Film actor, Producer, Director, KS Prakasarao passed away.
Sreenivas...@zippo.com
Found the following (very well written article) in _The Hindu_ archives.
Telugu film industry lost one more doyen!!
Regards,
Sreenivas
P.S. 1. Though "apavaadu" (1941) was released first, it was "patni" which was
first made.
2. tripuaranEni gOpeechand was to direct gRhapravESam (1946), who also
wrote the story and screen-play. But later he withdrew himself, partly
also due to concerns from some production team members whether
a 'fire-brand' person like him 'd have success at box-office. Then
it was KSP Rao who went to Bombay to pick (along with "koku" who was
leaving those days in Bombay) LV Prasad, working at that time in
Mumbai. LVP stayed back in Chennai. Rest is history.
3. penDyaala made his debut in "drOhi". "deeksha" based on a Sarat novel
was M. Ramgopal's only film. I 'd be thankful if someone can confirm
whether "aatrEya" really worked for "modaTiraatri". "deeksha" is his
1st, to my knowledge. Recall that famous song (picturized on Ramgopal:
pOraa baaboo pO! pOyi chooDu ee lOkam pOkaDa ... sung by MS Ramarao.)
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Narrative ability was his forte
Date: 30-08-1996
Cl: Arts
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K. S. Prakasa Rao was a film maker with a strong sense of
visualisation. M. L. Narasimham writes on the doyen of Telugu
cinema who passed away recently.
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He started his career in the decade in which talkies were taking
shape in the Telugu tinsel world. For Kovelamudi Surya Prakasa
Rao, the brush with cinema came in a rather unexpected way. Born
in a middle class agricultural family at Kolavennu, Krishna
district in Andhra Pradesh on August 27, 1914, after completing
his education at Gannavaram, Prakasa Rao started his career as an
organiser for the Industrial Insurance company and proved his
merit as a competent agent. Film lyricist and producer Kosaraju
Raghaviah Chowdary was then his sub-agent. Before his stint with
the Insurance company, Prakasa Rao worked in a gold jewellery
firm for a brief period, without knowing then that he was
destined to become part of the golden history of Indian cinema.
Prakasa Rao's tryst with cinema came with ``Malapilla'' (1938)
thanks to a close relative Gudavalli Ramabrahmam who directed the
movie. Later Ramabrahmam made this handsome young man the hero in
``Apavadu'' (1941) and ``Pathni'' (1942). The latter film was
based on the Tamil classic, ``Silappadikaram''. V. S. Prakasa Rao
played the role of Kovalan. But both the films did not do well at
the box office. Prakasa Rao returned to his job at Vijayawada but
only to make a comeback, this time as a producer along with his
cousin Kovelamudi Bhaskara Rao. By then the movie bug has bitten
him. Those were the Second World War days and the British
Government imposed certain restrictions on raw film allotment to
new entrants. So Prakasa Rao joined hands with the established
Sarathy films and launched ``Gruhapravesam'' (released in 1946).
L. V. Prasad made his debut as a director with this film in which
he also acted as a hero opposite Bhanumathi. Then Prakasa Rao
launched Swatantra Films with the co-operation of Chalapalli
Raja, retained L. V. Prasad as the director and made ``Drohi''
with himself and G. Varalakshmi, (the heroine of many of his
movies) in the lead. The film was a big hit.
The success of ``Drohi'' gave the necessary impetus to Prakasa
Rao to launch his own banner Prakash Studios and also to turn a
director, with ``Modati Raathri'' (1950) in which Narayana Rao
and G. Varalakshmi were the lead pair. The next year he made
``Deeksha'', a bilingual (``Anni'' in Tamil) which was a major
hit. From then on there was no looking back for this talented
film maker who made many memorable movies. ``Kanna Thalli'
(``Petrathai'' in Tamil) in which A. Nageswara Rao was the hero,
``Melu Kolupu'' (``Maru Malarchi'' in Tamil), ``Thasildar Gari
Ammayi'', ``Stri Janma'' and ``Vichitra Kutumba'' with N. T. Rama
Rao, ``Harischandra'' (Tamil) with Sivaji Ganesan, ``Cheekati
Velugulu'' and ``Secretary'' were among them. But his most
memorable film which still runs to packed houses wherever
released is the evergreen ``Prem Nagar'' (in Telugu and Hindi)
and ``Vasantha Maligai'' (Tamil) starring A. Nageswara Rao,
Rajesh Khanna and Sivaji Ganesan as the heroes and Vanisri and
Hema Malini as the heroines. Rama Naidu who produced the three
version recalls; ``We released the Telugu version in 1971. Before
``Prem Nagar'' my Suresh banner has a row of flops and I was
about to pack up and leave the film world. But Prakash Rao's deft
handling of a sensitive theme made all the difference to my
career and thanks to him I am here heading for my hundredth movie
as a film maker.'' Rao's strong point was his sense of
visualisation and narrative ability. His screenplay was perfect.
``The big hit ``Tahsildar Gaari Ammayi'' is a fine example for
this. The screenplay of this film written by him would serve as a
textbook for aspiring directors'', says veteran director Dasari
Narayana Rao.
Praskasa Rao always felt that films meant exclusively for
children should be made and encouraged by Governments. On his
part he made such a film, ``Balanandam'' (1954) which in fact
consists of three short films _ ``Boorela Mukudu'', ``Konte
Kishtayya'' and ``Raja Yogam'' with about 150 children. The major
role was donned by Mohan Kanda an IAS officer now. Prakasa Rao
had a flair for locating talent. For the young hero's role in
``Deeksha'', he found the boy (Madhavapeddi Ramgopal) at the New
Elephinston theatre where he had gone to watch a movie with a
friend, `Pratibha' Sastry for the Tamil versions, he picked up
Sethumathavan, the son of a hotel proprietor at Kilpauk while
sipping a cup of coffee. Prominent among those he had introduced
are _ writer Acharya Athreya (``Modati Rathri'' and ``Deeksha''),
P. Suseela (``Kanna Thalli''), Pendyala Nageswara Rao, well known
music director. Popular directors K. B. Tilak, Aadurthi Subbarao
and V. Madhusudhana Rao were his erstwhile assistants. Tamil
actor and film maker Balaji worked as a production manager for
Prakasa Rao's ``Kanna Thalli''. And from his own clan, there are
film makers of national repute such as directors K. Raghavendra
Rao, cinematographer K. S. Prakash (sons) and K. Bapiah, K.
Murali Mohana Rao (nephews). His eldest son K. Krishna Mohana Rao
is a well known Telugu film maker. Like the Barrymore's of
Hollywood Prakasa Rao's entire family is connected with films.
K. S. Prakasa Rao besides Telugu and Tamil films, directed some
Kannada movies too which include the Jayalalitha starrer,
``Bathukuva Daari'' (1966), ``Ganda Hendthi,'' ``Sneha Sedu''
(with Vishnuvardan in the lead) and ``Balina Guri''. In all he
had directed about 40 films in which 20 were produced by him, in
his Prakash Studios in Madras. He dealt with contemporary
problems in his movies and some of them were ahead of the times.
As early as 1956 in ``Melu Kolupu'' he had emphasised the point
of women taking up jobs in a middle class family to supplement
the family income. He always felt that new ideas should be
infused into this creative industry from time to time. As if to
support his point he made a film ``Kotha Neeru'' (1982) which was
his last. The film did not click as by then crass
commercialisation in all aspects took its roots in the film
world. He bounced back as was his wont to make his last movie,
``Shantala,'' the story of a Maharani of Mysore, which had human
values and a story close to his heart. But destiny willed
otherwise. He breathed his last on August 22 after a prolonged
illness, leaving behind a rich legacy.
The Andhra Pradesh Government had announced the prestigeous
Raghupathy Venkayya award for 1994 to K. S. Prakasa Rao for his
outstanding contribution to Telugu cinema.
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