Tenneti Hemalata

Tenneti Hemalata Biography

Tenneti Hemalata was a Telugu writer from Andhra Pradesh, who lived during the period, 1935 – 1997. She was best known as a novelist, and she has also done a few non-fiction works. She was awarded the Gruhalakshmi Swarnakankanam in 1963. A prolific writer in the post-independent era, she remained a member of the Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Academy for twenty years. Her novel Gaali Padagalu, Neeti Budagalu remained controversial.

Janaki Rama Krishnaveni Hemalata, better known as Tenneti Hemalata was born on November 15, 1935 in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Nibhanupudi Visalakshi and Narayana Rao were her parents. She studied till class 5, and then studied Sanskrit, Telugu and English classics at home. At the age of 9, she got married to Tenneti Atchyutaramayya. She lost her father at a young age, and her mother was pregnant with another child. When her younger brother was born, he was given the name of his grandfather.

At the age of 20, she started her professional career as an announcer for the All India Radio station in Vijayawada. She also wrote radio plays, wrote dialogues and worked as a voice over artist for a few. Her first radio play was silaa hrudayam. Due to husband's illness and bad financial situation of the family, she started writing philosophy at a young age. Her thoughts reflected in her books. Mohanavamsi, and Antharanga Chitram are semi-biographical fictions. Ramayana Vishavruksha Khandana, Priyathamudu etc are her non-fiction works.  

Her book, Gaali Padagalu, Neeti Budagalu remained controversial for the subject she chose. She depicted the cruelty that prostitutes had suffered at the hands of men, and also diseases. In those days, such matters were no much discussed through works. Raktapankam also belongs to the same genre.

Published: October 08, 2018

Updated: October 08, 2018