CM Naidu Congratulates Gummadi Gopalakrishna on Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Synopsis
Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu congratulated veteran actor Gummadi Gopalakrishna, who received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2024 in Theatre-Acting from President Droupadi Murmu, honouring four decades of service to Telugu padya nataka tradition.
Key Takeaways
Gummadi Gopalakrishna received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2024 in the Theatre-Acting category.
The award was conferred by President Droupadi Murmu .
Gopalakrishna has contributed to Telugu theatre, especially the padya nataka (classical verse-play) tradition, for over four decades .
Chandrababu Naidu praised his portrayals of mythological roles and his role in promoting Telugu theatre nationally and internationally.
The Sangeet Natak Akademi is India's apex body for performing arts recognition under the Ministry of Culture.
Four decades of devotion to Telugu theatre, and now a national stage to match. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday, 13 August 2026, extended heartfelt congratulations to veteran actor Gummadi Gopalakrishna, who received the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2024 in the Theatre-Acting category from President of India Droupadi Murmu.
Writing in Telugu, CM Naidu called the national honour a 'fitting recognition' — samuchita gurtimpu — of Gopalakrishna's extraordinary service to Telugu drama, particularly the padya nataka (classical verse-play) tradition. 'You have brought the glory of Telugu theatre to audiences across the country and abroad,' Naidu wrote, acknowledging the actor's mastery in portraying mythological roles across his long career.
Padya Nataka's Living Custodian
The padya nataka form — rooted in Sanskrit dramatic conventions and set to classical Telugu verse — has steadily lost ground to cinema and digital entertainment over the past half-century. Gopalakrishna's four-decade commitment to the tradition places him among a rare cohort of artists who kept the form alive on stage, not in archives. His portrayals of mythological characters are cited by practitioners as benchmarks of vocal and physical discipline in Telugu classical theatre.
What the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Means
The Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's apex body for music, dance and drama established under the Ministry of Culture, presents its annual awards to artists whose sustained contributions have shaped India's performing arts landscape. The awards carry both a citation and a cash component, and — critically — they carry the imprimatur of the President of India, making them the country's highest formal recognition in the performing arts. For a regional theatre artist working in a classical form, the award functions as a national declaration that the tradition itself matters.
State leaders in Andhra Pradesh have a consistent practice of publicly acknowledging national honours won by Telugu cultural figures, reinforcing the political and cultural identity of the Telugu-speaking community. CM Naidu's message fits that pattern — but the specificity of his praise, naming the padya nataka tradition directly, signals genuine familiarity with the art form's significance.
Point of View
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award arrives as both personal validation and a rare moment of national visibility for Telugu classical theatre. The broader arc is one of regional cultural assertion: state leadership amplifying a national honour to remind both Telugu audiences and New Delhi that the state's classical arts ecosystem demands sustained attention.
NationPress
13 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Gummadi Gopalakrishna?
Gummadi Gopalakrishna is a veteran Telugu theatre actor with over four decades of work in the padya nataka (classical verse-play) tradition, known for his portrayals of mythological roles on stage.
What is the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award?
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Award is India's highest national honour in the performing arts, presented annually by the Sangeet Natak Akademi — the country's apex body for music, dance and drama — with the President of India conferring the awards.
Who conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2024 to Gummadi Gopalakrishna?
President of India Droupadi Murmu conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2024 in the Theatre-Acting category on Gummadi Gopalakrishna.
What is padya nataka?
Padya nataka is a classical Telugu verse-play tradition rooted in Sanskrit dramatic conventions, featuring elaborate mythological narratives set to classical Telugu verse and demanding high levels of vocal and physical discipline from performers.
Why did CM Chandrababu Naidu congratulate Gummadi Gopalakrishna?
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu congratulated Gopalakrishna on receiving the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2024, praising his four decades of service to Telugu theatre and his role in promoting the padya nataka tradition nationally and internationally.
