Pingali Nagendra Rao, known mononymously by his surname Pingali, was an Indian screenwriter, lyricist, and playwright who worked in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. Famous for his witty and romantic lyrics, he also wrote dialogues for many films. Pathala Bhairavi (1951), Missamma (1955), and Mayabazar (1957) are some of his best known works for story, script and song lyrics. Pingali is famous for his coining of new and funny words and phrases in Telugu such as Dhimbaka, Dingari, Gimbali.
S. V. Ranga Rao, popularly known as SVR, was an Indian film actor, producer, and director known for his works majorly in Telugu and Tamil films. He is regarded as one of the finest actors in the history of Indian cinema. He is known by the epithet "Viswa Nata Chakravarthi". He was the earliest known character actor to have enjoyed a star status in South Indian cinema. In a career spanning nearly three decades, Ranga Rao garnered various national and international honours.
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 life time achievement.
Ghattamaneni Siva Rama Krishna Murthy, known mononymously as Krishna, is a former Indian actor, director and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. In a film career spanning five decades, he starred in more than 350 films in a variety of roles. He is referred to as "Superstar" in the media. In 2009, the government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions to Indian cinema. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Congress party in 1989. In 1997, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South in addition to Honorary doctorate from Andhra University in 2008.
Tadepalli Lakshmi Kantha Rao was an Indian actor and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. Regarded as one of the finest method actors, Rao starred in more than four hundred feature films in a variety of genres including mythological, social and folklore. He has also acted in a few Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, and Malayalam movies. He has produced about five films under the Hyma Films banner. In the 1960s, he was one of the primary actors in Telugu cinema, along with N. T. Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao. Kantha Rao was known for portraying the roles of Narada, Lord Krishna and Arjuna. He played Lakshmana in the blockbuster film Lava Kusa, for which he received Vishehsa Puraskaram in 1963.
Saluri Rajeswara Rao was an Indian composer, multi instrumentalist, conductor, singer, and music producer known for his works predominantly in South Indian cinema. Regarded as one of the finest music composers, Rajeswara Rao's works are noted for integrating Indian classical music in Telugu cinema for over half a century.
Basavaraju Venkata Padmanabha Rao, known mononymously as Padmanabham, was an Indian actor, comedian, producer, and director who predominantly worked in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He is known for his comic expressions and dialogues. In a career spanning over six decades, he acted in more than 400 films.
Gollapudi Maruti Rao was an Indian actor, screenwriter, dramatist, playwright, columnist and dialogue writer known for his works in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu Literature. 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.
Pillavalu Gajapathy Krishnaveni, more famously known as Jikki, was an Indian playback singer from Andhra Pradesh. She sang around 10,000 songs in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, and Sinhalese languages. Her mother tongue was Telugu. She spoke Tamil fluently.
Mangalagiri Sriranjani, better known as Sriranjani senior (1906–1939), was a Telugu theatre and film actress and singer. She is the elder sister of actress Sriranjani (junior) and mother of director M. Mallikharjuna Rao.
Susarla Dakshinamurthi Jr. was an Indian music composer, playback singer, record producer, Carnatic musician, multi-instrumentalist, and an eminent violinist known for his works in the South Indian film industry, Hindi cinema, Sri Lankan cinema, and Hollywood.
Yashoda Krishna is a 1975 Indian Telugu-language film, directed by C. S. Rao. Baby Sridevi and Baby Rohini acted as Bala Krishna and Ramakrishna as Lord Krishna, which also marked actress Rohini Molleti's on-screen debut as a child artiste. Jamuna as Yashoda and S. V. Ranga Rao as Kamsa. The film was later dubbed into Kannada of the same name. The film is also remembered for the final appearance of the great actor, S. V. Rangarao, as his previous last Tamil film Sivakamiyin Selvan (1974) got released a couple of months earlier.
C. Lakshmi Rajyam or shortly Lakshmirajyam (1922–1987) was a South Indian film and drama actress and film producer in 1930s to 1970s.
Tripuraribhatla Ramakrishna Sastry or T. Ramakrishna Sastry was a famous stage and film actor in the early period of Telugu cinema. He was famous in portraying the role of Narada in about 12 films.
Vempati Sadasivabrahmam shortly Sadasivabrahmam was a writer of film stories, dialogues and lyrics in the early period of Telugu cinema.
Chadalavada Kutumba Rao, popularly known as Chadalavada, was a Tollywood actor well known for his comedian roles. He appeared in many Telugu films. The prominent among them are: Aada Paduchu, Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu, Bharya Bharthalu, Jayabheri, Krishna Leelalu (1959), Maya Bazaar, Palletooru, Parivartana, Pelli Naati Pramanalu, Sri Krishnarjuna Yudham (1963), Thirupathamma Katha (1963) and Thodi Kodallu.
Gali Penchala Narasimha Rao (1903–1964), also known as Gali Penchalayya, was an Indian film music composer. He was a representative of the first generation of music directors in Indian cinema. He debuted with the Telugu version of Seetha Kalyanam in 1934. Sri Krishna Leelalu (1935) was another musical hit of his. His music has contributed to the success of Balaraju (1948). The songs Cheliya Kanarava by Ghantasala and Evarine Nenevarine by S. Varalakshmi were the melodies which attracted many those days.
Gudavalli Ramabrahmam was an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Telugu cinema. He is known for directing critically acclaimed social problem films like Mala Pilla (1938) and Raithu Bidda (1939). At a time when mythological films were ruling the roost, Ramabrahmam ushered in a new era in Telugu cinema by making films on contemporary social issues.
Gautam Raju is an Indian actor from Andhra Pradesh predominantly acted in Telugu films. He acted in more than 200 films. He got two Nandi Awards as a Best Male Comedian. He also received Rajababu award.
Mayabazar is a 1936 Indian Telugu-language fantasy film directed by P. V. Das and produced by Vel Pictures. The film stars Yadavalli Nageswara Rao, S. P. Lakshmana Swamy, Rami Reddy, and Santhakumari. Music was composed by Galipenchala Narasimha Rao.
