Regaled audience on stage too

Vijayawada: City-based theater personality-turned- movie artist Gundu Hanumantha Rao passed away on Sunday night in Hyderabad. He was in business deals with biscuits and chocolates in Vijayawada One-Town. He was very fascinated with theater right from his childhood.

In his childhood, Gundu used to give mythological performances like Bhakta Ramadasu, Bhakta Prahlada, Rayabaram etc., with his friends namely P Vijaya Bhaskara Sarma, Rachuri Rama Mohan Rao, Hemadri Prasad, P Rambabu, A Kesvarao, V Adinarayana and P Sambasivarao.
During the 70’s he switched over to social plays along with his band of friends. Hanumantha Rao’s first playlet was “oohajeevulu”.

Since then, he acted in nearly one hundred plays and playlets in forty years. He got good appreciation for his acting in the plays like ‘Agandi Koncham Alochinchandi’, ‘Arani’, ‘Toorpu rekhalu’, ‘Edemiti’, ‘Punarapi’, ‘O Chikati Ratri’, ‘Gudelu Marchbadunu’, ‘Pavala’, ‘Ootunna Prajalaku Koti dandalu’.

Gundu liked comedy roles but surprisingly he received appreciations for his tragic roles in some plays.

With his hard work and dedication towards theatre, he had an opportunity to act in movies and television. Nandivada Nani, owner of Madhuri Media, introduced Gundu in a serial Bala Ramayanam which was directed by Giduturi Suryam. With the role in ‘Ahana Pellenta’ along with Brahmanadam which was directed by veteran writer and director Jandhyla he settled in film industry. Though he was busy with movies, he used to give programmes on stage.

Speaking to ‘The Hans India,’ his childhood friend and co actor P Vijaya Bhaskara Sarma said that the audience started laughing just by seeing Gundu on stage. He also said that he was a good organiser and dedicated, like a soldier for theatre.

V Narayana Patrudu, another co artist on stage recollected his memories and said that Gundu Hanumantha Rao expects perfection from all the artistes to give better performance. He said even in the street plays like ‘Tami Tami Tami’, ‘Kailasamlo Court’, Gundu used to attract crowds. Mohammad Kaza said that Gundu had a unique qualification of playing instrument like ‘Kangos’ and he continued that Hanumantha Rao was a friendly natured person.

Hanumantha Rao was in drams with many theatre personalities like Karnati Lakshminarasaiah, MC Das, Jandhyala, Vinnakota Vijayaram, L Narasimga Rao, M Veerabhadra Rao (Sutti), Annapoorna. He had good training under the guidance of GSR Murthy and L Narasinga Rao. He associated with the organisations like Sumadhura Kala Niketan, Gurajada Kala Mandir, Aravinda Arts, Kalanjali and Yuvakala Nilayam.