Vedantam Raghavayya

{{Infobox person

| name = Vedantam Raghavayya

| image = Vedantam raghavaiah legendImage 1.jpg

| caption =

| native_name = వేదాంతం రాఘవయ్య

| years_active =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1919|06|8}}
Kuchipudi, Krishna district, India

| death_date = 19,October1971 (aged 51 or 52)

| birth_name =

| occupation = {{hlist|Film director|film producer|screenwriter|choreographer}}

| spouse = Suryaprabha

| children = 7, including Shubha

}}

Vedantam Raghavayya (8 June 1919 –19,October 1971) was an Indian film director, dance choreographer, and actor known for his work in Telugu and Tamil cinema.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SLkABAAAQBAJ&pg=PA23|title=Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema|first1=Ashish|last1=Rajadhyaksha|first2=Paul|last2=Willemen|date=10 July 2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781135943189|via=Google Books}} An accomplished Kuchipudi dancer, he was honoured with the title "Bharata Kala Prapurna" by the Andhra Pradesh government in recognition of his expertise.{{cite web |last=Narasimham |first=M. L. |date=31 October 2010 |title=Ramadasu (1933) |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/ramadasu-1933/article860221.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151027043223/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/ramadasu-1933/article860221.ece |archive-date=27 October 2015 |access-date=25 October 2015 |work=The Hindu}}

Raghavayya began his career as a dance choreographer, working on films such as Raithu Bidda (1939) and Swarga Seema (1945).{{cite web |title=A tribute to legend Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma - Sridharachari |url=http://www.narthaki.com/info/profiles/profl148.html |website=Narthaki}} He made his directorial and production debut with Stree Sahasamu (1951). He went on to direct many notable films, including Devadasu (1953), Annadata (1954), Anarkali (1955), Prema Pasam (1956), Bhale Ramudu (1956), Chiranjeevulu (1956), Suvarna Sundari (1957), and Rahasyam (1967).{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-reviews/review-of-anarkali-1955-movie/article6356841.ece | title=Anarkali (1955) | work=The Hindu | date=28 August 2014 | access-date=29 March 2017|author=M. L. Narasimhan | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329005120/http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-reviews/review-of-anarkali-1955-movie/article6356841.ece| archive-date=29 March 2017}} In addition to his work behind the camera, Raghavayya appeared as an actor in films such as Mohini Rukmanigada (1937), Garuda Garvabhangam (1943) and Raksharekha (1949). He was also a co-owner of the film production house Vinodha Pictures.{{cite news |last1=Narasimham |first1=M. L. |date=3 March 2013 |title=Stree Sahasamu (1951) |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/stree-sahasamu-1951/article4470326.ece |newspaper=The Hindu}}

Raghavayya's influence extended beyond cinema. He served on the committee of the First General Council of the Andhra Pradesh Sangeetha Nataka Academy, representing dance, and was nominated as the President of the National Dance Festival in 1964. He also mentored notable dancers, including Bhagavathula Yagna Narayana Sarma, a Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, under his fellowship.{{cite book |last1=Gulazāra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC&pg=PT674 |title=Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema |last2=Nihalani |first2=Govind |last3=Chatterjee |first3=Saibal |date=9 November 2017 |publisher=Popular Prakashan |isbn=9788179910665 |via=Google Books}}{{cite web |title="Bharata Kala Prapurna" Sri Vedantam Raghavaiah |url=http://kuchipudiyakshaganam.org/2011/09/vedantam-raghavaiah/ |website=Kuchipudi Yakshaganam}}

Film craft and Devadasu

His directorial film Devadasu (1953),{{cite web |last=S. Suchitra Lata |first= |date=5 December 2002 |title=Memories of the Southern Devadas |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2002/12/05/stories/2002120500700100.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021227045505/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2002/12/05/stories/2002120500700100.htm |archive-date=27 December 2002 |website=The Hindu}} which was the first Telugu adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel, and Devadas was the second Tamil adaptation of the same, following the 1937 Devadas directed by and starring P. V. Rao.{{sfnm|1a1=Rajadhyaksha|1a2=Willemen|1y=1998|1p=331|2a1=Baskaran|2y=1996|2p=116}} During pre-production Akkineni Nageswara Rao, who portrayed the titular character, later recalled that Raghavayya, being a Kuchipudi dance exponent and an experienced stage actor, used to enact the scenes before the actors, thereby making their job easy. He recalled that the director shot him only at night so that he could give the character a "drunken, droopy" look.{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/05/31/stories/2002053100950300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020621132622/http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/05/31/stories/2002053100950300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2002-06-21|website=The Hindu|title=The immortal lover}} Those night-time shots were filmed over 50 days. The final length of both versions was {{convert|17260|feet}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1953-cinedetails15.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325024658/http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1953-cinedetails15.asp|url-status=usurped|archive-date=25 March 2017|title=1953 வெளியான படங்களின் விபரம்- Lakshman Sruthi - 100% Manual Orchestra -|website=www.lakshmansruthi.com}} Devadasu and Devadas are regarded as among the most successful films in Telugu and Tamil cinema respectively. Both versions were critically and commercially successful. It has since achieved cult status, with terms and phrases from the film being widely cited.{{cite book |last=Sastry |first=K. N. T. |url=http://www.idlebrain.com/nosta/devadasu.html |title=Alanati Chalana Chitram |date=1986 |publisher=Cinema Group |author-link=K. N. T. Sastry |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000516201633/http://www.idlebrain.com/nosta/devadasu.html |archive-date=16 May 2000 |url-status=dead |via=Idlebrain}} In April 2013, News18 included the film in its list of "100 greatest Indian films of all time".{{cite web | url=http://www.news18.com/photogallery/movies/100-years-of-indian-cinema-the-100-greatest-indian-films-of-all-time-903065.html | title=100 Years of Indian Cinema: The 100 greatest Indian films of all time | publisher=News18 | date=17 April 2013 | access-date=13 June 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425234818/http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/13200-56.html | archive-date=25 April 2013}}

Theater and dance

Usha in Ushaparinayam
Sita in Ramanataka Yakshaganam
Leelavathi in Prahallada Yakshaganam
Chandramathi in Hrischandra nataka Yakshaganam
Sasirekha in Sasirekhaparinaya Yakshaganam
Mohini in Mohini Rukmangada Yakshaganam
Satyabhama in Bhamakalapa Yakshaganam
Bala Gopala Tarangam

Personal life

Raghavayya was born in Kuchipudi, Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh on 8 June 1919 to Vedantam Ramayya and Annapurnamma. He had six daughters and a son, including renowned Kuchipudi guru Vedantam Ramu, and actress Shubha. He was married to actress Suryaprabha, the sister of actress Pushpavalli who was married to Gemini Ganesan, and their daughter Rekha is a Hindi actress.

Selected filmography

;As actor and choreographer

Mohini Rukmanigada (1937) (actor in the Balagopala Tarangam)
Raithu Bidda (1939) (dancer and choreographer)
Panthulamma (1943) (choreographer)
Garuda Garvabhangam (1943) (actor and choreographer)
Sri Seeta Rama Jananam (1944) (choreographer)
Swargaseema (1945) (choreographer)
Tyagayya (1946) (choreographer)
Palnati Yudham (1947) (choreographer)
Yogi Vemana (1947) (choreographer)
Vande Mataram (1948) (choreographer)
Laila Majnu (1949) (choreographer)
Raksharekha (1949) (actor and choreographer)

;As director

Stree Sahasamu (1951) (producer and director)
Santhi (1952) (producer and director)
Devadasu (Telugu and Tamil) (1953) (producer and director)
Annadata (1954) (director)
Anarkali (1955) (director)
Chiranjeevulu (1956) (director)
Bhale Ramudu (Telugu, 1956) (director)
Prema Pasam (Tamil, 1956) (director)
Suvarna Sundari (1957) (screenplay writer and director)
Bhale Ammayilu (Telugu, 1957) (director)
Iru Sagodharigal (Tamil, 1957) (director); also credited for screenplay writer
Manalane Mangayin Bhagyam (1957) (director)
Raja Nandini (1958) (director)
Inti Guttu (1958) (director)
Bala Nagamma (1959) (director)
Jai Bhawana (1959) (director)
Adutha Veetu Penn (1960) (director)
Mamaku Tagga Alludu (1960) (director)
Runanubandham (1960) (director)
Swarna Manjari (1962) (director)
Mangaiyar Ullam Mangatha Selvam (1962) (director)
Aada Brathuku (1965) (director)
Nanna Kartavya (1965) (director)
Badukuva Daari (1966) (director)
Sati Sakkubai (1965) (director)
Rahasyam (1967) (director)
Sati Sumathi (1967) (director)
Kumkumabharina (1968) (director)
Sapta Swaralu (1969) (director)
Ulagam Ivvalavuthan (1969) (director)
Bhale Ethu Chivaraku Chittu (1970) (director)