Y. V. Rao

Y. V. Rao
Y. V. Rao in 1948
Born
Yaragudipati Varada Rao

(1903-05-30)30 May 1903
Nellore, Madras Presidency, British India
Died13 February 1979(1979-02-13) (aged 75)
Madras, Tamil Nadu, India[1]
Occupations
  • Film director
  • producer
  • actor
  • screenwriter
  • editor
Years active1930–1968
Spouse(s)Rajam, Kumari Rukmani
ChildrenLakshmi
Relatives{Aishwariyaa Bhaskaran (granddaughter)

Yaragudipati Varada Rao (30 May 1903 – 13 February 1979[1]) was an Indian director, producer, actor, screenwriter, and editor known for his works primarily in Telugu, Kannada, and Tamil films.[2] Rao plunged into theatre and did a few stage plays before moving to Kolhapur and Bombay to act in silent films.[3][4] Rao started his career as a lead actor in many silent films such as Gajendra Moksham (1923),[5] Garuda Garvabhangam (1929),[6] and Rose of Rajasthan (1931).[5][7][8] Regarded as one of the greatest filmmaking pioneers of the Cinema of South India,[3][7] he made motion-pictures across Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Konkani, and Hindi languages, apart from silent films.[3][7]

Rao made significant contributions to South cinema during the British rule in India. Rao's 1934 film Sati Sulochana was the first talkie film in the Kannada language.[3][7] In 1937, he directed the hagiographical classic Chintamani, the Tamil sleeper hit ran for a year with highest estimated footfall at a single screen in India, and British Ceylon.[9] Rao's 1938 film Swarnalatha was one of the finest political drama scripted by Ayyalu Somayajulu; with prohibition as the central theme, in which Rao played the lead. The film was shot extensively at Newtone Studios, Kilpauk, during Madras Presidency.[7] Rao's 1940 film, Viswa Mohini, is the first Indian film, depicting the Indian movie world, scripted by Balijepalli Lakshmikanta Kavi, starring V. Nagayya.[10] Rao subsequently made the mythology sequel films Savithiri (1941), and Sathyabhama (1942) casting thespian Sthanam Narasimha Rao.[3]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference cinemaazi was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Narasimham, M. L. (28 May 2011). "Malli Pelli (1939)". The Hindu.
  3. ^ a b c d e Guy, Randor (22 August 2003). "A revolutionary filmmaker". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  4. ^ "Satyabhama (Y.V. Rao) 1942". Indiancine.ma.
  5. ^ a b Baskaran, S Theodore (2004). Em Thamizhar Seidha Padam (Paperback ed.). Chennai: Uyirmmai Padippagam. pp. 46–50. ISBN 81-88641-29-4.
  6. ^ Guy, Randor (29 January 2011). "Garuda Garvabhangham 1936". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e Guy, Randor (26 July 2014). "Swarnalatha (1938)". The Hindu.
  8. ^ "Viswamohini review Indian express". hindi-films-songs.com.
  9. ^ "An unforgettable superhit". The Hindu. 3 March 2008.
  10. ^ Narasimham, M. L. (23 June 2013). "Viswamohini (1940)". The Hindu.