V. Nagaiah

Chittor V. Nagayya Born Vuppaladadiyam Nagayya, (1904-03-28)March 28, 1904, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh Died December 30, 1973(1973-12-30) (aged 69) Occupation actor, composer, director, producer, writer and playback singer Chittor V. Nagaiah (born Vuppaladadiyam Nagayya, Telugu: వుప్పలదడియం నాగయ్య) was a multilingual Indian film actor, composer, director, producer, writer and playback singer from Andhra Pradesh, India. Indian film journalist and the editor of Film India, Baburao Patel, described Nagiah as 'The Paul Muni of India'. Nagaiah has acted in about 200 Telugu films, and 160 films in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. He was one of the first south Indian actors, to be honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1965. Early life: Nagaiah was born on 28 March 1904 in a Telugu speaking brahmin family, Andhra Pradesh. His parents were Ramalinga Sarma and Venkata Lakshmamba. The family moved to Kuppam and later to Tirupati, in Chittoor district. He took up studies with the scholarship provided by the Tirupati Devasthanam and took his degree in Chittoor. Career: He worked as a clerk in a government office. Later, he turned into a journalist with "Andhra Patrika". Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru influenced him and he participated in the freedom struggle (Dandi Satyagraha) in 1930. He worked with gramophone companies like Hutchins. He attended the Gowhati Congress conclave with S. Srinivasa Iyyengar. He held strong association with 'Rama Vilasa Sabha' a cultural association in Chittoor. He performed several stage plays 'Sarangadhara', 'Viswamithra Chitra Nilayam', 'Savitri', 'Bruhannala' and 'Ramadasu' and took on the roles of saint poets Pothana, Vemana, Rama Dasu and Thyagiah. He bagged gold medal for his female role as 'Chitrangi', in the play 'Sarangadhara'. During that period he was married to Vijaya Lakshmi, but she died when she was giving birth to a girl child a year after. He then married Girija. Girija too died due to miscarriage in the eighth month. His daughter died of an undiagnosed illness. He participated in long stays at Ramana Maharshi Ashram. He joined the Chennapuri Andhra Maha Sabha (CAMS), a popular cultural Association of Andhras in the erstwhile Madras. Nagaiah developed life-time friendship with Bommireddy Narasimha Reddy . H. M. Reddy formed the Rohini Pictures with the association of B.N. Reddy. The firm started its first venture in Telugu through the film 'Gruhalakshmi' in 1938, in which Nagaiah played a significant role, as the brother of the heroine Kannambha. Later, the association worked through several films with Vauhini Studios including 'Vande Matharam' (1939), 'Sumangali' (1940), 'Devata' (1941), 'Bhakta Potana' (1942), 'Swarga Seema' (1945), 'Thygayya' (1946). He started getting offers from the Telugu and Tamil film industries equally. Nagiah became the highest paid actor by the time he was doing the film 'Beedalapatlu'. The film 'Thyagayya' was released in the year 1946 . Nagaiah was the producer, director, music director and actor for the film 'Thyagiah'. After that he made films 'Naa Illu' in 1953 and 'Bhakta Ramadas' in 1964. 'Chakradhari' was a musical from 1948 based on the story of the Maharashtrian potter-saint Gora Kumbhar. Civilian Honours: Padmashri, Government of India in 1965, Awards: Abinava Thyagaraju by Thiruvankur Maharaja., Best Actor Award by the Andhra Film Journalists Association, Partial filmography: Actor: Year Film Language Character 1938 Gruhalakshmi Telugu Gopinath 1939 Vande Mataram Telugu Raghu 1940 Sumangali Telugu Panthulu 1940 Viswamohini Telugu A Film Director 1941 Ashok Kumar Tamil King Ashoka 1941 Devatha Telugu Venu 1942 Bhakta Potana Telugu Pothana 1943 Bhagyalaxmi Telugu Srinivasa Rao 1943 Chenchu Lakshmi Telugu Chenchu's Father 1945 Meera Hindi King of Mewar 1945 Meera Tamil King of Mewar 1945 Swargaseema Telugu Murthy 1946 Thyagayya Telugu Tyagayya 1947 Yogi Vemana Telugu Vemana 1948 Chakradhari Tamil 1949 Mana Desam Telugu 1949 Navajeevanam Tamil Mahadevan 1950 Beedala Patlu Telugu 1950 Ezhai Padum Padu Tamil Kandan 1951 Sarvadhikari Tamil 1952 Thayi Ullam Tamil 1953 En Veedu Tamil 1953 Gumasta Tamil 1953 Gumasta Telugu Ranganatham 1953 Ladki Hindi 1953 Naa Illu Telugu Sivaram 1953 Panakkari Tamil 1953 Penn Tamil 1953 Prapancham Telugu 1953 Sangham Telugu 1954 Ethirparadathu Tamil Dayaparar 1954 Maa Gopi Telugu 1954 Viduthalai Tamil Periaswamy 1955 Anarkali Telugu 1955 Kanavane Kan Kanda Daivam Tamil 1956 Asai Tamil 1956 Bhakta Markandeya Kannada 1956 Bhakta Markandeya Tamil 1956 Bhakta Markandeya Telugu 1956 Muddu Bidda Telugu 1956 Naga Panchami Telugu 1956 Tenali Ramakrishna Telugu Mahamantri Thimmarusu 1956 Tenali Raman Tamil Mahamantri Thimmarusu 1957 Nala Damayanti Tamil 1957 Nala Damayanti Telugu 1957 Panduranga Mahatyam Telugu Jahnavi 1957 Sati Savitri Telugu 1958 Bommala Pelli Telugu 1958 Ettuku Pai Ettu Telugu 1958 Parvati Kalyanam Telugu 1958 Sampoorna Ramayanam Telugu 1959 Banda Ramudu Telugu 1959 Jayabheri Telugu Viswambhara Sastri 1959 Kalaivanan Tamil 1959 Nalla Theerpu Tamil 1960 Abhimanam Telugu 1960 Shantinivasam Telugu 1960 Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam Telugu Balaji 1961 Ellam Unnakkaga Tamil 1961 Intiki Deepam Illalu Telugu 1961 Nagarjuna Telugu 1961 Pavamanippu Temil 1961 Sabash Raja Telugu 1961 Sri Seetha Rama Kalyanam Telugu Dasarathudu 1961 Vagdanam Telugu Vishwanatham (Vijaya's father) 1962 Aalayamani Tamil 1962 Dakshayagnam Tamil Dadhichi 1962 Dakshayagnam Telugu Dadhichi 1962 Siri Sampadalu Telugu Nayudu 1962 Swarnamanjari Telugu 1962 Valar Pirai Tamil 1963 Anuragam Telugu 1963 Lakshadhikari Telugu Lakshadhikari Rangaiah 1963 Lava Kusha Telugu Valmiki Maharshi 1963 Naan Vanangum Daivam Tamil 1963 Sri Krishnarjuna Yudham Telugu Akroora 1964 Aatma Balam Telugu 1964 Aggi Pidugu Telugu 1964 Amarshilpi Jakkanachari Kannada 1964 Chandavalliya Tota Kannada 1964 Amarshilpi Jakanna Telugu 1964 Annapurna Kannada Father of Annapurna 1964 Bobbili Yudham Telugu 1964 Devatha Telugu Father of Prasad 1964 Gudi Gantalu Telugu 1964 Pachai Vilakku Tamil 1964 Ramadasu Telugu Ramadasu 1965 Preminchi Choodu Telugu 1965 Satya Harishchandra Telugu Vasistha Maharshi 1965 Shanti Tamil 1965 Sri Simhachala Kshetra Mahima Telugu Father of Pururava 1965 Veerabhimanyu Telugu 1966 Aastiparulu Telugu Diwan to Zamindar 1966 Adugu Jaadalu Telugu 1966 Bhakta Potana Telugu Vyasa Maharshi 1966 Navarathri Telugu 1966 Parakkum Pavai Tamil 1966 Paramanandayya Sishyula Katha Telugu Paramanandaiah 1966 Sri Krishna Pandaviyam Telugu 1967 Bhama Vijayam Telugu 1967 Iru Malargal Tamil 1967 Maa Vadina Telugu 1967 Poola Rangadu Telugu Veeraiah 1967 Private Master Telugu Father of Private Master 1967 Rahasyam Telugu 1967 Sri Krishnavataram Telugu Dhritarashtra 1967 Veera Pooja Telugu 1968 Bandhavyalu Telugu 1968 Brahmachari Telugu 1968 Nindu Samsaram Telugu 1968 Ramu Telugu 1968 Thillana Mohanambal Tamil Shanmugasundaram's guru 1969 Aadarsa Kutumbam Telugu 1969 Mooga Nomu Telugu 1969 Natakala Rayudu Telugu Adiseshayya 1969 Saptaswaralu Telugu 1970 Akka Chellelu Telugu Second judge 1970 Tapalkaran Thanga Tamil 1970 Thalli Thandrulu Telugu Raobahadur Perumallu 1971 C.I.D.Raju Telugu 1971 Iru Thuruvam Tamil 1971 Jeevitha Chakram Telugu 1971 Kulagaurava Kannada 1971 Ramalayam Telugu Temple priest 1971 Sampoorna Ramayanam Telugu Vasishta Mahamuni 1971 Sri Krishna Satya Telugu 1971 Srimanthudu Telugu 1972 Bala Bharatam Telugu 1972 Beedala Patlu Telugu 1972 Goodu Putani Telugu 1972 Iddaru Ammayilu Telugu Laxman Rao 1972 Neethi Tamil 1972 Papam Pasivadu Telugu Doctor 1972 Pedda Koduku Telugu 1972 Sakthi Leela Tamil 1973 Ganga Gauri Tamil 1973 Pattikatu Ponnaiah Tamil 1973 Vishali Telugu 1974 Inti Kodalu Telugu 1976 Ennai Pol Oruvan Tamil Composer and play back singer Year Film Song 1938 Grihalakshmi Lendu Bharata Veerulara 1953 Gumasta Oyi Parugekkadikoyi 1953 Prapancham Anta Kooleelam Manamanta Kooleelam, Premasudha Sarasilo Hamsalamai 1953 Sangham Jati Bhedam Samasipoda 1954 Maa Gopi Sanubhoothiye Leda Jagatini, Amma Krishnamma Apacharamemitamma 1956 Bhakta Markandeya Om Namashivaya, Jaya Jaya Shankara Sambasadashiva 1956 Naga Panchami Sambho Mahadeva 1956 Muddu Bidda Itulela Chesavaya O Devadeva 1956 Tenali Ramakrishna Gandupilli Menu Marichi 1957 Nala Damayanti Ghorambaina Daavagni Keelakerayai 1957 Panduranga Mahatyam Jaya Jaya Gokula Bala, Sannuti Seyave Manasa 1962 Swarnamanjari Madhuramaina Guru Deevena 1967 Maa Vadina Suthudilu Peeda Mandiramu (poem) 1967 Poola Rangadu Chillara Rallaku Mokkutu Unte Chedipoduvura Playback singer Ramadasu (1964), Gumasta (1953/II) (playback singer and composer), Naa Illu (1953) (playback singer and composer), Yogi Vemana (1947) (playback singer and composer), Thyagayya (1946) (playback singer and composer), Swargaseema (1945) (playback singer and composer), Bhakta Potana (1942) (playback singer and composer), Devatha (1941) (playback singer and composer), Sumangali (1940) (playback singer and composer), Vishwamohini (1940) (playback singer), Vande Mataram (1939) (playback singer and composer), Grihalakshmi (1938) (playback singer), Director (partial filmography) Ramadasu (Telugu, 1964), En Veedu (Tamil, 1953), Naa Illu (Telugu, 1953), Thyagayya (Telugu, 1946), Producer (partial filmography) Naa Illu (1953), Writer (partial filmography) Thyagayya (1946)

Source: Wikipedia

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