Merlapaka Gandhi
{{short description|Indian film director and screenwriters}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2017}}
{{Family name hatnote|Merlapaka|lang=Telugu}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Merlapaka Gandhi
| birth_name = Merlapaka Che Guevara
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1988|5|11}}
| birth_place = Vedulla Cheruvu, Andhra Pradesh, India
| education = B. Tech
| occupation = {{hlist|Film director|screenwriter}}
}}
Merlapaka Gandhi (born Merlapaka Che Guevara) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works primarily in Telugu cinema.{{cite web|last1=Chowdhary|first1=Y. Sunita|title=Merlapaka Gandhi on an expressway|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/merlapaka-gandhi-on-an-expressway/article7919376.ece|work=The Hindu|access-date=25 January 2018|language=en-IN|date=26 November 2015}} In 2013, he made his directorial debut with Venkatadri Express. He later directed Express Raja (2016), and Krishnarjuna Yudham (2018) starring Nani.{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/nani-to-play-a-dual-role-again-in-director-merlapaka-gandhis-next/articleshow/59340805.cms|title=Nani to play a dual role again in director Merlapaka Gandhi's next|date=27 June 2017|work=The Times of India|publisher=The Times Group|access-date=20 August 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.telugu360.com/krishnarjuna-yudham-worldwide-closing-collections-disaster/|title=Krishnarjuna Yudham Worldwide Closing Collections - Disaster|date=2018-05-01|work=Telugu360.com|access-date=2018-10-30|language=en-US}}
Early life
Merlapaka was born in the village of Vedulla Cheruvu near Renigunta, Andhra Pradesh in a Telugu-speaking family.{{cite web|title=Interview with Merlapaka Gandhi - Telugu cinema director|url=http://www.idlebrain.com/celeb/interview/merlapakagandhi.html|website=www.idlebrain.com|access-date=25 January 2018}} His father Merlapaka Murali was a Telugu language novelist and a contemporary of author Yandamuri Veerendranath. Merlapaka was initially given the name Che Guevara because his father was fond of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara. As their friends and relatives found it difficult to pronounce the name, after watching film Gandhi. Murali changed his five-year old son's given name to 'Gandhi' in honour of independence activist Mahatma Gandhi.{{Cite web|date=2016-01-12|title=గాంధీ అసలు పేరు చే గెవెరా..!|url=https://www.sakshi.com/news/movies/express-raja-director-merlapaka-gandhi-original-name-che-guevara-304839|access-date=2021-01-28|website=Sakshi|language=te}}
Merlapaka was schooled in Tirupati and graduated with a Bachelor of Technology from Allagadda.
Film career
Merlapaka wanted to become a film director since the 10th standard. After completing his graduation, he convinced his father to let him join a Cinematography course at the L. V. Prasad film institute in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, although, he eventually pursued a direction course there. Later on, he started writing stories and directed a short film. Having received a good response upon its release online, he then started developing the script for Venkatadri Express which was his debut film as a director.
Filmography
{{Pending films key}}
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Film ! Director ! Writer ! class = "unsortable" |Notes | ||||
| 2013 | Venkatadri Express | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Directorial debut |
| 2016 | Express Raja | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| 2018 | Krishnarjuna Yudham | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| 2021 | Ek Mini Katha | {{no}} | {{yes}} | |
| 2021 | Maestro | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| 2022 | Like, Share & Subscribe | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|nm6249248 }}
- {{Facebook|merlapaka.gandhi}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gandhi, Merlapaka}}
Category:21st-century Indian people
Category:Telugu film directors
Category:Film directors from Andhra Pradesh