Bhagavatulu Seetarama Sarma is an unsung hero in the arts world. A composite artiste, who had exposure to various art forms such as Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music, Seetarama Sarma was unique in his contribution to the arts.
He spent over two decades working directly under the guidance of his mentor, Rukmini Devi Arundale. It was in Kalakshetra that he honed his skills as a musician and Nattuvunar along with Kamala Rani, another gem nurtured in Kalakshetra.
Seetarama Sarma’s name stands tall amongst the musical giants such as Veena Krishnamachariar, Mysore Vasudevachariar and Papanasam Sivan. His music lives on in Rukmini Devi’s famed dance-dramas.
Those who watched the dance-dramas performed in the 1960s and 1970s would have seen Seetarama Sarma and Kamala Rani singing and doing Nattuvangam – a rare sight today.
Favourite composition
In the dance-drama, Maha Pattabhishekam (1970), all the slokas and 25 of the 65 songs belong to Seetarama Sarma. In Kurmaavataram (1974), he composed most of the songs along with Thuraiyur Rajagopala Sarma and Papanasam Sivan.
Along with Thuraiyur Rajagopala Sarma, he composed music for Meenakshi Vijayam , (1977). It was his favourite. He was involved in composing for various other Kalakshetra dance dramas.
His efforts and involvement in bringing out these beautiful music compositions were highlighted by Sruti magazine, which published an article detailing all the different composers involved in the Kalakshetra dance dramas.
Seetarama Sarma’s music had a lyrical quality with a strong adherence to classicism. He composed a number of jatiswarams, tillanas and ragamalikas, which are performed by dancers today. He started his own institution ‘Kalapeetam’ in Chennai with branches in Singapore and the U.S. He sang and conducted many arangetrams over the years.
Besides music, Seetarama Sarma also taught Nattuvangam and devised a teaching methodology, unique to his style.
Students were taught the fundamentals of tala and exercises of cross rhythms in adavus and sollukattus were his speciality. He encouraged all his students to sing and wield the cymbals as he felt it would lend to the musicality of the nattuvangam.
Seetarama Sarma was a stalwart, who knew that recognition eluded him but did not let that embitter him or lose his love for art.
Till his death at the age of 80, he continued to teach students of all levels and ages.
Sarma’s contribution to dance and music, combined with a strict sense of discipline and faith in his art will be remembered by the lives he touched over the years.
