Krishna Murthy

🪔 About

Chinta Krishna Murthy (1912-1969) was a renowned Indian classical dance guru and performer, born in Kuchipudi village, Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, India. He was the son of Smt. Annapurnamma and Sri Venkataramayya, and was initiated into dance by his father. He mastered the intricacies of Kuchipudi under his father's guidance and also studied music with Yeleswarapu Sitharaamaanjaneyulu. As a child artist, he performed roles such as Prahlada, Lohithaasya, Dharmaangada, Lava, and Kusa in Kuchipudi dance dramas. From the age of fifteen, he excelled in heroic roles like Harischandra, Rama, Lakshana, Rukmaangada, Krishna, Arjuna, and Devendra. He was particularly acclaimed for his portrayals of Harischandra, Krishna, Paamulavaadu (Singadu), and Chaakali. Krishna Murthy played a pivotal role in the preservation and popularization of Kuchipudi. He took over the leadership of the Venkatarama Natya Mandali after his elder brother Rama Murthy's death in 1950, leading the group as its Sutradhara. He was instrumental, along with Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao, in establishing the Shri Siddhendra Kalakshetram in Kuchipudi, where he served as Principal and Kulapathi. He meticulously documented Yakshaganaas in 1959 at All India Radio, Vijayawada. He also abridged the lengthy 'Bhaktha Prahlaada' dance drama from three nights to six hours, and then to one and a half hours, without compromising its quality or context. Chinta Krishna Murthy trained a generation of Kuchipudi actor-dancers, including the legendary Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma and the acclaimed Yamini Krishnamurthy. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1968), Bharata Kalaprapurna.