Sattiraju Lakshminarayana, known professionally as Bapu, was an Indian film director, painter, illustrator, cartoonist, screenwriter, music artist, and designer known for his works in Telugu cinema, and Hindi cinema. In 2013, he was awarded the Padma Shri, for his contribution to Indian art and cinema. He has garnered two National Honors, two National Film Awards, seven state Nandi Awards, two Filmfare Awards South, a Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, and a Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South.
Mayabazar is a 1957 Indian epic Hindu mythological film directed by K. V. Reddy. It was produced by Nagi Reddi and Chakrapani under their banner, Vijaya Productions. The film was shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil, with a few differences in the cast. The story is an adaptation of the folk tale Sasirekha Parinayam, which is based on the characters of the epic Mahabharata. It revolves around the roles of Krishna and Ghatotkacha, as they try to reunite Arjuna's son Abhimanyu with his love, Balarama's daughter Sasirekha (Savitri). The Telugu version features Gummadi, Mukkamala, Ramana Reddy, and Relangi in supporting roles, with D. Balasubramaniam, R. Balasubramaniam, V. M. Ezhumalai, and K. A. Thangavelu playing those parts in the Tamil version.
Relangi Venkata Ramayya, known mononymously by his surname as Relangi, was an Indian actor, comedian, and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He was honoured with the Padma Shri for his contribution to Indian cinema in 1970. Relangi is particularly known for his comic expressions, and dialogues during the 1950s and 1960s. Together with Ramana Reddy, they were a comedy double act.
Ghattamaneni Siva Rama Krishna Murthy, known mononymously as Krishna, was an Indian actor, film director and film producer known for his work predominantly in Telugu cinema. In a career spanning more than five decades, he starred in over 350 films in a variety of roles. He is referred to as "Superstar" and "Nata Sekhara" in the Telugu media. In 2009, for his contributions to Indian cinema the Indian government awarded him the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in the country. 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. He died on 15 November 2022 due to cardiac arrest.
Vanisri is an Indian actress known for her works predominantly in Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada films. In a film career spanning 40 years, she has received three Filmfare Awards South, the Nandi Awards and the Tamil Nadu State Film Award.
Pasupuleti Kannamba was an Indian actress, playback singer and film producer of Telugu cinema, of Andhra Pradesh, India. She acted in more than 170 films and produced about 25 films in Telugu and Tamil languages during the 1930s to the 1960s.
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.
Chilakalapudi Seeta Rama Anjaneyulu, popularly known as C. S. R., was an Indian method actor, and thespian best known for his works in Telugu cinema, and Telugu theater. He acted in many stage dramas and portrayed lead characters and mythological roles in over 175 movies. He was one of the lead actors of his time. Anjaneyulu was an established lead actor by the late 1930s, preceding the entrance of actors such as NTR and ANR. His performance in the super-hit Bhaktha Ramadasu in 1937 won him many accolades. In the 1950s, starting with Pathala Bhairavi screened at the first International Film Festival of India, he began acting in character roles. In Pathala Bhairavi, he plays a king worried about his daughter, a princess kidnapped by a wicked magician played by Ranga Rao.
Nirmalamma was an Indian actress in the Telugu cinema. She appeared in more than 1000 films and was well known for her grandmother roles in several films. She won two Nandi Awards.
Sthanam Narasimha Rao, popularly known as Sthanam, was an Indian actor known for his works in Telugu theatre and Telugu cinema. He was known for playing female characters and was a recipient of a Padma Sri Award. His depiction of the Sringara rasa as Satyabhama in Srikrishna tulabharam kept audiences spellbound. Equally enchanting performances in Roshanara, Deva Devi in Vipranarayana and the eponymous Chintamani made his place in Telugu theater permanent. His most memorable acting, however, was as Madhuravani in Gurajada Appa Rao's comedy Kanyasulkam.
Chittajallu Srinivasa Rao was an Indian actor, writer and director. He was the son of film director Chittajallu Pullayya. He directed around 65 films in the Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Oriya languages. He garnered two National Film Awards for directing the films Lava Kusa (1963) and Desamante Manushuloyi (1970). Directors including Muktha V. Srinivasan and K. S. Sethu Madhavan worked as his assistants.
Rushyendramani was an Indian film actress, playback singer, and dancer from Andhra Pradesh. She had more than 150 films in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi films from 1935 to 1986. Her notable films include Sri Seetarama Jananam (1944), Malliswari (1951), Vipra Narayana (1954), Chintamani (1956). Her last film was Sri Shirdi Saibaba Mahathyam (1986).
Sri Krishnarjuna Yuddhamu is a 1963 Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film, produced and directed by K. V. Reddy under the Jayanthi Pictures banner. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, Akkineni Nageswara Rao and B. Saroja Devi, with music composed by Pendyala Nageswara Rao. The film was based on the Telugu play Gayopakhyanam written by Chilakamarti Lakshmi Narasimham in 1890. It was later dubbed into Kannada and into Tamil.
Kalyanam Raghuramaiah (1901–1975), popularly known as Eelapata Raghuramaiah, was an Indian actor, and thespian known for his works in Telugu cinema, and Telugu theatre. A recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, and the Padmashri, He was known for the roles of Krishna or Dushyantha, Bhavanisankar, Narada etc. He performed those roles for about 60 years. He indulged in elaborate raga alapana, based on different ragas while rendering padyams.
Sri Krishna Satya is a 1971 Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film directed by K. V. Reddy. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Jayalalithaa, with music composed by Pendyala. The film was produced by N. Trivikrama Rao. It was the last film directed by the noted filmmaker K. V. Reddy.
Kamalakara Kameswara Rao was an Indian film director known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema, and a few Tamil and Hindi films. Widely known as Pauranika Chitra Brahma, Kameswara Rao directed fifty feature films in a variety of genres.
Sri Vinayaka Vijayamu is a 1979 Telugu-language Hindu mythological film directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao and produced by Jagarlamudi Radhakrishna Murthy under Jaganmatha Arts. The film stars Krishnam Raju, Rama Krishna, Vanisri, M. G. V. Madan Gopal, Kaikala Satyanarayana in the lead roles. The music was composed by S. Rajeswara Rao. The lyrics were written by Devulapalli Krishnasastri, Arudra, Veeturi and Kosaraju. The film is about Lord Ganesha's life from his birth till he tamed Mushikasura, a rakshasa who later became Ganesha's vahana. The film was a major commercial success.
Sri Krishna Maya is a 1958 Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film, produced by K. B. Nagabhushanam under the Sri Raja Rajeswari Film Company banner and directed by C. S. Rao. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Jamuna and music composed by T. V. Raju. The film is based on Varanasi Seetarama Sastry's Narada Samsaram (drama).
Sri Krishna Tulabharam is a 1966 Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film, produced by D. Ramanaidu under the Suresh Productions banner and directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, Anjali Devi, Kanta Rao and Jamuna with music composed by Pendyala Nageswara Rao.
Sri Krishna Tulabharam is a 1935 Telugu-language Hindu mythological film directed by Mukherjee and Rajaram and produced by Calcutta Kali Film Company. The screenplay, adapted by Mutharaju Subba Rao, is based on the Tulabharam episode from the Mahabharata involving Lord Krishna and Satyabhama. The film stars Kapilavayi Ramanadha Sastry, Jayasingh, Rushyendramani, Kanchanamala, Lakshmirajyam, and Relangi. It marks the on-screen debuts of Rushyendramani, Kanchanamala, Lakshmirajyam, and Relangi, and was filmed in Calcutta.
