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GUMMADI GOPALA KRISHNA Singing star of the Telugu stage A leading singer on Telugu stage, Gummadi Gopala Krishna is well known for his effortlessness in giving the music a facelift. Born in Medur, Krishna district, on May 4th 1955, Gopala Krishna participated in theatre activities as a child, but this was not where his interest lay. Telugu stage-songs enamoured him, especially those by Prithvi Venkateshwara Rao's and he spent hours practicing them. Much against his parent's wishes, he quit studies to join films. His role Eshwaramma, a female character for the play, Brahmam-gari Charitram was an instant success. For six years he played the same role and got the same welcoming reception from the audience. He also played sage Narada in Parvati Kalyanam. In 1976 he got married to Jayalakshmi and later had a daughter Nagalakshmi and a son Shivram Prasad. In 1978 he played his first male role in Brahmam-gari Charitram. Shifting his activities over to Vijayawada, he played Damodar in the evergreen play Chintamani from 1979 to '81. In 1982 Gopala Krishna moved to Hyderabad and began playing Sri Krishna Rayabaram. From Nakul, Sahdev and Arjun's role he smoothly graduated in 1986 to take on the coveted role of Krishna in such popular mythological musicals as Sri Krishna Rayabaram, Sri Rama-bhakta Hanuman, Sri Krishna Tulabharam and Sri Krishnanjaneya Yuddham. Simultaneously Gopala Krishna also acted in social and historical plays. He has given over 1000 performances all over India and abroad. With a burning desire to bring back the prestige and popularity of Telugu musical plays, Gopala Krishna introduced several innovations in the traditional Telugu musical theatre. Like the use of elevations and modern lighting and introducing more action and expressions in the artists. He even naturalised the singing and made it an integral part of the ongoing scene. His efforts fetched encouraging results. They have won him several awards and honours like a Kankan from Satya Sai Baba, a Gaana Gandharva title and awards from Sukanya Art Theatre, Yuva Kalavahini, Vamshi Art Theatres and Madras Telugu Akademi. In 1991 he participated in eight consecutive drama competition parishaths and won the best actor award in each of them. The 1999 Nandi state award for acting in musical plays, given to him reiterates that Gummadi Gopala Krishna is an evergreen star of today's Telugu stage. - Anil Ekbote |