Dasari Narayana Rao was an Indian film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, lyricist, and politician, primarily known for his work in Telugu cinema. Over his four decade career, he directed more than 150 feature films, earning a Limca World Record for directing the most films in the world. He was known by the epithet "Darsaka Ratna" and was recognized for addressing social issues such as gender discrimination, casteism, corruption and injustice through his films. Narayana Rao received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awards, 16 Nandi Awards including the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, and five Filmfare Awards South including the Lifetime Achievement.
Allu Ramalingaiah was an Indian character actor, comedian, and producer known for his works in Telugu cinema. In 1990, he was honoured with the Padma Shri for his contribution to Indian cinema. In 1998, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award - South, and the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award in 2001. Ramalingaiah appeared in over 1000 films in a variety of roles. The "Allu Ramalingaiah National Award" was instituted in his memory by the "Allu Ramalingaiah Academy of Arts". The award is presented every year to a Telugu film personality for lifetime achievement.
Maganti Murali Mohan is an Indian actor, producer, politician, and business executive from Telugu cinema. In 1973, Murali Mohan debuted in Jagame Maya, produced by Atluri Poornachandra Rao. He gained recognition with the 1974 film Tirupati, directed by Dasari Narayana Rao. He has acted in over 350 feature films. He has served in various positions in the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the Andhra Pradesh Film Development Corporation. He was the Honorary President of the Telugu Movie Artists Association until the elections in 2015.
Prasad Babu is an Indian actor who acts in predominantly Telugu films and also TV serials.
Rajani is an Indian actress known for her work in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam films. She has worked in 150 feature films including Rendu Rellu Aaru (1986), Seetharama Kalyanam (1986), Aha Naa Pellanta (1987), Majnu (1987) and Vettri Vizhaa (1989). Her Kannada films include Jai Karnataka (1989), a remake of the 1987 Hindi film Mr. India and Neenu Nakkare Haalu Sakkare (1991). She also starred in Bharathan's Malayalam hit Padheyam (1993). In Tamil films, she was credited as Sasikala.
Kodi Ramakrishna was an Indian film director, screenwriter, and actor, known for his work in Telugu cinema. Over the course of his career, he directed more than 100 films across various genres, earning a reputation as one of the most prolific filmmakers in the industry. He is credited with pioneering the use of advanced visual effects in South Indian cinema, through his supernatural fantasy films. In 2012, he was honoured with the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award for his lifetime contribution to Telugu cinema.
Peela Mallikarjuna Rao was an Indian actor and comedian who worked in Telugu films. Rao, popularly known as Battala Satti for his role in the movie Ladies Tailor. He has acted in many movies in Telugu. Over his career, he acted in at least 375 Telugu movies.
B. Sudhakar is an Indian actor, comedian and film producer. He has appeared more than 600 films in predominantly in Telugu and Tamil language films. He produced several films in Telugu, including Yamudiki Mogudu (1988). He won two Nandi Awards.
Yerra Seshagiri Rao, popularly known as Giri Babu, is an Indian actor, producer, and director who primarily works in Telugu films. His son, Raghu Babu, is also a notable actor-director.
Narra Venkateswara Rao was an Indian actor known for his works in Telugu cinema. He hailed from Agraharam village (Ramachandrapuram) in Zarugumalli Mandal, Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh, India.
Gollapudi Maruti Rao was an Indian actor, writer and director known for his works in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre, and Telugu literature. Maruti Rao acted in over 250 Telugu films in a variety of roles. His noted literary works and plays, like Rendu Rellu Aaru, Patita, Karuninchani Devatalu, Mahanatudu, Kaalam Venakku Tirigindi, Aasayaalaku Sankellu, won numerous State Awards.
K. Chakravarthi was an Indian music director and actor who primarily worked in Telugu cinema. He made his debut in 1971 with Mooga Prema and went on compose music for over 1000 films, predominantly in Telugu language, followed by Kannada. He won two Nandi Awards.
Thotakura Somaraju and Saluri Koteswara Rao, popularly known as Raj–Koti, were a duo of Indian film music composers, singer-songwriters, record producers, musicians and multi-instrumentalist in Telugu cinema. In a notable career spanning a decade, the duo has garnered particular acclaim for redefining contemporary Telugu film music. They composed music for about 180 films. Out of their 3,000 songs, about 2,500 songs were sung by singers S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and K. S. Chithra.
Sakshi Ranga Rao was an Indian character actor who worked in Telugu cinema and theatre. He appeared in about 450 films over a career spanning four decades, majority of which were comedies. Ranga Rao made his film debut in 1967 with Sakshi from which he derived his stage name. He then went onto to appear in successful films like Sirivennela, Swarna Kamalam, April 1st Vidudhala, Joker and Swarabhishekam.
Tirumala Sundara Sri Ranganath was an Indian actor known for his works primarily in Telugu cinema, Telugu Theater, television, and a few Tamil films. In a film career spanning more than forty years, Ranganath starred in more than three hundred feature films in a variety of roles. He made his debut with the 1969 Telugu film Budhimantudu.
Chalapathi Rao was an Indian actor and producer known for comedy and villainous roles in Telugu cinema. He acted in different roles in more than 600 films.
Relangi Narasimha Rao is an Indian film director and screenwriter who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. He is well known for his comedy films, especially his collaborations with actors Chandra Mohan and Rajendra Prasad. His notable films include Gundammagari Krishnulu (1987), Dabbevariki Chedu (1987), Samsaram (1988), Chinnodu Peddodu (1988), Mama Alludu (1990), Police Bharya (1990), Iddaru Pellala Muddula Police (1991), Edurinti Mogudu Pakkinti Pellam (1991).
Rajyalakshmi Chandu, better known by her stage name Sankarabharanam Rajyalakshmi is an Indian actress. She was a prominent lead actress during the 1980s in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam films. She was well noted for her performance in the Telugu movie Sankarabharanam in which she starred as the female lead alongside Chandra Mohan at the age of fifteen. Since her success from Sankarabharanam, Rajyalakshmi has acted as a heroine with many prominent actors from all corners of the Indian film industry including N. T. Rama Rao, Nageswara Rao, Rajinikanth, Balakrishna, Shankar, Mohanlal, Dilip, Jeetendra, Mammooty and Vishnuvardhan. Currently she is acting in Telugu and Tamil television shows with guest appearances in movies.
Raavi Kondala Rao was an Indian actor, screenwriter, playwright, and journalist who worked in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He acted in over 400 films. He won Nandi Award for Best Story Writer for Pelli Pusthakam (1991) and won Nandi Award for Best Book on Telugu Cinema for Black and White.
Mada Venkateswara Rao was an Indian actor from Andhra Pradesh. He acted in more than 600 films. He played notable roles in the films Mutyala Muggu, Lambadolla Ramdasu, and Mayadari Malligadu. He was known for his comedy roles.
