VISAKHAPATNAM: Sitarama Sastry had connections with Vizag as he hailed from Anakapalle. Poetry was his passion and he discontinued MBBS in Mysuru so as to continue writing. Later he even quit P&T (now BSNL) job after working in Kakinada, Tadepalligudem and Anakapalle in 1985 so as to take up writing as a career, said Y Satya Rao, who knew Sitarama Sastry since his childhood.
Satya Rao, who retired as politics lecturer in BVK College, said he and Sitarama Sastry’s father Yogi were friends. Yogi was a homoeopathic doctor at Anakapalle. Satya Rao said Sitarama Sastry had started writing small poems when he was nine years. His first poem was published in a school journal when he was studying Intermediate in Kakinada.
Gangavataranam, a long ballet penned by him, actually got him a chance in films. Noted director K Viswanadh, who heard the Gangavatarana song sung by children at Ramachandrapuram, used a part of the song in Balakrishna-starrer Janani Janma Bhoomischa. Later, Viswanadh asked Sitarama Sastry to pen all lyrics for Sirivennela which ultimately became his title.
Sitarama Sastry’s pen name was Bharani. He created a sensation in Telugu film world as he won Nandi award with his very first film and many more in the following years. Sitarama Sastry used to actively participate in RSS programmes. In the RSS convention held at Bullayya College, he sang a song ‘Lokula chupina margamidi lokamulelidi durgamidi’ penned by him.