Celebrated doyen of Telugu literature, C Narayana Reddy , 85, breathed his last at his residence in Hyderabad on Monday morning. The noted litterateur was rushed to the hospital following health complications but was declared dead on arrival. And the news of his death led to a deluge of condolences on social media with film personalities, politicians, artists, poets and writers posting tributes in memory of the 1992 Padma Bhushan awardee.

As a poet, songwriter, author and critical scholar, C Narayana Reddy, or CiNaRe, as he was fondly called, has left behind a vast repertoire of literary works across genres. Throwing light on the creative genius of CiNaRe, Harikrishna Mamidi , director, Department of Language and Culture , government of Telangana says, “The first poet from Telangana to be conferred the Jnanpith award, CiNaRe was a multi-faceted genius who experimented with an array of poetic traditions in Telugu — Geya Kavyalu, Vachana Kavyalu, Gadya Krutulu, Burra Kathalu and Mukthaka Kavyalu.

“He was a pioneer in popularising the usage of Urdu words in Telugu language. He also wrote ghazals and was an accomplished singer as well. That apart, CiNaRe also wrote many academic discourses on the evolution of Telugu literature. His book Aadhunika Andhra Kavithwam lo Smpradaymulu, Pragyogamulu is like a text book for students of Telugu literature,” adds Harikrishna Mamidi.Writing songs for films came as a natural progression for C Narayana Reddy who forayed in to Telugu cinema with Nannu dochukunduvate vennela dorasani... in Gulebakavali Katha, directed by NTR. Over the next six decades he blazed a trail writing more than 3000 songs, the last being the chartbuster Jejamma from Anushka’s Arundhati.

