Hyderabad: Artistes demand due recognition for their performance in Telugu states

Hyderabad: Chennai recently named a road after the renowed singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, who succumbed to Covid-19 during the pandemic. Inspired by Chennai’s manner of honouring a great singer, the artiste community in Hyderabad advocates that the city follow suit.

Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Kolkata have long celebrated their cultural icons by naming streets after musicians, poets, and artists. Hyderabad had in the past honoured those associated with the city, such as Kaifi Azmi Road in Banjara Hills, L.V. Prasad Marg, and Raja Reddy Marg as well as the Bade Ghulam Ali Road in Basheerbagh. Given the city’s rich artistic heritage, however, there is room for more such recognitions.

Pandit Vitthal Rao, the voice of Hyderabad’s ghazal tradition, has no public commemoration in the city. Gummadi Vittal Rao, also known as Gaddar, the balladeer, whose songs fuelled a political movement, was never honoured in the way his admirers had hoped for. Even a few legends from centuries ago have faded into obscurity.

"Street names are not just plaques. They shape memory. If a road carries an artist's name, someone will stop and wonder who they were. That moment of curiosity is all it takes to keep a legacy alive," says musician Jaywant Naidu

In Hyderabad, political figures dominate street names. Artists do not get the same slice of glory, though richly deserved.

Even those who shaped the city’s culture are often forgotten. Pandit Vitthal Rao, who once sang for the Nizam, are revered by singers like Hariharan and Anup Jalota.

"But where is his name on Hyderabad’s map," asks Indira Naik, one of his disciples. "No street, no festival, no award in his honour."

The same could be said of Ustad Mir Qutub Baksh 'Tanras' Khan, the last musician in the Mughal court, a figure of monumental historical importance. His tomb lies in Nampally near the Khamosh Shah Dargah, abandoned and unknown to most.

"People don’t even know that he is buried here. He was once the pride of a royal court, and today his grave lies ignored," Naidu points out.

Even when there is public demand, it does not lead to action. After Gaddar passed away in 2023, there were calls to name a road after him. It never happened.

"His political identity overshadowed his artistic contributions," says Mohd Abdul Nayeem, a professor at ICFAI University.

"An artist with a strong ideological voice is remembered when it is convenient. Otherwise, they are ignored," says Nayeem. “Mostly film stars and classical musicians get acknowledged. What about folk artists, grassroots performers? They don’t get their due despite the impact they make.”

Hyderabad’s selective memory stands in stark contrast to cities like Mumbai, which boasts of Lata Mangeshkar chowk, Mohammed Rafi road, and spaces dedicated to poets and composers. "There, culture is respected at a civic level," Naik says. "Here, even when a street is named after an artist, nothing happens there. No celebrations, no remembrance, just a name that people walk past without a second thought," he adds

According to Naidu, real remembrance means passing on their work in order to perpetuate their exemplary work.

"Where are the festivals? Why not a ghazal competition in Vitthal Rao’s name or a folk festival for Gaddar? That’s how you keep an artist alive, not just by putting up a board but by making sure people engage with their art."

However, some might say naming a street is a small gesture. But small things matter.

"It is keeping things in the collective memory. When a city acknowledges its artists, it shows that art has value and that it is not something to be pushed aside," points out Naik.