Recalling the great author YaddanapudiSulochana Rani

She is a proverbial story teller. A perpetual dreamer who believed in the possibility of love culminating into a fairy tale ending called marriage.

YaddanapudiSulochana Rani is one of the most lucid writers of the seventies in Telugu Literature. Her novels exuded romance and drama. She had a finesse unique to herself while characterizing her protagonists, both male and female. Her leading ladies are often bold, chivalrous and clear, even in the modest set up of a normal Telugu middle class that was sublimely depicted in her writings.

While Sulochana Rani is one of the few women authors that we had in the yesteryears, she was also a stand out for her tales of relationships. No wonder some of the youngsters in the present times also delve into her books and relate to the plots. Her magnanimous portrayal of a six foot men in her stories is a well-known fact. The men were handsome, unpredictable and yet mysterious while the women had that

tedious job to break the ‘code’ and enter their hearts. The beauty of relationships, be it that of man woman, the siblings or the parents, the author had a great knack to showcase the same with her trademark subtle dramatization.

Sulochana Rani’s works were mostly befitting to be made into movies. It comes as no surprise that more than ten of her novels were directly adapted for the screen. Some of the popular ones include Secretary, Premalekhalu, VichitraBandham and AatmaGauravam. In her tenure of two decades, Rani had penned close to a hundred novels filled with some real stories and plausible connect to the realms of life.

Her works also conveyed the true meaning of constancy, monogamy, marital bliss and harmony in families. She flaunted a great following that was limited to very few writers of those times. The families of the past decades could heavily relate to the idiosyncrasies of running a house to dealing with situations gone bad. The sacrosanct of a marriage was blissfully kept alive despite the many misunderstandings, struggles and incompatibilities. While the stories mostly projected unabashed romance, there was also a fine line drawn while sticking to the native flavor and the cultural limitations for women of those times. That in turn cast a blatant spell on women readers who would often look for an emotional outlet from the everyday battles of life.

In the sinking generation of Telugu Literature, SulochanaRani’s works are treasure worthy. With not many heiresses to take the reins from where she left, it remains to be seen if there is any hope ahead to revive the plummeting taste for classic writing. In the era of ChetanBhagats and JhumpaLahiris,Sulochana Rani’s books make every sense even for the futuristic society. There is drama, but with conscience. There is a story that comes from some place very real.

We respect and adore the great author who paved way for women to step into a bigger frame beyond the confines of a kitchen and walk a mile in their own shoes, their way.