“My dream has been fulfilled. I am very happy.” This was how septuagenarian Ballari Sujathamma, a well-known ‘bylaata’ and ‘parijatha’ artiste, reacted when she heard that the government was conferring the prestigious ‘Rajyotsava’ award on her.
After learning music under the tutelage of her father, Ms. Sujathamma took to acting at the age of ten. Her career as an artiste began with ‘Girija Kalyan,’ where she donned the role of Rathi. Since then, she has acted in various mythological plays not only in Bylaata and Parijatha, but also in theatre, including Ramayana, where she donned the lead roles. She has acted in plays such as Rakta Ratri, Kurukshetra, Dushyasana Vadhe , Daksha Brahma in over six decades of her acting career.
Ms. Sujathamma has also performed in Telugu plays in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
“Acting was the only source of income to feed my family and also to raise my children. I was forced to act in a play when my son, daughter-in-law and my grandson died in a fire accident. Such was our economic condition. Luckily, I used to get opportunities to act and I won the appreciation of the connoisseurs throughout and now Government has chosen me for the Rajyotsava award. I am very happy,” she told The Hindu .
Ms. Sujathamma is also a recipient of Karnataka Janapada, Yakshagana Academy award and the Kittur Rani Chennamma Award.
Though she still gets requests to act in plays, Ms. Sujathamma rejects them owing to age factor. She now imparts training in acting and singing to interested people.
