Chinta Krishnamurti

🪔 About

Chinta Krishnamurti (1912-1969) was a renowned Indian classical dance guru and performer of Kuchipudi, born in Kuchipudi village, Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, India. He was the son of Chinta Venkataramayya, who founded the esteemed Venkatarama Natya Mandali in 1865. Krishnamurti began his career as a child artist, portraying roles like Prahlada, Lava, and Kusha, and later excelled in heroic characters such as Harishchandra, Rama, Krishna, and Arjuna. He played a pivotal role in organizing and touring with the Venkatarama Natya Mandali, significantly contributing to the awareness of the Kuchipudi legacy across Andhra Pradesh and other parts of India. His lasting contribution also includes his crucial involvement, alongside Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao, in establishing the Shri Siddhendra Kalakshetram in Kuchipudi, which became a premier institution for traditional Kuchipudi training. He served as the Principal and Kulapathi of this institution. Chinta Krishnamurti trained a generation of Kuchipudi actor-dancers, including the legendary Vedantam Satyam and the acclaimed Yamini Krishnamurthy. For his immense contributions to the development of Kuchipudi dance, he was honored with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1968 and the title 'Bharata Kalaprapurna' from the Andhra Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi. Awards & Honours: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1968), Bharata Kalaprapurna.