Unique photo expo on Vedantam Raghavavya

Hyderabad: A photo exhibition displaying the different stages of Telugucinema director and Kuchipudi Doyen VedantamRaghavavya's life was displayed at Ravindra Bharati, Hyderabad. The Art India Foundation, Lasyakalpa, and, BhagavatamelaKuchipudi, collaborated with Department of Culture, to organise the event at Ravindra Bharati, Hyderabad. The show would conclude on Sunday.

Purandeswari, a former union minister, inaugurated the exhibition of pictures that captured various developments of his lifetime. The event was graced with the launch of a book, 'Celebrating life collection of VedantamRaghavavya.'It is edited by Prof Anuradha Jonnalagadda and has articles on different facets of Raghavayya, contributed by KatyayaniGanti, VAK Ranga Rao, Tanikella Bharani, Ravikonadala Rao, DSV Sastry, reprinting old articles on him by BhagavatulaRamakotayya (written in 1971 December in Natyakala).

Around 90 rare pictures of veteran director and Kuchipudi doyen was the showcase that includes his visiting a music studio, Devadas (1953), various writings clipped by him and many more. Also, screening of bits from his choreographies and directed films with a narrative and recreation of three or four of his choreographed numbers on stage was played.

Prof Anuradha Jonnalagadda, professor of dance in the University of Hyderabad, member of The Art India Foundation said we through to organized this event we had only 10 photos with the help of DSV Sastry we have found this rare pictures and here the still photos of his working journey is very unique. As we wanted to reflect on how Kuchipudi contributed to the cinema and how it also contributed to India cinema.