B. Saroja Devi is an Indian actress who has acted in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi films. She acted in around 200 films over seven decades. She is known by the epithets "Abhinaya Saraswathi" in Kannada and "Kannadathu Paingili" in Tamil. She is one of the most successful actresses in the history of Indian cinema.
Kittur Chennamma was the Indian Queen of Kittur, a former princely state in present-day Karnataka. She led an armed resistance against the British East India Company, in defiance of the Paramountcy, in an attempt to retain control over her dominion. She defeated the Company in the first revolt, but died as a prisoner of war after the second rebellion. As one of the first and few female rulers to lead kittur forces against British colonisation, she continues to be remembered as a folk heroine in Karnataka, she is also an important symbol of the Indian independence movement.
Kalpana, born Sharat Lata, was an Indian actress who appeared in Kannada films. She was affectionately referred to as Minugu Taare among the film fraternity. She was widely recognised as one of the greatest actresses of Kannada cinema who enjoyed both fan following and critical acclaim. She made her screen debut as a lead actress in the 1963 release Saaku Magalu directed by veteran B. R. Panthulu. During a career that spanned from the early 1960s to the late 1970s, Kalpana appeared in numerous commercially successful as well as critically appreciated films, many of which featured her alongside actor Rajkumar. She worked in a few Tamil, Tulu and Malayalam films as well. Many of her successful films were female-centric, giving ample scope for her performance.
Budaguru Ramakrishnaiah Panthulu was an Indian film director, producer and actor. He is best known for directing films in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi. His most popular films are Karnan, Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Sri Krishnadevaraya, School Master and Kittur Channamma, B. R. Panthulu, is a successful actor and converted Ma. Po. Si.'s biographic works Veerapandiya Kattabomman and Kappalottiya Thamizhan to celluloid.
Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna is a 2012 Indian Kannada-language war film directed by Naganna and produced by Anand Appugol. Darshan, Jaya Prada and Nikita Thukral play lead roles. The film is about Sangolli Rayanna, a prominent freedom fighter from Karnataka, who fought the East India Company till he was captured and executed in 1830.
School Master is a 1958 Indian Kannada-language film produced and directed by B. R. Panthulu. The film stars Panthulu himself in the lead role along with Dikki Madhava Rao, M. V. Rajamma, Udaykumar, Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan and B. Saroja Devi in important roles. This was the first Kannada film to complete a silver jubilee. The film had its children's dance drama in Gevacolor, taken by cinematographer W. R. Subba Rao. It was later remade in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi in spite of it being dubbed in Tamil and Telugu as Engal Kudumbam Perisu and Badi Pantulu respectively.
Vidyasagar, known by his stage name Rajesh, was an Indian actor who appeared in Kannada films. Known as 'Kala Thapaswi', Rajesh was an ardent fan of literature. He appeared in many films as the lead in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later on gravitated to strong character roles. He is the father of film actress Aasha Rani who acted in Rathasapthami with Shivrajkumar and the father-in-law of popular Kannada and Tamil actor Arjun Sarja.
Kalyan Kumar was an Indian actor, and an occasional film director and producer who worked primarily in Kannada and Tamil cinema. Making his acting debut in the mythological drama Natashekara (1954), Kalyan Kumar went on to star in over 200 films in a span of over five decades. He was among the much sought after actors in the 1950s through 1970s for lead roles.
Jagajyothi Basveshwara is a 1959 Indian Kannada-language film directed by T. V. Singh Thakur featuring actors Honnappa Bhagavatar, Rajkumar, K. S. Ashwath, B. Saroja Devi, Narasimharaju, Balakrishna in pivotal roles. The film is based on the life Basaveshwar, a philosopher and social reformer from Karnataka who lived in the 12th century A.D.
St John Thackeray (1778–1824) was a collector and political agent, who was working in south India for British East India Company during the 1820s.
Gaali Gopura is a 1962 Kannada-language film directed and produced by B. R. Panthulu. The film starred Rajkumar, Kalyan Kumar, Leelavathi and R. Nagendra Rao. Actor Udaya Kumar made a brief guest appearance. Acclaimed director Puttanna Kanagal had assisted Panthulu for this film.
Rathnagiri Rahasya is a 1957 Indian Kannada-language adventure film, directed and produced by B. R. Panthulu, starring Udaykumar and Jamuna. The film was made simultaneously in Tamil as Thangamalai Ragasiyam, released in the same year, with Jamuna reprising her role. Most of the technical crew remained the same for both Tamil and Kannada versions.
Sri Krishnadevaraya is a 1970 Indian historical drama film in the Kannada language, produced and directed by B. R. Panthulu. It stars Rajkumar as Krishnadevaraya, an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 16th century. R. Nagendra Rao, B. R. Panthulu, Narasimharaju and N. Bharathi appear in pivotal roles. The film was Rajkumar's first in color.
Sri Srinivasa Kalyana, is 1974 Kannada-language Hindu mythological film directed by Vijay. Based on lord Venkateswara, the film stars Rajkumar, B. Saroja Devi and Manjula in key roles. It also featured the first screen appearances of Rajkumar's sons, Shiva Rajkumar and Raghavendra Rajkumar as child actors. The movie was dubbed in Tamil as Ezhumalaiyan Dharisanam and in Telugu as Sri Tirupatikshetra Mahatyam (1977).
M. V. Rajamma was an Indian actress, producer and playback singer of films mostly in Kannada, Tamil and Telugu languages from the 1930s through 1970s. She has the distinction of having acted as both heroine and mother to stalwart South Indian actors such as Dr. Rajkumar, Sivaji Ganesan, MGR and NTR. Karnataka Government established M. V. Rajamma Award in her honor.
School Master is a 1959 Indian Hindi film, directed and produced by B. R. Panthulu. The film stars Karan Dewan, Shakila, B. Saroja Devi and Radha Kishan in lead roles. The film had a musical score by Vasant Desai. It is a remake of the 1958 Kannada film of the same name.
Emme Thammanna is a 1966 Indian Kannada-language film produced and directed by B. R. Panthulu. It stars Rajkumar, Dikki Madhava Rao, Bharathi Vishnuvardhan. The supporting cast features Narasimharaju, Subbanna, Krishna Shastry, B. R. Panthulu, Papamma, Jaya and M. V. Rajamma. The film was remade in Telugu as Govula Gopanna (1968), in Hindi as Jigri Dost (1969) and in Tamil as Mattukara Velan (1970). This was the first social drama movie of Rajkumar where he played dual roles in a full-fledged manner excluding Malli Maduve where his second character appears only for three seconds. The core plot was loosely based on a Marathi play.
Hunsur Krishnamurthy was an Indian playwright, film director, producer, actor, screenwriter and lyricist in Kannada cinema.
Dikki Madhava Rao was an Indian actor and singer known for his work as a character actor in Kannada-language films. He spent much of his early years as a stage actor in the 1920s and 1930s before appearing in Kannada films. He gained popularity with his role as the antagonist Kanyakumari Dikshit "Dikki" in the 1936 film Samsara Nauka. Subsequently, the name stuck to him as prefix.
