Today it is important to talk about Snehlata Reddy. She was put in jail, she was imprisoned because she was a socialist. Today’s story is of such a beautiful actress who in the history of Indian cinema is called a martyr actress. Her amazing acting is still remembered by the audience even today. But after all, what did this beautiful actress do that her own government in her own country gave her such a heart-wrenching punishment, why was she made to die a torturous death in the middle of the night?
I can tell you with certainty that today when you listen to the complete life story of this actress, after listening, your hair will stand on end, tears will automatically come from your eyes. What had she done that the actress was killed in front of everyone? Because of this, after the death of this actress, the name of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was written in black letters in the pages of Indian history. So let us know the entire tormenting story of this actress’s life. Hello friends, welcome all of you to your own favorite channel.
We are talking about Snehlata Reddy, who was born in the year 1932 in a converted Christian family of Andhra Pradesh. Although her family had been Hindu for generations, when Sneha was born, her family had converted from Hinduism to Christianity. As for her family, her family was living a life in extreme poverty and distress. But even in the midst of this poverty, her family left no stone unturned in educating Sneha. Sneha had just started going to school when only one thought remained in her mind that at least I should study enough that I can make my family’s life easy to live. So even though Sneha’s childhood was spent in poverty,
since childhood, a passion to achieve something kept growing in her mind. When she became a little sensible, she saw the atrocities of the British rule around her. Perhaps this is the reason why Sneha became quite revolutionary and rebellious for all these reasons.In her mind, there was always only one thought – how to complete her studies and the second thought was rebellion against the British government. Perhaps this is the reason why she forever changed her Christian name and kept her Hindu name Snehlata, forever abandoned Christian attire and adopted Indian attire. Seeing the cruelty of the British rule, there was always a rebellion against the Britishers in her mind. Yes, but she never chose the path of violence. During her studies, she often took part in plays based on freedom, like “Beti Raj, Lalaji’s… Lala Ji, we will definitely take revenge for your murder” so that somehow people could be made aware of the right to freedom. This sequence of plays turned into Sneha’s extreme interest. As soon as her college studies ended, Snehlata joined a theater group.
The name of this theater group was Madras Players. It was a very big theater group of that time.In this theater group, often big film producers and directors used to come and select artists for their films. In those days, Kannada Telugu film director Pattabhi Rama Reddy came there. There he met Snehlata and this meeting turned into friendship without anyone knowing. Perhaps the reason for this was also that Snehlata was not only a good actor but also a very good scriptwriter and both of their thoughts matched so much that in the blink of an eye, this friendship turned into love. Although both families did not accept this relationship, Sneha went against her family and got married. After marriage, Snehlata Reddy started working in films. All of these films were based on the evil practices prevailing in society. Most of these films were made by her husband.It was very difficult to make this ignorant society understand these evil practices through films. Perhaps this is the reason why her films were always opposed, but Snehlata had decided to make society aware in her own way. Even if her films were opposed, she never stopped making films.
Then came one such film of hers which is considered to be the most famous film of Kannada cinema till date. The name of this film was Samskara. In the year 1971, there was a lot of uproar regarding the screening of this film.
The Madras Censor Board banned the release of this film for four years. But despite that, Snehlata did not give up. She went to court and after the court’s decision, the ban on this film was lifted. After four years of ban, when this film was released, a huge crowd of viewers thronged to watch the film.With the release of this film, showers of awards also started. All of these awards were of national and international level. Yes, now Snehlata Reddy started being known as a national actress. After the success of the film, Snehlata Reddy established theaters in Madras and Bangalore. Through these theaters, Snehlata always exposed the evil practices prevailing in society. Due to all this, Snehlata’s image was becoming not only as an actress but also as a social worker throughout India. Now Snehlata’s name was echoing in the big corridors of politics. Perhaps because of this, she and her husband got acquainted with the political stalwart George Fernandes. George Fernandes in those days was a social worker and a good politician. After a few days, they became good friends with George Fernandes. But hardly anyone would have thought…Hearing it, their foreheads would also get wrinkled with fear. Later they came to know that this voice was of actress Snehlata Reddy. Snehlata Reddy narrated her experiences during her imprisonment on pages of paper, which was later published by the Karnataka Human Rights Commission under the name ‘A Prison Diary’. It was written in it:”This is a place where even a human cannot live sufficiently.” After enduring so much atrocity and torture, Snehlata had become weak mentally and physically, and this weakness was giving four times more trouble due to asthma. Perhaps she was begging for death. Which day would it be that death would come to her.
The ruthless jail officials did not provide sick Snehlata with any health-related facility. On the other hand, her entire family was anxious as to how long Snehlata would be kept in jail, after all, which day would it be when she would come home. No one was able to say anything. While consoling each other, eight months had passed. Then one day an unknown phone call came. This phone was picked up by her daughter Nandana Reddy. The next voice was of her mother Snehlata. Who will you blame, only a few days are left. Nandana Reddy says even today thinking about all that makes the heart beat fast. She says her mother said, “Daughter, today people have brought me to the hospital. Will you come to meet me?”Daughter Nandana Reddy says, I was not able to understand anything. After the phone call, Nandana cried so much that perhaps she has never cried till date and running she reached Victoria Hospital. Seeing her mother, Nandana Reddy hugged her and here Snehlata also started kissing her daughter holding her. Again and again she kept caressing her hair and kissing. Nandana also held her mother as if no one can separate her from her now.
Till then a policeman came and said, now go out, your time is over. After temporary medicines from the hospital, Snehlata Reddy was dragged and made to sit in the police van. The van went back to jail. Snehlata Reddy kept becoming thinner day by day. She became so thin as if a thin layer of flesh was mounted on bones. Asthma also now increased four times.Due to deteriorating health, the jail administration reluctantly released Snehlata Reddy on parole for a few days. On 15 January 1977, Snehlata Reddy returned home. Snehlata Reddy had come home on parole. Her condition worsened, so on parole she was… on 15 January 77… but the cruelty of the jail had settled in her mind. She always had this fear that she has to go to jail again. Thinking about the previous inhuman cruelty, just five days after being released, on 20 January 1977, she passed away to the other world and after five days she died. Her history is stained with blood. Now Sneha had got rid of this hellish world.
The police had no evidence against Snehlata, yet she had to endure these tortures for eight months. Her name was not in the charge sheet. Despite being a great actress, writer, social worker, Snehlata Reddy was given all the torture in captivity that is given to a terrorist. Even today her daughter Nandana Reddy says that thinking about the barbarity, cruelty, nakedness that happened to her, her soul trembles. Nandana Reddy considers Indira Gandhi as the killer of her mother.How can the police fire bullets on unarmed public? Nandana, who is a social activist, whenever she thinks about her mother and talks to anyone, tears come in her eyes. In her articles, she always writes that her mother did not die a natural death. She was killed. She was killed by the Government of India. The Indira regime has to be ended.
In the greed for power and throne, Emergency was imposed in the country. How many lakhs of people were put in jail. Whatever happened with Snehlata Reddy, perhaps for this reason she is called the first martyr of the Emergency. Although in the northern region, perhaps few people know Snehlata Reddy, but in the southern region, Snehlata Reddy is worshipped. People know her as a martyr. But you tell me whether you had ever heard the name of this actress, that there is any such actress who was killed so brutally by our government. If you have not heard, then definitely tell in the comment box and if you have heard her story through our video, then also definitely tell.
