Kolachalam Srinivasa Rao (Telugu: కోలాచలం
శౠరీనివాసరావౠ) (13 March 1854 â€" 23 June
1919) was a noted dramatist from Bellary, India.A pleader and a
non-professional theatre practitioner from Bellary, Srinivasa Rao
belonged to the family of Mallinatha Suri, the world-famous writer
acclaimed as Vyakyatha Shiromani. Srinivasa Rao became famous after
publishing the English translation of Prapancha Nataka Charitra (The
Dramatic History of the World) (Vanivilasa Press, Bellary) in 1908.
His family was a very learned one. Even in childhood he was
accomplished in Sanskrit and Telugu, and was familiar with Kannada.
English was acquired at school. He took to Law. Srinivasa Rao's second
elder brother Venkata Rao was a lawyer and in a high position, who was
later elected as a member of the Madras Assembly. Under the guidance
of his elder brother, Srinivasa Rao's literary effort flourished
without a break. He was further helped by the local environment in
Bellary where the drama movement was flourishing with redoubled
vigour. In such a conducive atmosphere, wrote his magnum opus, as well
as dramas, commentaries on the Vedas and other literary works. His
first drama was Sunandini Parinayam, published around 1894â€"95, after
which he wrote about 30 plays. A large number of these plays were
performed by their drama company Sumanorama Sabha. Bellary Raghava and
Srinivasa Rao worked closely in running the affairs of the
Sabha.Sumanaroma Sabha staged two or three plays in the hall of the
Sarasa Vinodini Sabha, and the plays were well received. When Sarasa
Vinodini Sabha later refused to lend the hall to them, Srinivasa Rao
built a new hall for the Sumanorama Sabha, called Vanivilasa Nataka
Shala, which was inaugurated by Balgangadhar Tilak. This was the first
theatre building in Bellary, the second one being Ramakrishna Vilas
(after Dharmavaraṃ RÄ makr̥ṣṇamÄ cÄ ryulu). Both of these were
later converted into cinema theatres - Ramakrishna Vilas renamed Star
Cinema, and Vanivilas Nataka Shala renamed Prabhat Cinema.[1]
శౠరీనివాసరావౠ) (13 March 1854 â€" 23 June
1919) was a noted dramatist from Bellary, India.A pleader and a
non-professional theatre practitioner from Bellary, Srinivasa Rao
belonged to the family of Mallinatha Suri, the world-famous writer
acclaimed as Vyakyatha Shiromani. Srinivasa Rao became famous after
publishing the English translation of Prapancha Nataka Charitra (The
Dramatic History of the World) (Vanivilasa Press, Bellary) in 1908.
His family was a very learned one. Even in childhood he was
accomplished in Sanskrit and Telugu, and was familiar with Kannada.
English was acquired at school. He took to Law. Srinivasa Rao's second
elder brother Venkata Rao was a lawyer and in a high position, who was
later elected as a member of the Madras Assembly. Under the guidance
of his elder brother, Srinivasa Rao's literary effort flourished
without a break. He was further helped by the local environment in
Bellary where the drama movement was flourishing with redoubled
vigour. In such a conducive atmosphere, wrote his magnum opus, as well
as dramas, commentaries on the Vedas and other literary works. His
first drama was Sunandini Parinayam, published around 1894â€"95, after
which he wrote about 30 plays. A large number of these plays were
performed by their drama company Sumanorama Sabha. Bellary Raghava and
Srinivasa Rao worked closely in running the affairs of the
Sabha.Sumanaroma Sabha staged two or three plays in the hall of the
Sarasa Vinodini Sabha, and the plays were well received. When Sarasa
Vinodini Sabha later refused to lend the hall to them, Srinivasa Rao
built a new hall for the Sumanorama Sabha, called Vanivilasa Nataka
Shala, which was inaugurated by Balgangadhar Tilak. This was the first
theatre building in Bellary, the second one being Ramakrishna Vilas
(after Dharmavaraṃ RÄ makr̥ṣṇamÄ cÄ ryulu). Both of these were
later converted into cinema theatres - Ramakrishna Vilas renamed Star
Cinema, and Vanivilas Nataka Shala renamed Prabhat Cinema.[1]
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