Kamalakara Kameswara Rao

{{Short description|Indian film director (1911–1998)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}

{{Use British English|date=December 2010}}

{{Infobox writer

| name = Kamalakara Kameswara Rao

| image =

| imagesize =

| alt =

| caption =

| pseudonym =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1911|10|04|df=y}}

| birth_place = Machilipatnam, Madras Presidency, British India

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1998|6|29|1911|10|4}}

| death_place = Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India

| occupation = Film direction

| education = Bachelor of Arts

| alma_mater = Noble College, Machilipatnam

| period = 1940s to 1980s

| genre = Epic
Historical

| subject =

| movement =

| notableworks = Mahakavi Kalidasu
Gundamma Katha
Mahamantri Timmarusu
Nartanasala

| spouse =

| partner =

| children =

| relatives =

| awards =

| signature =

| signature_alt =

| website =

| portaldisp =

}}

Kamalakara Kameswara Rao (4 October 1911 – 29 June 1998) 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 ({{Translation|Brahma of mythological films}}), Kameswara Rao directed fifty feature films in a variety of genres.Kameswara Rao, Kamalakara, Luminaries of 20th Century, Part I, Potti Sriramulu Telugu University, Hyderabad, 2005, pp: 74–5.

In 1960 he directed the biographical film, Mahakavi Kalidasu which won the President's silver medal for Best Feature Film in Telugu.{{cite web|url=http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm8thNFAAward.aspx|title=8th National Film Awards|publisher=International Film Festival of India|access-date=7 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123052231/http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm8thNFAAward.aspx|archive-date=23 November 2016|url-status=dead}} In 1962 he directed Gundamma Katha which was commercially successful and received the Filmfare Award for Best Film – Telugu. In the same year, he directed another biographical film, Mahamantri Timmarusu which won the President's silver medal for Best Feature Film in Telugu at the 10th National Film Awards.{{cite web|url=http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm10thNFAAward.aspx|title=10th National Film Awards|publisher=International Film Festival of India|access-date=9 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929062243/http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm10thNFAAward.aspx|archive-date=29 September 2015|url-status=dead}}

In 1963, Kameswara Rao directed the epic mythological film Nartanasala.{{cite web|url=http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm11thNFAAward.aspx|title=11th National Film Awards|publisher=International Film Festival of India|access-date=13 September 2011|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170502124428/http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm11thNFAAward.aspx|archive-date=2 May 2017|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm6IIFAAward.aspx?PdfName=6IIFA.pdf |title=Directorate of Film Festival |publisher=Iffi.nic.in |access-date=2012-08-25 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170502124953/http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm6IIFAAward.aspx?PdfName=6IIFA.pdf |archive-date=2 May 2017 |url-status=dead }} The film is cited among CNN-IBN's list of the hundred greatest Indian films of all time.{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/13200.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424003536/http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/13200.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-04-24|title=100 Years of Indian Cinema: The 100 greatest Indian films of all time|work=IBNLive}} The film has received wide critical acclaim and has garnered the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film at the 11th National Film Awards, and has secured the Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Film.

Life sketch

He was born in 1911 in Machilipatnam. He has completed a Bachelor of Arts from the Noble College, Machilipatnam. He has worked as a Film journalist for Krishna Patrika between 1934 and 1937. His unbiased reviews about the released films are highly appreciated by the audiences.{{Cite web |url=http://www.cinegoer.com/sskarticles/kamalakarakameswararao.htm |title=Kamalakara Kameswara Rao Jayanthi Today at Cinegoer.com |access-date=19 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929233750/http://www.cinegoer.com/sskarticles/kamalakarakameswararao.htm |archive-date=29 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}

On invitation from H. M. Reddy, he has reached Madras. He has joined as assistant director and worked with K. V. Reddy and Moola Narayana Swamy for the film Gruhalakshmi in 1938. He has worked as assistant director for the films Vande Mataram, Sumangali, Devatha and Swarga Seema under Bomireddi Narasimha Reddy and for Bhakta Potana and Yogi Vemana under K. V. Reddy.

After observing him closely, Vijaya Productions has given the responsibility of independently direct Chandraharam in 1954 which was not commercially successful.{{Cite web |date= |title=History of Birth And Growth of Telugu Cinema (Part 13) |url=http://www.cinegoer.com/telugucinema13.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207113115/http://www.cinegoer.com/telugucinema13.htm |archive-date=7 February 2012 |access-date=2022-10-15 |website=CineGoer.com}} He has left Vijaya Productions in 1955. He has directed about 30 films for National Art Theatres, Rajyam Pictures, Ponnaloori Brothers, Padmalaya Pictures, Mahija pictures and Suresh Productions over the period of three decades. He used to describe the film Nartanasala (1963) as his best directoral work, which won many National and International awards.

Death

Rao died at the age of 88 years on 29 June 1998 due to cardiac arrest.

Filmography

{{colbegin}}

=Director=

{{colend}}

=Assistant director=

Awards

See also

References

{{reflist}}