, who became an overnight sensation with the release of her debut hindi film, Hero, Telugu film actresses Indraja, Jayalaitha, Bhanupriya, Sripriya, Eswari Rao and Ravali, learnt the art of perfecting their bhavas and bhangimas from Murthy.
Contrary to the general belief, Murthy strongly believes that cinema can protect, preserve and encourage fine arts and not vice-versa. "Directors like K.Viswanath have inspired many to learn and patronise fine arts.
They have the guts to capture glory by patronising art and artists directly," he observes.
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Metro Plus
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