R Balasaraswathi Devi, Telugu cinema's first and most famous playback singer, passed away on Wednesday. She breathed her last at the age of 97 at her residence in Hyderabad.
The last singer is survived by her two sons, Gopalakrishna and Venkatakrishna and grandsons.
Actor-singer, who started at a very young age
R Balasaraswathi was born in 1928 in Venkatagiri, Andhra Pradesh. She was taught music as a child. When she was six years old, she lent her voice to a solo gramophone. She also acted in films as a child artist. In 1936, Balasaraswathi Devi sang in the films 'Sati Anasuya' and 'Bhakta Dhruva,' directed by C Pullayya. Later, she also acted in several Tamil films.
The first playback singer in Telugu cinema
R Balasaraswathi acted in Telugu and Tamil cinema from the 1930s to the 1960s. She is also considered the first playback singer in Telugu cinema. Her songs enriched Telugu cinema. Even today, music lovers listen to her songs with rapt attention. When Rao Balasaraswathi husband died, she moved to Secunderabad with her son. During her final years, she lived at her grandson's house.
It is significant to note that Balasaraswathi was honored with awards including the YSR Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022 and was felicitated by the Seetha Ramaiah Sangeetha Seva Trust in 2014. She was also recognised with the Ramineni Foundation Award.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan expressed grief over the demise of Balasaraswathi Devi.
The Telangana Chief Minister's Office said in a post on the social media platform 'X', 'The demise of Balasaraswathi Devi, the first playback singer from the South who introduced classical music to the Telugu film industry, is an irreparable loss to the film industry.'
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