‘Girisam,’ the lesser known facet of Raavi Kondala Rao

For 43 years, he lived and breathed the famous role in Gurajada’s Kanyasulkam

An era in the cine industry and the field of theatre ended with the passing away of Raavi Kondala Rao in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Cine goers knew that he was a theatre artiste but were not aware that he used to play the role of Girisam in Kanyasulkam of Gurajada Appa Rao.

On the 150th birth anniversary of Gurajada in 2012, the government of combined Andhra Pradesh had announced that Gurajada memorial auditoriums would be set up in Vizianagaram and Hyderabad, but it did not materialise.

Speaking to

The Hindu in 2015, Raavi Kondala Rao recalled his experiences as a theatre artiste and the influence of

Kanyasulkam on him. He played the Girisam role for 43 years and the association dates back to1953. He organised a group of classmates to perform.

In those days, women characters used to be played by men. “I selected five of my classmates for five roles. In a jocular way, we used to refer to them as pancha wiggiyam (five wigs),” he said. A make-up artist prepared five wigs for him after staying put for one and a half months at his house.

The veteran artist also penned a play in which all the characters talk and fight with Gurajada.

Raavi Kondala Rao was in the city in 2012 to receive the Inturi Memorial Award at a programme jointly organised by the Rotary Club of Vijayawada, Rotary Club of Vijayawada Central, Abhiruchi Saahiti Samskruthika Samstha and theDr. Inturi Venkateswara Rao Kalamandir Trust.

Career in journalism

The veteran actor had recalled that he started his career in journalism when he was studying Fourth Form in 1947.

Morals, values and language in dailies were fast declining. Gone were the days when people used to learn language through newspapers. “Now, I am 80, and still continue to write for dailies and weeklies, and will continue to do in future also,” he had said.

The actor was apparently not happy with the developments in the cine industry. “I cannot adjust in the cinema industry any more, but my endeavours and movement for the theatre would continue,” he had said.