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Journey into greatness
BORN ON December 4, 1922 in Chowtapalli village near Gudivada to Ghantasala Suryanarayana and Rathamma, Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao first forayed into classical music in the company of his father, a musician and a percussionist. While the senior Ghantasala sang Narayana Theertha's tarangas, by playing the mridangam, the junior danced to the lyrics. Patrons of art hailed the child prodigy as `Bala Bharathudu'. This was his first brush with the fine arts. As a child-singer, Ghantasala won several prizes and gold medals. But life was not smooth sailing.
When he was barely 11, Ghantasala lost his father. During his last days, his father gave him an insight into the divinity of music and asked him to pursue it. Ghantasala took his father's wish to heart and vowed to fulfill it. As a child, he was more interested in singing the songs of Kapilavayi Ramanatha Sastry, than reading textbooks. After his father's death, his maternal uncle Ryali Pitchi Ramayya brought up Ghantasala and helped him pursue his chosen path. For the next two years Ghantasala acted in plays like Chintamani and Sakkubai. By then his interest in music too increased. Hesoon began to learn music under Krishna Brahma Sastry, son of famous musician Susarla Dakshinamurthy at Pedakallepalli. He ended up doing more domestic chores than learning music. It was the same story at the house of a relative and musician Ghantasala Nagabhushanam at Kodavalli near Bhimavaram. So he left for nearby Pala Koderu where he trained a few youngsters in theatre. Without informing his mother or uncle, he left for Vizianagaram. His ambition was to join the famous Maharaja Music College and after undergoing lot of hardship he acquired the `Sangeetha Vidwan degree'.
In his final year, with the permission of the principal, Ghantasala gave many concerts and in this way his public performances and recognition began.Ghantasala returned to native Chowtapalli and started teaching music. He was jailed for 18 months during the Quit India Movement for singing patriotic songs and for an alleged involvement in removing the railway track. Lodged in the Bellary Jail, he had the opportunity of meeting stalwarts like Bezawada Gopala Reddy, Potti Sreeramulu, Satyamurthy and Yerneni Subrahmanyam. After coming out of prison, he was back to practicing music and participating in stage plays. Around this time Ghantasala married Savithri. Ghantasala's first brush with cinema came in brief cameo roles in Ghantasala Balaramiah's Seetharama Jananam. During this period, he gave classical music concerts in All India Radio and also approached His Masters' Company (HMV). Ghantasala's foray into music direction came first as an assistant to C.V.Subbaraman for Bharani Pictures maiden production, Rathnamala, the success of which made him continue as a director and singer till the end.
M.L.N.
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