Jikki
Encyclopedia
Pillavalu Gajapathi Krishnaveni aka Jikki (జిక్కి) , was a popular film playback singer
from South India
. She sang over nearly 10,000 songs in Telugu
, Tamil
, Kannada
, Malayalam
, Hindi and Sinhala languages.
, near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh
. Her parents moved
to Chennai
for a living. Indeed music ran in her genes for her uncle Devaraju Naidu worked as music composer with celebrated
Kannada theatre legend and movie pioneer Gubbi Veeranna
.
Jikki began her career as child artist and played a minor role in a Telugu
movie named Panthulamma
directed by Guduvalli Ramabramham in 1943. In 1946 she once again hit the silver screen with the movie Mangalasutram, the rehash of a Hollywood movie
'Excuse Me'.
movie 'Gnanasoundari' in 1948. This was the turning point in her life. She sang for the heroine, when she was young. The song Arul Tharaam Deva maathaavey Aadhiyey Inba Jothi... became super hit and so did the film. This changed actress Jikki into Playback singer
Jikki. Soon Jikki began to sing regularly not only in Tamil and Telugu but also in Kannada and Malayalam films.
During those years as most of the Sinhalese films were produced in South India, she sang for Sri Lankan films movies too. She got many chances to sing in all southern languages. She sang many songs with P. Leela
another famous playback singer.
. A.M.Rajah-Jikki duets have been super-duper hits. The Tamil movie 'Then Nivalu' was a big hit also because these all time great singers. Jikki has also sung many songs in her husband's direction - songs that still play in radio stations.
A mother of six children, Jikki lost her husband in a train mishap. He slipped and fell in between the tracks while boarding a train. This was one incident that she could never forget. After her husband's death she stopped singing for sometime. Then she came out of retirement and sang for Ilaiyaraaja
. She also started a music troupe with her two daughters and performed in many countries including U.S.
.
Then Tamilnadu chief minister J.Jayalalithaa had granted jikki of Rs 100,000 (one lakh rupees) from the 'Dr. MGR' trust after hearing her illness and her difficulty to meet the treatment expenses.
Finally, she died on August 16, 2004 in Chennai
.
Playback singer
A playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...
from South India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. She sang over nearly 10,000 songs in Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, Kannada
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
, Malayalam
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
, Hindi and Sinhala languages.
Early life
Jikki was born to Gajapathi Naidu and Rajakanthamma at ChandragiriChandragiri
Chandragiri , is a suburb of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, India. Recently it is included under Municipal Corporation limits of Tirupati...
, near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
. Her parents moved
to Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
for a living. Indeed music ran in her genes for her uncle Devaraju Naidu worked as music composer with celebrated
Kannada theatre legend and movie pioneer Gubbi Veeranna
Gubbi Veeranna
Gubbi Veeranna was an Indian theatre director, one of the pioneers and most prolific contributors to Kannada theatre. He established the drama company, Gubbi Veeranna Nataka Company that played a crucial role in promoting the Kannada theatre. Some of the stalwarts that have emerged out of this...
.
Jikki began her career as child artist and played a minor role in a Telugu
Telugu cinema
The Cinema of Andhra Pradesh, also referred to as Telugu Cinema or Tollywood, is the Telugu film industry in India. The Telugu language film industry is known for being one of the three largest in terms of no.of films produced yearly in India. The Prasads IMAX theatre in Hyderabad is one of the...
movie named Panthulamma
Panthulamma
Panthulamma or Pantulamma is a 1977 Telugu Drama film directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao. The film won Nandi Award for Best Music direction for Rajan-Nagendra and Lyricist for Veturi Sundararama Murthy and also Laksmi for best actress.-Cast:* Ranganath * Lakshmi * Deepa* Sarath...
directed by Guduvalli Ramabramham in 1943. In 1946 she once again hit the silver screen with the movie Mangalasutram, the rehash of a Hollywood movie
'Excuse Me'.
Career
Jikki got a chance to sing for the TamilTamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
movie 'Gnanasoundari' in 1948. This was the turning point in her life. She sang for the heroine, when she was young. The song Arul Tharaam Deva maathaavey Aadhiyey Inba Jothi... became super hit and so did the film. This changed actress Jikki into Playback singer
Playback singer
A playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...
Jikki. Soon Jikki began to sing regularly not only in Tamil and Telugu but also in Kannada and Malayalam films.
During those years as most of the Sinhalese films were produced in South India, she sang for Sri Lankan films movies too. She got many chances to sing in all southern languages. She sang many songs with P. Leela
P. Leela
Porayathu Leela better known as P. Leela was a popular Indian playback singer. She was awarded Padma Bhushan posthumously in 2006.-Early life:...
another famous playback singer.
Personal life
She was married to successful playback singer and music director A. M. RajahA. M. Rajah
Aemala Manmatharaju Rajah was a South Indian playback singer-music composer popular in the 1950s and the early 1960s in South India. He was popularly known as A. M. Rajah or Rajah. His songs were featured in numerous Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films in the 1950s, early 1960s and early...
. A.M.Rajah-Jikki duets have been super-duper hits. The Tamil movie 'Then Nivalu' was a big hit also because these all time great singers. Jikki has also sung many songs in her husband's direction - songs that still play in radio stations.
A mother of six children, Jikki lost her husband in a train mishap. He slipped and fell in between the tracks while boarding a train. This was one incident that she could never forget. After her husband's death she stopped singing for sometime. Then she came out of retirement and sang for Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja is an Indian film composer, singer, and lyricist mainly in the Tamil film Industry. He is regarded as one of the finest music composers in India. Ilaiyaraaja is also an instrumentalist, conductor, and a songwriter...
. She also started a music troupe with her two daughters and performed in many countries including U.S.
Personality
Unlike many singers she was not always after money. Once when she sang five songs for a Tamil film, She asked the producer 'Valampuri Somanathan' to reduce her remuneration because he had given her the opportunity to sing so many songs in a single movie, such is her dedication for singing.Filmography
- Mana DesamMana DesamMana Desam or Manadesam is a Telugu social film directed by L. V. Prasad and produced by actress Krishnaveni. The title means "Our Country" in Telugu...
(1949) - Palletoori Pilla (1950)
- Shavukaru (1950)
- Samsaram (1950)
- Patala BhairaviPatala BhairaviPatala Bhairavi was a Telugu fantasy film produced by Vijaya Pictures in 1951. It is directed by Kadri Venkata Reddy and Kamalakara Kameshwara Rao, who also gave the screen adaptation. Pingali Nagendra Rao wrote dialogue and song lyrics...
(1951) - Navvite Navaratnalu (1951)
- Dharmadevata (1952/I)
- Palletooru (1952)
- Aah (1953)
- Bratuku Theruvu (1953)
- Devadasu (1953)
- Pardesi (1953)
- Pratigna (1953/I)
- Rechukka (1954)
- Todu Dongalu (1954)
- Donga Ramudu (1955)
- Rojulu MarayiRojulu MarayiRojulu Marayi is a 1955 Telugu film directed by Tapi Chanakya. The story is set in native village environment about the changing times. Eruvaaka Sagaroranno Chinnanna song casting Waheeda Rehman is one of the memorable songs in the film...
(1955) - AnarkaliAnarkaliAnarkali ; Anārkalī ) was a legendary slave girl from Lahore, Punjab . During the Mughal period, she was supposedly ordered to be buried alive between two walls by Mughal emperor Akbar for having an illicit relationship with the Prince Nuruddin Saleem later to become Emperor Jahangir...
(1955) - ArdhangiArdhangiArdhangi or Ardhaangi is a 1955 Telugu film. It is based on the story of Saratchandra Chatterjee.-The Plot:Padma is forced to marry a mentally retarded man Raghu whom she eventually nurses back to health while teaching a lesson to her scheming mother-in-law and brother-in-law Nagendra Rao...
(1955) - Chiranjeevulu (1956)
- Bhale Ramudu (1956)
- Edi NijamEdi NijamEdi Nijam is a 1956 Telugu film directed by Vainik and film personality Sundaram Balachander and produced by Ghantasala Krishnamurthy of Pratibha Films. The films starring Nagabhushanam of Rakta Kanneeru fame. The story is loosely based on the Italian film Puzitor.-The plot:Kondaiah is a labourer...
(1956) - Jayam Manade (1956)
- Kanakatara (1956)
- Penki Pellam (1956)
- Suvarna SundariSuvarna SundariSuvarna Sundari is a popular Telugu film produced in 1957 in the golden era of Telugu film industry.It was directed by Vedantam Raghavaiah and produced by P. Adinarayana Rao under the Anjali Pictures banner...
(1957/I) - Maya Bazaar (Telugu, 1957)
- Maya Bazaar (Tamil, 1957)
- Bhale Bava (1957)
- Panduranga Mahatyam (1957)
- SarangadharaSarangadhara-1930 film:Sarangadhara is a 1930 silent film directed by Y. V. Rao under the General Pictures Corporation.-1935 Tamil film:Sarangadhara is a 1935 Tamil film directed by V. S. K. Padham under the Lotus Pictures, filmed at Wadia Movietone Studios in Bombay. Starred by Kothamangalam Cheenu and T....
(1957) - Todi Kodallu (1957)
- Chenchu LakshmiChenchu Lakshmi* Aananda Maaye * Adhigo Kanalera * Chettulekka Galava...
(1958/I) - Mangalya Balam (1958)
- Krishna Leelalu (1959)
- Raja Makutam (1959/I)
- Pelli Kaanuka (1960)
- Sahasra Siracheda Apoorva Chinthamani (1960)
- Shantinivasam (1960)
- Sri Venkateswara MahatyamSri Venkateswara MahatyamSri Venkateswara Mahatyam is a 1960 Magnum opus Telugu Musical film produced and directed by P. Pullaiah and starring N. T. Rama Rao. The story is based on the story of Lord Venkateswara .-The Story:Evil forces dominates the world...
(1960) - Sri Seetha Rama Kalyanam (1961)
- Batasari (1961)
- Sabash Raja (1961)
- Thirudathe (1961)
- BhishmaBhishma (film)Bhishma or Bheeshma is a 1962 Telugu film based on the life of the great Mahabharata character Bhishma. It is produced and directed by B. A. Subba Rao. The title role is played by N. T. Rama Rao.-The plot:...
(1962) - Gulebakavali KathaGulebakavali KathaFor information on the nocturnal flower Gul-e-Bakavali, refer Epiphyllum oxypetalum.Gulebakavali Katha is a 1962 Telugu fantasy film directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao and produced by N. T. Rama Rao...
(1962) - Siri Sampadalu (1962)
- Tirupathamma Katha (1963)
- Lava KushaLava KushaLava Kusha is a classical Telugu cinema directed by C. S. Rao and Chittajallu Pullayya and the story of the movie is written by Samudrala Raghavacharya. It is produced by A Shankara Reddy under Lalitha Siva Jyoti Pictures. The movie was released on 29 March 1963 and instantly became one of the...
(1963/I) - Sampoorna Ramayanam (1971)
- Shrimanthudu (1971)
- Vattathukkul Chathuram (1978)
- Aditya 369 (1991)
- Seetharamaiah Gari ManavaraluSeetharamaiah Gari ManavaraluSeetharamaiah Gari Manavaralu is a 1991 Telugu Drama film directed by Kranthi Kumar. Akkineni Nageswara Rao played the role of Seetharamaiah, where as Meena played his granddaughter Seeta....
(1991) - Ninne Pelladatha (1996)
- Murari (2001)
Awards and honours
She was honoured with "Ugadi Puraskaram" by Madras Telugu Academy and Government of Tamilnadu awarded her "Kalai Ma Mani".Death
She had been sufferin from Breast Cancer and had surgery, but the cancer soon spread to her Kidneys and eventually the Brain. Several attempts were made to save her life which were supported by donations through musical nites, medical/financial support from Governments of Tamilnadu and Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
.
Then Tamilnadu chief minister J.Jayalalithaa had granted jikki of Rs 100,000 (one lakh rupees) from the 'Dr. MGR' trust after hearing her illness and her difficulty to meet the treatment expenses.
Finally, she died on August 16, 2004 in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
.