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K Kameshwara Rao

BIRTH CENTENARY OF KAMALAKARA KAMESHWARA RAO-FILM DIRECTOR

BORN: –  4-10-1911                                                                            DIED: – 28-06-1998

K.Kameshwara Rao, born at Machilipatnam in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh on 4th of October 1911.An Arts graduate from Noble College, Machilipatnam can be termed as one of the best film directors of Telugu cinema.  He was a writer, journalist and director. He was a film journalist reviewing the films in his unbiased style made him popular. This led him to film direction. He may be called as the father of Telugu mythological cinema. Most of his directional ventures were Mythological. He started his film career as an assistant director H M Reddy for the film Gruhalakshmi released in 1938. Later he worked as an assistant to great Directors B N Reddy and K V Reddy. He became a fully fledged independent director for the film Chandraharam released in the year 1953. B Nagi Reddy and Chakrapani Produced Gundamma Katha(1962), a social family entertainer directed by Kamalakara Kameshwara Rao. The film was a hit at box-office. He provided script for the successful movies “Pathala Bhairavi” and “Guna Sundari Katha”. “Chandraharam” (1953), “Gundamma Katha”, “Panduranga Mahathyam”, “Maha Kavi Kalidasu”, “Narthanasala”, “Pandava Vana Vasam”, “Sri Krishnavatharam”, “Kurukshetram” are the best master pieces of Kamalakara kameshwararao.

LIST OF TELUGU FILMS DIRECTED BY Kamalakara Kameshwara Rao:-

1.   CHANDRA HARAM (1953)

2.  GUNA SUNDARI (1955)

3.  PENKI PELLAM (1956)

4. PANDURANGA MAHATYAM (1957)

5. SOBHA (1958)

6. RECHUKKA-PAGATI CHUKKA (1959)

7. MAHAKAVI KALIDAS (1960)

8. MAHAMANTRI THIMMARASU (1962)

9. Gundamma Katha (1962)

10.  NARTHANASALA (1963)

11. PANDAVA VANAVASAM (1965)

12. SRI KRISHNA TULABHARAM (1966)

13. SAKUNTHALA (1966)

14. SRI KRISHNAVATHARM (1967)

15. KAMBHOJA RAJU KATHA (1967)

16. VEERANJANEYA (1968)

17. KALASINA MANASULU (1968)

18. SRI SEETHA RAMA HANUMAN (1969)

19. SRI KRISHNA VIJAYAM (1970)

20. MAYANI MAMATHA (1970)

21. BALA BHARATHAM (1972)

22. JEEVITHASAYAM (1974)

23. SEETHARAMA VANAVASAM (1977)

24. KURUKSHETRAM (1977)

25. SRI VINAYAKA VIJAYAM (1980)

26. Santhoshimatha Vratha Mahatyam (1980)

27. EKALAVYA (1982)

28. SRI DATTHA DARSANAM (1985)

29. BADARINATHA DARSANAM (1985)

30. DEVI NAVAGRAHA NAYAKI (1986)

31. ASTTALAKSHMI VAIBHAVAM (1986)

32. Yedu Kondalaswamy (1991).

Awards:-

  1. National film award 1960 for the best telugu film for Mahakavi Kalidas
  2. National film award 1962 for the best Telugu film for Mahamanthri Thimmarasu
  3. National film award 1964 for the second best Feature film for Narthanasala.

He was 42 years when directed his first film. He ended his carrier as director at the age of 80 years.

This great director of Mythological movies was called by many as Pauranika Brahma (Creator of

Mythology)

He died at Nellore on 29th of June 1998; at the age of 87. Today is the centenary birth day of Kamalakara Kameshwara Rao. On his 100th Birth Anniversary, Business of Tollywood Salutes at this Ace director of early Telugu Cinema recollecting his past glory.