Deva Katta

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Deva Katta
Deva Katta at IFFI-2010, in Panjim, Goa on November 27, 2010 (cropped).jpg
Katta at IFFI (2010)
BornMay 24 [1]
Eluru, Andhra Pradesh
Alma mater Wayne State University
Occupations
  • Film director
  • producer
  • screenwriter
Years active1999–present

Deva Katta is an Indian American film director and screenwriter who works in Telugu cinema. He directed cult classic Telugu movies such as Vennela (2005), Prasthanam (2010), Autonagar Surya (2014), and Republic (2021). In 2010, Prasthanam was showcased in the Indian Panorama section at the International Film Festival of India. [2] The film also won two Filmfare awards including Filmfare South Critics Award for Best Film and Nandi Award for Best Feature Film in 2010. [3]

Contents

Deva Katta (right), being felicitated at IFFI (2016) The Director of DFF, Shri Bhupendra Khaintola felicitated the Director, Shri Deva Katta, at the presentation of the film (Prasthanam), in the INOX Cinema Hall, during the IFFI-2010, in Panjim, Goa on November 27, 2010.jpg
Deva Katta (right), being felicitated at IFFI (2016)

Early life

Deva Katta was born in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh. His father, Niranjan Naidu Katta, hails from Kadapa, while his mother hails from Tirupathi, Andhra Pradesh. He moved to Chennai in 1985. [4] He holds a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. [5] He worked as a vehicle crashworthiness expert at General Motors. He is a naturalized American citizen. [3]

Career

He graduated from film school before making a television serial about Indian students in the United States shot from 1999 to 2000 titled Valasa. [6] He shorten the serial into a film in 2003; however, it was not released. [7] He then made his feature film debut with the romantic comedy flick Vennela on the same topic while additionally including a love story. [4]

In 2015, Katta teamed up with actor Vishnu Manchu for the film Dynamite, a remake of the Tamil film Arima Nambi (2014), and Katta's only remake till date. Katta, however, said that he shot the film for only nine days and walked out due to creative differences. [8] Katta was credited as the film's director nonetheless. [9]

In one of his interviews, he mentioned that Prasthanam, Autonagar Surya, and Republic are part of his quadrilogy of the society which show the perspective of a Politician (Legislative), Common Man (Voter), and Bureaucrat (Executive) on society. He is currently working on the final part of the quadrilogy which will show the perspective of a Judicial (Judiciary) on society. [10]

Filmography

Key
†Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released

Feature films

List of films directed and written by Katta
YearTitleLanguageNotesRef.
2005 Vennela Telugucredited as Deva Kaushik Katta
2010 Prasthanam International Film Festival of India
Nandi Award for Best Feature Film (Bronze)
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Telugu Film
2014 Autonagar Surya
2019 Prassthanam Hindi Remake of Prasthanam
2021 Republic Telugu [11]

Television

List of web series directed and written
YearTitleDirectorScreenwriterProducerStreaming ServiceNotes
2025 Mayasabha YesYesYes SonyLIV

Short films

List of short films directed and written by Katta
YearTitleLanguageNotesRef.
The People Mover English Released in film festivals; also actor [12] [13]
2015 Dying to Be Me English

Acting roles

References

  1. ↑ "Sai Dharam Tej wishes director Deva Katta on his birthday". The Times of India. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  2. ↑ Suresh Krishnamoorthy (22 October 2010). "NATIONAL / ANDHRA PRADESH : 'Prasthanam' gets a place in Indian Panorama". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  3. 1 2 Krishnamoorthy, Suresh (22 October 2010). "'Prasthanam' gets a place in Indian Panorama". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Deva Katta interview - Telugu Cinema interview - Telugu film director". www.idlebrain.com.
  5. ↑ TelanganaToday. "Deva Katta is game for experimental cinema". Telangana Today. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  6. ↑ "A Guerrilla's Prasthanam into Panorama". Idlebrain.com . Hyderabad. 30 November 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  7. ↑ Parasa, Rajeswari (25 November 2020). "Nag Ashwin to Tharun Bhascker, 7 Telugu directors who studied abroad". The News Minute . Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  8. ↑ "Deva Katta: The director who told everything that happened behind that movie‌! » Jsnewstimes". Jsnewstimes. 29 September 2021. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022.
  9. ↑ "Dynamite Movie Review". The Times of India. 4 September 2015. Archived from the original on 7 September 2015.
  10. ↑ "Director Deva katta Sensational Interview | Republic Movie | Box Office #3 | Sai Dharam Tej | FT". YouTube . 2 December 2021.
  11. ↑ "Sai Dharam Tej And Deva Katta Film To Start Shoot In October". Sakshi Post. 24 September 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  12. ↑ "Prasthanam at Indian Panorama - Telugu cinema". www.idlebrain.com.
  13. ↑ Kalyan, Vijay. "police kalpula nundi thappinchukunna director deva katta!". Telugu Swag (in Telugu). Retrieved 31 July 2025.
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