Srirangam Srinivasa Rao, also known as Sri Sri, was an Indian poet and lyricist who is known for his works in Telugu literature and films. He was born on April 30, 1910, in a Telugu Brahmin family in Visakhapatnam.
His book Maha Prasthanam (The Great Journey), an anthology of poems, is one of his major works. He was also, one of the best film songwriters in India, he has penned lyrics for over 1000 soundtracks in Telugu. Apart from writing poems, Sri Sri worked for human rights as well, and was the first President of Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee which was formed in 1974.
He is a recipient of a National Film Award, a Nandi Award, and a Sahitya Akademi Award.
Career
He was the first true modern Telugu poet to write about contemporary issues that affected the day-to-day life of a common man in a style and metre that were not used in classical Telugu poetry. He moved poetry forward from traditional mythological themes to reflect more contemporary issues.
Radical Poet
He is a major radical poet (e.g. Prabhava) and novelist (e.g. Veerasimha Vijayasimhulu). In the 1950s and ‘60s, Telugu youth was captivated by a new voice: A voice that resonated their anger and frustration. Sri Sri’s call to march towards ‘another world’, an egalitarian world free of exploitation and deprivation,
In one of the poems, "Jagannathuni Ratha Chakralu", Sri Sri addressed those who were suffering due to social injustices and said, "Don't cry, don't cry. The wheels of the chariot of Jagannath are coming; they are coming! The apocalyptic chant of the chariot wheels! Come, realize your dreams Rule your new world!"
He introduced free verse into his socially concerned poetry through Maha Prasthanam. He wrote visionary poems in a style and metre not used before in Telugu classical poetry.
Writing for films
He started writing for Telugu cinema with Ahuti (1950), a Telugu-dubbed version of Junnarkar's Neera aur Nanda (1946). Some of the songs, such as 'Hamsavale O Padava', 'Oogisaladenayya', 'Premaye jannana marana leela', scored by Saluri Rajeswara Rao, were major hits.
He was also a screenwriter for several Telugu films. He was a great asset to the Telugu film industry.
