Yaragudipati Varada Rao
| Yaragudipati Varada Rao | |
|---|---|
 Y. V. Rao in 1948 | |
| Born |
Yaragudipati Varada Rao 30 May 1903 Nellore, Madras Presidency, British India |
| Died | 13 February 1973 (aged 69) |
| Occupation |
producer director thespian film actor distributor editor |
| Years active | 1930–1968 |
| Relatives |
Rajam (ex-wife) Kumari Rukmini (wife) Nungambakkam Janaki (mother in law) Lakshmi (daughter) Aishwarya (grand daughter) |
Yaragudipati Varada Rao (30 May 1903 – 13 February 1973),[1] also known as Y. V. Rao was an Indian film producer, director, thespian, screenwriter, editor and actor known for his works predominantly in Telugu, Kannada and Tamil cinema. One of the pioneers of Telugu cinema, Rao plunged into drama and did a few stage plays before moving to Kolhapur and Bombay to act in silent films.[2]
R. S. Prakash Rao, son of Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu, cast him as lead actor in many silent films such as Garuda Garva Bhangam, Gajendra Moksham and Rose of Rajasthan. Rao moved into film direction and made silent films such as Pandava Nirvan (1930), Pandava Agnathavaas (1930) and Hari Maya (1932). In 1940, he directed the Telugu magnum opus Viswa Mohini.[2][3] Rao and, R. S. Prakash have established a long-lasting precedent of producing films exclusively on religious themes; Nandanar, Gajendra Moksham and Matsyavatar, three of their Telugu productions, centred on religious figures, parables and morals.[4]
Personal life
Y.V. Rao was born in Nellore in the then Madras Presidency of British India in May 1903. In the late 1920s, he moved to Madras and ventured into Kannada cinema.[2] He married Kumari Rukmini who paired with him in Lavangi. Indian film actress Lakshmi is their daughter.[5]
Kannada cinema
In 1932, a Marwari businessman, Chamanlal Doongaji from Bangalore, launched South India Movie Tone. The company made Sati Sulochana, the first talking picture in Kannada language with an expense of Rs.40,000. Rao directed this blockbuster film shot at Chatrapathi Cinetone, in Kolhapur; the shooting took eight weeks. He then directed Hari Maya (1932), that starred his first wife, Rajam.[2]
Tamil cinema
In 1937, Rao directed the Tamil film Chintamani, which eventually became a blockbuster and went on to create new records in the Tamil film industry. More importantly, it was the movie which propelled M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar to superstardom. Rao then made 'Malli Pelli'. He made the film 'Savitri' in the year 1941, which featured himself and Shanta Apte in the lead roles, with M.S.Subbulakshmi playing the role of Narada, a male character. He then directed Lavangi (1946), a biographical based on the life of poet Pandit Jagannath. He subsequently directed several blockbusters in Tamil.[2]
References
- ↑ "Y. V. Rao profile". kannadamoviesinfo.com. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Guy, Randor (22 August 2003). "A revolutionary filmmaker". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ↑ entertaianment.oneindia.in/celebs/lakshmi/biography.html
- ↑ CineGoer.com – Articles – History Of Birth And Growth Of Telugu Cinema
- ↑ Randor Guy (2013-05-25). "Blast from the past - lavangi 1946". "The Hindu". Archived from the original on 10 September 2013. Retrieved 2016-11-19.