Snehalatha Reddy (1932 â€" 20 January 1977) was an Indian film
actress, producer and social activist known for her works in Kannada
cinema, Kannada theatre, Telugu cinema, and Telugu theatre. She was
arrested over her involvement in the Baroda Dynamite Case and
imprisoned for over 8 months during the Emergency in India. She was
the co-founder of the Madras Players in the 1960s, the amateur group
that staged memorable productions like Ibsen's Peer Gynt, directed by
Douglas Alger, besides Twelfth Night and Tennessee William's Night of
the Iguana, directed by Peter Coe. Besides, she acted in, directed, or
produced plays such as A View from the Bridge and The House of
Bernarda Alba. In 2003, her husband Pattabhirama Reddy presented - In
the Hour of God, a play based on Sri Aurobindo's classic Savitri,
inspired by the mythical woman who defied death for love, which he
dedicated to Snehalata Reddy.Snehalatha was born in 1932 to second
generation Christian converts from the state of Andhra Pradesh. She
strongly opposed the Colonial Rule and her initial years were immersed
in the freedom struggle. She resented the British to such an extend
that she reverted to her Indian name and wore only Indian clothes.
Snehalatha was married to poet,mathematician and film director
Pattabhi Rama Reddy. The couple were devoted to the cause of renowned
freedom fighter and activist Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia. Snehalata came
under national spotlight for her role in the Kannada film Samskara,
written by UR Ananthamurthy and directed by her husband. The film went
on to win the National Award in 1970. Her last film Sone Kansari was
released in 1977, after her death..Her daughter Nandana Reddy is a
human rights, social and political activist. She is the founder and
director of CWC (Concerned for Working Children) a Bangalore-based NGO
that was nominated for 2012 Nobel Peace Prize. Nandana has written
various memoirs of her mother's ordeals at imprisonment during the
Emergency. Her son Konarak Reddy is a musical artist.Snehalatha and
her husband actively participated in the anti-Emergency movement.They
spoke out against the tyrannical Indira Gandhi regime and the
proclamation of Emergency in consideration with their affiliation to
Lohia's principles. She was a close friend of George Fernandes, the
trade unionist and politician and was arrested on 2 May 1976 for being
a part of the Baroda dynamite case. However, while George Fernandes
and 24 others were in the list of accused, Snehalatha's name was not
mentioned in final charge-sheet.She was considered guilty by mere
association. She was held without trial for eight months in Bangalore
Central Jail, enduring regular torture and was subjected to inhumane
conditions. Despite having chronic asthma she received irregular
treatment and on two occasions even went into an asthmatic coma. Her
frail health worsened due to solitary confinement. With her health
failing, Snehalatha was eventually released on parole on January 15,
1977. As a result of chronic asthma and debilitating lung infection,
she died on 20 January 1977, just a few weeks after her release. She
is one of the first martyrs of the Emergency. Madhu Dandavate, who
was also in the same jail where Snehalata was imprisoned, writes in
his memoir, "I could hear the screams of Snehalata from her cell in
the silence of the night".
actress, producer and social activist known for her works in Kannada
cinema, Kannada theatre, Telugu cinema, and Telugu theatre. She was
arrested over her involvement in the Baroda Dynamite Case and
imprisoned for over 8 months during the Emergency in India. She was
the co-founder of the Madras Players in the 1960s, the amateur group
that staged memorable productions like Ibsen's Peer Gynt, directed by
Douglas Alger, besides Twelfth Night and Tennessee William's Night of
the Iguana, directed by Peter Coe. Besides, she acted in, directed, or
produced plays such as A View from the Bridge and The House of
Bernarda Alba. In 2003, her husband Pattabhirama Reddy presented - In
the Hour of God, a play based on Sri Aurobindo's classic Savitri,
inspired by the mythical woman who defied death for love, which he
dedicated to Snehalata Reddy.Snehalatha was born in 1932 to second
generation Christian converts from the state of Andhra Pradesh. She
strongly opposed the Colonial Rule and her initial years were immersed
in the freedom struggle. She resented the British to such an extend
that she reverted to her Indian name and wore only Indian clothes.
Snehalatha was married to poet,mathematician and film director
Pattabhi Rama Reddy. The couple were devoted to the cause of renowned
freedom fighter and activist Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia. Snehalata came
under national spotlight for her role in the Kannada film Samskara,
written by UR Ananthamurthy and directed by her husband. The film went
on to win the National Award in 1970. Her last film Sone Kansari was
released in 1977, after her death..Her daughter Nandana Reddy is a
human rights, social and political activist. She is the founder and
director of CWC (Concerned for Working Children) a Bangalore-based NGO
that was nominated for 2012 Nobel Peace Prize. Nandana has written
various memoirs of her mother's ordeals at imprisonment during the
Emergency. Her son Konarak Reddy is a musical artist.Snehalatha and
her husband actively participated in the anti-Emergency movement.They
spoke out against the tyrannical Indira Gandhi regime and the
proclamation of Emergency in consideration with their affiliation to
Lohia's principles. She was a close friend of George Fernandes, the
trade unionist and politician and was arrested on 2 May 1976 for being
a part of the Baroda dynamite case. However, while George Fernandes
and 24 others were in the list of accused, Snehalatha's name was not
mentioned in final charge-sheet.She was considered guilty by mere
association. She was held without trial for eight months in Bangalore
Central Jail, enduring regular torture and was subjected to inhumane
conditions. Despite having chronic asthma she received irregular
treatment and on two occasions even went into an asthmatic coma. Her
frail health worsened due to solitary confinement. With her health
failing, Snehalatha was eventually released on parole on January 15,
1977. As a result of chronic asthma and debilitating lung infection,
she died on 20 January 1977, just a few weeks after her release. She
is one of the first martyrs of the Emergency. Madhu Dandavate, who
was also in the same jail where Snehalata was imprisoned, writes in
his memoir, "I could hear the screams of Snehalata from her cell in
the silence of the night".
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