Re: Women Lyricists?

Sreenivas Paruchuri (sreeni@ktpsp1.uni-paderborn.de)
Sat, 1 Jun 1996 11:43:11 +0200 (MET DST)


> This got me thinking about the domination of telugu movie lyrics field by
> male poets.  I remember hearing a song by of Smt. jyOtirmayi (lEta chali
> gaalulu - from mooDu muLLu) but I can't think of another instance!
> Are the list members aware of other women lyricists, both current and of
> yesteryears?

The only name(s) that immediately came to my mind were the famous Vinjamoori
sisters (seeta and anasooya). I know that they were (indirectly) involved in 
film music since "malleeSwari" (1951) days. Then I went through paiDipaala's
book _telugu #Cinema# paaTa_ (simultaneously his Ph. D thesis submitted to
Madras Univ.), where he lists almost all the Telugu film lyricists since
1931. I found the following names:

nyaapati kaamESwari (well known as Radio "akkayya", popular through her
childrens programmes on All India Radio.) - baalaanandam (1954)
But, she did n't write these songs exclusively for the film, but for Radio.
They were later used by well known director K. S. prakaaSaraavu (MD:
penDyaala) in his own production.

The next one is:

K. G. vasantaa dEvi - vijaya Sankham (1966)
V. sarOjini - cinnaari paapalu (1968)
sugandhi kuntalaamba - graamadEvatalu (1968)
vijayalakshmi - viplava Sankham (1982)
 and
jyOtirmayi (mentioned by paaNini gaaru!).

I know nothing of the last four persons and their songs. Has some one more
information?

Regards,
Sreenivas