Dasari Kotiratnam | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Died | 21 December 1972 Chilakaluripeta, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Occupations |
|
Dasari Kotiratnam was an Indian actress, singer, and film producer. [1] She was the first female producer of Telugu cinema. [2] [3] [4] She was also the first actress to set up a theatre group in Andhra. [3] Her career as a theatre actor spanned over four decades. [5]
She produced her first film, Sati Anasuya (1935) in collaboration with Aurora Film Corporation. [5] She later acted in films like Lanka Dahanam (1936), Mohini Bhasmasura (1938), Vara Vikrayam (1939), Panduranga Vitala (1939), Paduka Pattabhishekam (1945), Varudhini (1946), Gollabhama (1947). [5]
Dasari Kotiratnam was born in a Kapu family [6] in Prathipadu, Guntur district of present-day Andhra Pradesh. She was born in 1898 or 1910. [7] [1] Her father was a stage actor and she trained under him. She began acting in plays at the age of nine. She also trained in Indian classical music under Rajanala Venkatappayya Sastri. [1]
Kotiratnam played various male characters, along with female characters in theatre. [8] After her mother died, she left Prathipadu and settled in Nakkabokkalapadu, her grandfather's village. There she founded a drama company. [1] She was the first actress to set up a theatre company in Andhra. [3] After five years she shifted to Guntur and continued running the drama company there. They practiced many plays and performed them in various towns and villages. She employed many artists on a payroll. She entered the film industry based on her reputation in theatre. [1]
In 1935 Kotiratnam went to Calcutta along with her theatre troupe artists like B. V. Ramanandam and Tungala Chalapathi Rao. All of them acted in the film Sathi Sakkubai (1935) produced by Bharatalakshmi Films and directed by Charuchandra Roy. Kotiratnam played the title role of Sakkubai, while Tungala Chalapathi Rao played Lord Krishna. She was also the first woman to play a title role in Telugu films. [5]
In collaboration with Aurora Film Corporation, Kotiratnam produced Sati Anasuya under the direction of Ahin Chowdary. She also played the title role in the film. [5] It was released on 4 October 1935. [9] Thus she became the first female producer of Telugu film industry. She later acted in films like Lanka Dahanam (1936), Mohini Bhasmasura (1938), Vara Vikrayam (1939), Panduranga Vitala (1939), Paduka Pattabhishekam (1945), Varudhini (1946), Gollabhama (1947). [5]
In 1958, she fell ill and her voice was damaged. Her acting chances reduced as a result. In 1960, she was felicitated by Andhra Nataka Parishat in Tanuku. [5] Kotiratnam died on 21 December 1972 in Chilakaluripeta. [10]
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.
Yaragudipati Varada Rao was an Indian director, producer, actor, screenwriter, and editor known for his works primarily in Telugu, Kannada, and Tamil films. Rao plunged into theatre and did a few stage plays before moving to Kolhapur and Bombay to act in silent films. Rao started his career as a lead actor in many silent films such as Gajendra Moksham (1923), Garuda Garvabhangam (1929), and Rose of Rajasthan (1931). Regarded as one of the greatest filmmaking pioneers of the Cinema of South India, he made motion-pictures across Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Konkani, and Hindi languages, apart from silent films.
Anjali Devi was an Indian actress, model and producer in Telugu and Tamil films. She was well known for her role as the Devi Sita in Lava Kusa as well as for the titular roles in movies like Chenchu Lakshmi, Suvarna Sundari and Anarkali.
Garikapati Varalakshmi was an Indian actress, stage artist, singer, and director who worked in Telugu and Tamil films.
Vedantam Raghavayya was an Indian film director, dance choreographer, Kuchipudi exponent, actor, producer, and musician known for his works in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre, and Tamil cinema. Raghavayya was an accomplished Kuchipudi dancer, who was awarded "Bharata Kala Prapurna" in dance by the Andhra Pradesh government.
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.
Balijepalli Lakshmikantha Kavi was an Indian playwright, novelist, poet, screenwriter, actor and freedom fighter. He is remembered for the magnum opus Satya Harischandriyamu, a play written in 1924, and for his works in Telugu cinema.
Balaraju is a 1948 Indian Telugu-language swashbuckler fantasy film produced and directed by Ghantasala Balaramayya under the Pratibha Productions banner. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, S. Varalakshmi, and Anjali Devi with music jointly composed by Ghantasala, Galipenchala Narasimha Rao and C. R. Subbaraman. The film was recorded as an Industry Hit at the box office and was the first Telugu Silver Jubilee film.
Bugata Venkata Subba Rao, better known as B. A. Subba Rao, was an Indian film director and producer who predominantly worked in Telugu cinema. He is recipient of Raghupathi Venkaiah Award for his lifetime contribution to Telugu cinema.
Kadaru Nagabhushanam or K. B. Nagabhushanam was an Indian film director and producer in the 1940s to 1960s, working in Telugu and Tamil cinema. He was the husband of P. Kannamba. They established Rajarajeshwari Films and produced many mythological films starring Kannamba in the lead role including Harischandra. Their social film Navajeevanam on untouchability got the recognition of Madras State and was chosen as the best feature film.
Chittajallu Pullayya was an Indian film director and screenwriter. He is one of the earliest film personalities in Telugu cinema being associated with the industry right from the silent era.
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.
Sati Anasuya is a story that has been made into many Indian films in different languages. It has been made into the Telugu language in 1935, 1936, 1957 and 1971.
Chandika is a 1940 Telugu film directed by R. S. Prakash. Veteran actress P. Kannamba portrayed the role of Chandika.
Koccharlakota Satyanarayana was a Telugu film and drama actor and playback singer during the early period of Telugu cinema.
Yadavalli Suryanarayana (1888–1939) was an Indian actor and thespian known for his works in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He made his transition from theater to cinema in 1932. He contributed to the Telugu theatre for over three decades.
Penupatruni Adinarayana Rao was an Indian music director, film producer, lyricist and play writer. He co-founded "Aswini Pictures" with Akkineni Nageswara Rao and produced some movies in Telugu and Tamil. Later, he produced several blockbuster Telugu films under his own production house, Anjali Pictures, named after his actress wife, Anjali Devi. He also composed and produced music for several Tamil and Hindi films.
The East India Film Company was an Indian film production company, based in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India. It was the first Indian film company to screen a movie at an international film festival. Started in 1932 in Calcutta, by R. L. Khemka, it went on to be a pioneer in producing films across the several regional film industries, including Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Telugu, and Tamil, in the decade after its founding; till then, production companies were restricted regionally.
Kasturi Siva Rao was an Indian actor, comedian, playback singer, producer and director known for his works in Telugu cinema. He was one of the first star comedians of Telugu cinema.
Gollabhama is a 1947 Indian Telugu-language swashbuckler film directed by C. Pullayya. Krishnaveni and Raghuramaiah played pivotol roles in the film. The film is produced by Mirzapuram Raja through Sobhanachala Pictures. The film is based on the stories of 'Kaasi Majili' written in Telugu by Madhira Subbanna Deekshitulu. It was released on 22 February 1947.
First woman producer Dasari Kotiratnam produced Anasuya in 1935.
Dasari Kotiratnam was the first actress to set up a theatre group while Venkubai and Kamala of the Surabhi Company were well-known stage artists. Dasari Kotiratnam later became the first woman to produce films.
