Rachakonda Viswanatha Sastry

Rachakonda Viswanatha Sastry Biography

Rachakonda Viswanatha Sastry, shortly called Ravi Sastry was a noted Telugu writer who wrote both novels and short stories. He has published more than 60 short stories in six volumes.  He was a lawyer by profession. For his unique style, he has received a lot of appreciations. He worked in theatre as an actor and has acted in more than 100 plays. In 1983, he was honored as “kalaprapurna” award by Andhra University, the institution from which he completed graduation years back. However he refused the award. He had brief stint to politics in his youth days and has worked with Congress and later attracted to Marxist party during 1960’s.

Ravi Shastri was born on 17 August 1922 in Srikakulam, Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. Sastry graduated with honors in Bachelor of Arts from Andhra University. In 1946, he completed his B.L. degree at Madras University and worked under his father as an assistant. After gaining enough experience he started his own law practice in 1950. During this time he became active in Indian National Congress and later became a follower of Marxist ideologies.  

After independence, he closely watched the urban culture and rural culture of people residing in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts. Later he used their culture and dialects in his writings thus becoming second writer to experiment with different dialects in Telugu literature, the first writer being Gurazada Apparao. His first novel, “Alpajeevi” published in 1952 is still regarded as his masterpiece. This work has stylistic similarities to “Chaitanya Sravanthi” written by James Joyce.

His other novels are Rachakonda kathalu, Aru sorrow kathalu, Aru sara kadhalu, Kathasagaram, Kalakanthi, Govulostunnayi Jagratta, Illu and Bangaram. “Raju MahiShi” and “Rattalu Rambabu” were his unfinished novels. Nijam, Tirasktruthi and Vishadam were his plays.

Published: N/A

Updated: December 30, 2013