Sobha Naidu (aka Shobha Naidu) is one of the big names in Kuchipudi dance. She "sprang on the dance scene in 1969" and "became synonymous" with the style of the late, famed Kuchipudi guru
Vempati Chinna Satyam (
Kothari). Her pictures abound in books on Kuchipudi and Indian Classical Dance, and among the many awards she has received is India's Padma Shri civilian award in 2001 in recognition of her contributions to Kuchipudi dance. Clearly her life has been dedicated to the dance form, and she has been the principal of the Hyderabad branch/affiliate of Chinna Satyam's Kuchipudi Art Academy since 1980.
A while back, I had done some research to see if Sobha had ever danced in any films and did not find any evidence. In interviews and articles, Sobha makes it crystal clear that she purposefully stayed out of films completely (implying dance and choreography) to maintain her singleminded dedication to Kuchipudi dance. She says [in a YouTube video no longer locatable now] many offers from famous directors came her way, like
Siri Siri Muvva, Sankarabaranam, Hamsageethe, but she refused them all, even returning a blank check offered by filmmaker Nagi Reddy who she says then declared his respect for her "dedication to classical dance." Sobha relates how Rukmini Devi Arundale attended her arangetram and was so pleased she made Sobha promise that she "would never succumb to the lure of cinema and would strive to stay a classical dancer" throughout her life (article no longer locatable at
The Hindu). Sobha adds, "Actually, I had already made that decision as a young girl, but Rukminijee reinforced the resolve by insisting on a promise made by placing my hand in hers!" (
Deccan Herald).
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| Sobha in Abhimanavanthulu |
So imagine my surprise today when I read a reference to Sobha dancing in the 1973 Telugu film
Abhimanavanthulu! The reference was found in Shankar Venkatraman's book
Thiraiulagil Isai Kalaignargal (Musicians in Cinema) which dance enthusiast and "
Bharathanatyam and the World Wide Web" contributor Ragothaman graciously translated for me (thank you!!). After some further research, it is clear that Sobha Naidu most definitely
did participate in films! While she certainly didn't abandon her dance career for the glamor of the cinema world, she did dance in
Abhimanavanthulu and was an assistant choreographer for
America Ammayi. Surely that counts as participating in films--and not only participating behind the scenes as a choreographer but also up front and center as a solo dancer! While I've only found two examples, it makes me curious if there are others out there!
Abhimanavanthulu (Telugu, 1973) - "Eppativale Kaadura"
