HYDERABAD: Renowned poet and illustrator Seela Veerraju (83) who combined the process of storytelling through free verse form of writing died of a heart attack at his home in Saroor Nagar in Hyderabad on Wednesday evening. Veerraju is survived by his wife Subhadra Devi and a daughter Pallavi. Subhadra Devi is also a well-known author.

Veerraju was born on April 22, 1931, in Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh, and completed his education there. During his school days, he was involved in the management of a magazine called 'Balasahiti'. During his college days, he started writing folk tales and was trained in painting at Varada Venkataratnam. He also wrote stories for various magazines as well as serialized the novels Batukubata' and 'Sahradayulu'. He started his career in 1961 as a sub-editor of Krishnapatrika. His work titled Kodigattina Suryudu, which combined the storytelling process in a free verse style was well received and he continued to publish various novels like Kaanti Pulu, Karunichina Devatha, and Velugu Rekhulu among others. He has written six anthologies of poetry and ‘Maina’ written by Veerraju is one of his best Telugu novels. Impressed with his paintings and poetry former chief minister late NT Rama Rao had appointed him as a scriptwriter in his office.

His book 'Maina' won the Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Akademi Award, Kodigattina Suryudu won the Freeverse Front, and the Telugu Varsity Best Story Award for his story collections, as well as the Dr. Boyi Bhimanna Award and the Kondepudi Srinivasa Rao Literary Award. Juluri Gauri Shankar, Chairman, Telangana Sahitya Akademi, condoled his death and said that Veerraju was the only one who was capable of understanding poetry and at the same time creating paintings as per the poems. Seela Veerraju's funeral was held on Thursday at the Vivekananda Nagar graveyard near Saroor Nagar.

YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP V Vijaysai Reddy also condoled the death of the poet-illustrator Seela Veerraju.

ప్రముఖ సాహితీవేత్త శ్రీ శీలా వీర్రాజు గారి మరణం విచారకరం. అభ్యుదయ రచయిత, కవి, చిత్రకారుడు.. బహుముఖ ప్రజ్ఞాశాలి అయిన వీర్రాజు గారి మృతి సాహితీ లోకానికి తీరని లోటు. ఆయన ఆత్మకు శాంతి కలగాలని ప్రార్థిస్తూ వారి కుటుంబ సభ్యులకు నా సానుభూతి తెలియజేస్తున్నా. pic.twitter.com/K3HxO63OZX
— Vijayasai Reddy V (@VSReddy_MP) June 2, 2022

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