Andhra Pradesh

`Capturing' history in black and white

By Dasu Kesava Rao

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 19 . Ever seen Indira Gandhi digging heartily into maize corn (our own makka butta, roasted with salt and mirchi powder) or Jawaharlal Nehru, sitting pensive and all alone? Not many would have.

But there is one man, our own Hyderabadi, who was not only a close witness to these memorable sights, but personalised them for the benefit of posterity. He is D. Sridhar Naidu, 78, veteran photographer, who clicked a string of important political and other events for 40 years before indifferent health drove him into media wilderness.

Mr. Sridhar Naidu took to photography when he was barely 15 years and covered the freedom struggle working with great leaders like Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, Pandit Narendraji, Swami Ramananda Tirtha and P. V. Narasimha Rao. The Sultan Bazar police had also arrested him along with Burgula. For his role, he was recognised a freedom fighter. "I was sanctioned pension and land. It is another matter that I have not got it yet, more than 50 years later," he smiles.

After the "police action" in September 1948, he joined the Information Department. Those days, newspapers rarely had photographers and they lapped up his pictures. Mr. Sridhar Naidu recalls how he used to move with M. K. Vellodi, who was appointed Civilian Governor after the police action, and take pictures. He built up a good personal rapport with Burgula, the first elected Chief Minister of Hyderabad State, and later a number of Chief Ministers and Governors of Andhra Pradesh.

Helping Vinobaji

His eyes brighten as he goes back down memory lane. As a youngster, he had accompanied Acharya Vinoba Bhave on his famous 2000-km Bhoodan Yatra in the State. "During the padayatra, I used to draw water from the well and give him. On one occasion, Vinobaji and Rajendra Prasad were alone at Raj Ghat in New Delhi and none was allowed. Vinobaji spotted me and called me in."

The famous photo of Indira Gandhi relishing maize corn was taken at a lunch hosted by Kasu Brahmananda Reddy in late 60s. Pandit Nehru had visited the communal riot-torn Osmanabad and Bidar in Hyderabad and Karnataka in early 50s. Mr. Sridhar caught the agony and concern writ large on Nehru's face in the fading evening light.

Enviable range

His other pictures include formation of Andhra Pradesh, stone laying for Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam projects, inauguration of Birla temple, etc.

D. Sridhar Naidu

He was the blue-eyed boy of the former President, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy. When the latter hosted a dinner in honour of US President, Jimmy Carter, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, as usual no photographer was allowed in. But, India's First Lady asked him in. "A dozen photographers gave me their cameras. In the confusion I took pictures for them, but forgot to use my own camera," he recalls.

Eye for the Tiger

Mr. Sridhar offered to donate his eye to Tiger Pataudi who had lost one eye in a road mishap. Pataudi was moved by the gesture, but a newspaper wrote an edit recommending "Sportsman of the year" award. "Art at its finest, cannot be improved upon," said the former US Ambassador, Chester Bowles, of Mr. Sridhar's works.

Sridhar and wife now subsist on a modest pension.

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