A great tragedy in the Telugu film music industry. Rao Balasaraswathi Devi, one of Tollywood's first playback singers, has passed away. She died this morning at her home in Hyderabad at the age of 97 due to several health issues. Her family members have officially confirmed this. Music lovers and film fans are saddened by the news of Rao Balasaraswathi's death.

Rao Balasaraswathi's Childhood

Born on August 29, 1928, in Madras to Parthasarathy and Visalakshi, Balasaraswathi was drawn to music from a young age. Her grandfather worked as a lawyer in the Madras High Court. Despite having family assets, Balasaraswathi did not pursue much education. She showed no interest in studies. In 1934, the entire family, except for her grandfather, moved to Guntur. Her family also managed several businesses, including their Ratna Mahal cinema theater.

Love for Music from Childhood

With a great love for music from a young age, Balasaraswathi learned Carnatic classical music from Allathur Subbaiah for three years. Later, she studied Hindustani music under Khelkar and Vasant Desai. She received training in Veena from K. Pichumani and piano from Daniel. At the age of six, she released solo records through HMV with songs like "Namaste Naa Prananatha," "Aakali Sahimpagajala," and "Paramapurusha Paramdhama."

Entry into the Film Industry

Introduced to Telugu audiences through All India Radio, she sang songs in many languages. She entered the film industry with the movie 'Sati Anasuya' and gave her first playback performance. She then gained fame by singing in Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi as well. She sang over 2000 songs in total. Rao Balasaraswathi is recognized as a pioneer of Telugu film music. Her voice became an inspiration for future generations. Legendary singers like S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela, and S. Janaki considered her a role model.

MENAFN15102025007385015968ID1110199265