Chakri was a true Telangana icon: KCR

From being the son of a government school teacher in a small hamlet in Telangana, Chakradhar Gilla���s rise to becoming one of Tollywood���s most loved music director Chakri, makes for an inspiring story. It all began 40 years ago on June 15, 1974, at Kambalapalli village, about 13 km from Mahbubabad (Warangal district). His love for music was something that he inherited from his father���s Burrakatha recitals.���His father Venkat Narayana would regularly have Burrakatha sessions in the village, and Chakri would watch him in rapt attention all the time. He liked to sing and even performed at school and college annual day functions,��� recalls his cousin Shyam.
After spending his early years in the native village, Chakri moved to Mahbubabad town when his dad got transferred and went on complete his graduation from Kakatiya Degree College, Hanamkonda. ���He was very fond of films from childhood. After graduation, Chakri moved bag and baggage to Hyderabad with the aim of singing in a Telugu film,��� recalls Shyam.
But that elusive first break didn���t come. Chakri had to struggle for years before landing his first chance as a music composer in Puri Jagannadh���s film Baachi in 2000. A year later, the music director got his first big break with Ravi Teja���s Itlu Sravani Subramanyam, again directed by Puri. There was no looking back, as the affable composer delivered hits like Avunu Valliddaru Ishta Paddaru, Idiot, Amma Nanna Tamil Ammayi and Sivamani in the next couple of years. He went on to win the best playback singer Filmfare Award in 2003 for the song Oo Maghuva from Sumanth���s Sathyam.
Dasari Narayan Rao directed Erra Bus was the composer���s last movie. Over the last 14 years, the music director went on to compose music for 85 films and established himself as one of the most prolific composers of his generation. That he happened to be one of the handful of artistes hailing from Telangana to have made a mark in Tollywood made his achievements that much more special. ���He was a true role model. It���s a sad day because one of the brightest heroes of Telangana passed away at such a young age,��� remarked chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. It is a sentiment echoed by all Telugu cinema lovers.