Ganesh Patro left a mark as a writer on Telugu theatre and cinema by creating his own idiom, noted writer and actor Gollapudi Maruti Rao has said.
At a condolence meeting organised by the Vizag Film Society, he recalled that in 1970, in the parishat dramas (popular and critical fora for writers and actors), his ‘Kallu’ and Patro’s ‘Pavala’ stood out. Patro’s dialogues for films like ‘Maro Charitra’, ‘Akali Rajyam’, and ‘Sitaramaiahgari Manavaralu’ were acclaimed.
Several actors recalled Patro’s early life here working in the Postal Department, and particularly during the early days of his writing when the plays ‘Pavala’ and ‘Koduku Puttala’ were staged and critically acclaimed.
Actor Misro said he perfected a style and did full justice to his writing.
He felt Patro played a key role in bringing director K. Balachander to Visakhapatnam that led to several local artistes donning the grease paint in the film.
Writer Kasi Viswanath said Patro, as a writer, got good guidance from K. Venkateswara Rao of A.U. Theatre Arts and later in matching director K. Balachander’s expectations, who himself was a writer.
Cinematographer M.V. Raghu said the death of several prominent personalities reminded every one of the responsibility to regain the glory of the Telugu film.
VFS secretary Narava Prakasa Rao, who presided, said actor Syamala got ‘Pavala’ as a prefix, indicating the popularity of the play.
Patro had a tremendous understanding of contemporary issues.
Actor Vankayala Satyanarayana recalled how he and Misro paired in Ganesh Patro’s plays.
Dr. Adams recalled that ‘Pavala’ was translated into 14 languages. When they last met in Visakhapatnam when Patro was writing for ‘Sitamma Vakitlo Sirimallechettu’ after a long hiatus, he was cheerful in spite of debilitating health due to cancer.
