HYDERABAD, MAY 26, 2024: A song-story narration in the traditionally popular Telugu folk art form “Burrakatha” has been officially selected as an entry in the Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival. The burraka titled “Samson and Delilah” has been performed by the Chilkuri Burrakatha Brudham comprising three brothers – Chilkuri Shyam Rao, Chilkuri Vasanth Rao and Chilkuri Sushil Rao hailing from Hyderabad, India.
The story is based on the Biblical story of how the strong Samson falls in love with the beautiful Delilah. The source of Samson’s strength had been a safely guarded secret but Delilah is coerced by her townsmen to get Samson reveal to her the secret of his strength so that they can overpower him.
In the gripping narrative, the main artiste in the burrakatha Chilkuri Vasanth Rao takes us through the story of love, betrayal and a desperate fight back.
Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival is organised by the popular UK-based Lift-Off Global Network which organises film festivals across the globe.
The Chilkuri Burraktha Brundham gave their first and many performances during the late 1970s and early 1980s in Hyderabad and many other places.
Chilkuri Shyam Rao is a senior advocate, Prof Rev Dr Chilkuri Vasanth Rao is the Principal of United Theological College, Bangalore and Chilkuri Sushil Rao, is a journalist and a documentary filmmaker.
“”Samson and Delilah” which will be screened during the Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival, has been produced and directed by Chilkuri Sushil Rao.
Chilkuri Sushil Rao has a master’s degree in journalism and communication from the Department of Communication and Journalism, Osmania University, Hyderabad. He has done a film course offered by the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune at Maulana Azad National Urdu University. He has done film certificate courses offered by IIT Madras and Central University, Kerala through the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL). He also has done a certificate course in Carnatic Music and a certificate course in Hindustani Music, both from IIT Madras.
