Chitti Babu (musician) - Early Childhood and Career

Early Childhood and Career

Chitti Babu Challapally (surname) was born on October 13, 1936, in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India, to music-loving parents, Ranga Rao Challapally and Sundaramma Challapally, who had initially named him Hanumanlu, when he was born. Chitti Babu was his nickname at home, which came to stay eventually, after his father formally changed it to be so. He was a child prodigy who started playing Veena at the age of 5. He had a providential beginning, when at that tender age, he corrected his father playing the Veena and the stunned father spontaneously decided to get him started on the Veena and nurture the child's inherent prodigious talent. Chitti Babu gave his first performance at the age of 12. He had his earliest basic lessons from Shri. Pandravada Upmakaya and also Shri Eyyuni Appalacharyulu and later was a prime disciple of MahaMahopadhyaya Dr.Emani Sankara Sastry.

In 1948, they moved to Madras (now Chennai) primarily because they got the opportunity for Chitti Babu to act in a Telugu movie “Laila- Majnu” as a child artiste who played the role of little Majnu. The movie was produced by Bhanumathi Ramakrishna and starred herself and Akkineni Nageswara Rao in the lead roles, both of whom became thespians eventually. The movie was a hit and he had also starred a in a small role in another movie as well.

However, Chitti Babu even as a child of 12, was very focused and determined on becoming a performing classical musician, after the movie assignment. He was inspired by the original style of Veena maestro Emani Sankara Sastry and was under his tutelage, learning all the nuances and honing his skills.