HYDERABAD: Queen of romantic novels, family-drama specialist and a pulp-fiction writer. Yaddanapudi Sulochana Rani (1940--2018) was known by many sobriquets during her time and will be remembered long after too. The legendary Sulochana Rani was among the best known Telugu writers during the 1960s, 70s and 80s. She took the Telugu literary world by storm with her popular novels which brought a new dimension to human relations.
Thanks to the fact that several of her novels were adapted into films and TV serials, Sulochana Rani acquired fame and popularity that went beyond readers of Telugu fiction. She became known to the masses, even for those who never held a Telugu novel in their hand.
Initially, I belonged to the latter category and my acquaintance with her writing was through the films based on her books. It was only years later when I met her at a friend's house and again at an airport where our delayed flight gave me an opportunity to converse with her that I understood more about her and her work. Later, a friend of mine who was writing her doctoral thesis on Telugu literature gifted me a few of Yaddanapudi's novels and I read them which gave me direct insights into her writing.
Born in Kaza, in Krishna district in 1940, Sulochana Rani or Yaddanapudi as she was popularly called, began writing relatively at an early age. She was a very prolific writer. Her novels became best-sellers selling lakhs of copies and running into many reprints. She knew the pulse of the public. Many of her novels were serialised in Telugu magazines with readers avidly waiting for the next issue to come out.
Yaddanapudi touched upon contemporary issues and everyday concerns especially of the middle-class in her novels. Romance, marriage, family, extended family and the network of relationships formed the canvas of her work. Sulochana Rani wrote many women-centric novels and her female characters were often known for their strong, individualistic and assertive nature.
Among her well-known works, many of which were made into films and TV serials, include 'Vijetha, Meena, Jeevana Tarangalu, Secretary, Prema Lekhalu, Bangaru Kalalu, Madhura Swapnam, Radha Krishna etc. Her novel 'Meena' was made into the eponymous hit film in 1973. Decades later, in 2016, the hit film Aa--Aaa by Trivikrama Srinvas was also inspired by the same novel.
I asked here if she was happy with the cinematic adaptations of her novels. She said: "Well, they do take a few liberties but as a creative person writing for a large public I understand that filmmakers also have to tweak the original here and there to appeal to their audience. Also, I am generally happy with most adaptations---after all they have also made me known to so many more people."
How did she feel about her own popularity and mass appeal? Sulochana Rani said: "It is the people's love and patronage that has made me what I am. My writing connects me to innumerable people. I am so grateful to these countless readers and film-goers for the respect and fame I enjoy."
Indeed it is these readers and film-goers, who will keep her legacy alive for future generations.
(The writer is a freelance journalist)