Madhavapeddi Suresh

Madhavapeddi Suresh is an Indian music composer from Andhra Pradesh who predominantly works in Tollywood,^[1]^[2] and playback singer, winner of Nandi Award for Best Music Director in 1996.

Life

Suresh was born on 8 September 1951 in Tenali^[2] to Vasundhara Devi and Nageswara Rao. His mother was a diploma holder in Veena, Vocal and Bharatanatyam and his father was an engineer at Andhra Cement Company. Having picked up the musical strains quite early in his childhood, he began his career playing harmonium for the Sri Ramanavami programs at Vijayawada in 1967. Later, he participated in many similar programs. His brother Ramesh first began his career as a film playback singer.

Suresh first played accordion in the troupe of music director T. Chalapathi Rao for the film Parivartana. Later he became a keyboard player and worked for all the big names like Pendyala, S. Rajeswara Rao, M. S. Viswanathan, K. V. Mahadevan, Pasupuleti Ramesh Naidu, J. V. Raghavulu, Laxmikant–Pyarelal, Bappi Lahiri and Hamsalekha and worked for about 1,000 films. He was a keyboard player for playback singer S. P. Balasubrahmanyam’s tours abroad from 1979 to 1985.^[3]

A contemporary of Jandhyala, the late director first gave him a break as a music director for Hai Hai Nayaka. Suresh became a big success with Brundavanam, which he recalled is his first 100 days film. He followed it up with the evergreen Bhairava Dweepam, the music of which he describes as the high point of his career. The Balakrishna starrerr has won nine Nandi awards. Nandi for Sri Krishnarjuna Vijayam subsequently. He scored music for the three Chandamama-Vijaya Combines films in a row.