Renowned Kuchipudi dance guru Vempati Chinna Satyam passed away at his home in Chennai on Sunday. He was 83 and had been bed-ridden for more than six months due to age-related ailments, family sources said.
Born in Kuchipudi village in Krishna district of coastal Andhra Pradesh on October 25, 1929, he was the recipient of several awards, including the Padma Bhushan (1956). He was credited with elevating Kuchipudi from its crude rustic form to a highly refined performing art, deserving prime position among the eight Indian classical dances.
He is largely responsible for spreading this art form across the world by performing in about 60 countries and training over 10,000 students since starting his Kuchipudi Art Academy here in 1963.
Many film stars learnt from guru Vempati, including Hema Malini, Rekha and Vyjayanthimala. He was also the dance director for NTR’s hit movie Narthanasala. NTR’s daughter and Union minister Daggubati Purandeswari too was Vempati’s student.
He worked with the legendary Telugu film-maker Kamalakar Kameshwar Rao, known for his mythological films. He choreographed dances for Hema Malini in two big Telugu films, Pandava Vanavasam and Sri Krishna Vijayam. He assisted in the choreography for the social drama NTR’s Devadasu.