About Venkateswara Rao Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao (Telugu : ఘంటసాల వెంకటేశ్వర రావు) (1922 - 1974) was a popular South Indian singer and music composer of Telugu films and a few other Indian language films and a Padmashree award recipient. For nearly quarter of a century, he was the voice of Telugu films. He was Telugu cinema's first playback singer for movies.Early life Ghantasala was born to Soorayya, who was a local singer, in a traditional Telugu Brahmin family. He lost his father when he was a child, and was brought up by his maternal uncle Ryali Pitchi Ramaiah. He took formal music training from Patrayani Sitarama Sastry, also known as Saluru China Guruvu Garu, and he joined a music college in Vijayanagram without informing his family. Ghantasala's Early Days The story of Ghantasala's rise to prominence in film music reads much like the plot of a movie. Born on December 4, 1922 in an obscure village called Choutupalle near Gudivada, Venkateshwara Rao was always interested in music. His inspiration and his teacher was his father Soorayya, an itinerant singer of tarangalu and mridangam player. Sadly, Soorayya passed away when Venkateshwara Rao was only 11. The family was supported by his maternal uncle Ryali Pichiramaiah. Realizing the family financial situation, he surreptitiously sold off his gold ring and set off to Vizianagaram to enroll in the Music College. When he reached there, he found that the college was closed for summer. He was forced to fend for himself, by eating once a day at different houses (aayavaram) or by madhukaram (begging for food as a brahmin student). Somehow, he came to the attention of Paatrayani Sitarama Sastry, who taught singing at the college. Through his kindness, he managed to get an audition with Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu, the principal of the college, and found himself a student of vocal music at the college. And as a student, he earned the privilege of eating for free at the Maharaja's choultry. Venkateshwara Rao's financial woes did not end with obtaining his degree. He eked out a living by giving wedding concerts, mostly of classical music with a sprinkling of tarangas, Ramadas keertanas etc. Finding it difficult to make ends meet, he tried his hand at traditional drama, even starting his own company. In 1942, he joined the Quit India movement and was sentenced to 18 months of rigorous imprisonment. Upon release from prison, he got married to Savitri of Pedapulivarru. It was in this village that he met Samudrala Raghavacharya, who inducted him into the film industry in Madras and changed the course of music history.