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S. V. Ranga Rao

Samarla Venkata Ranga Rao, popularly known as S. V. Ranga Rao and SVR, was an Indian actor and filmmaker who primarily worked in Telugu and Tamil films. He is regarded as one of the finest actors in the history of Indian cinema. He is known by the epithet "Viswa Nata Chakravarthi" and was the earliest known character actor in South Indian cinema to achieve a star status. In a career spanning nearly three decades, Ranga Rao garnered various national and international honours.

Early life
Ranga Rao was born in Nuziveedu in erstwhile Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh in 1918 in a Telugu farmer family of Kapu caste. His father, Samarla Koteswara Rao, was an excise inspector at Nuzvidu, and his mother's name was Smt. Lakshmi Narasayamma. ==Career==
Career
S. V. R. got an invitation from one of his relatives, B. V. Ramanandam, to play the lead actor in his film Varoodhini (1947). He immediately abandoned the job, and left for Salem to join the celluloid world. However, the film didn't do well at the box office. Ranga Rao also starred in the enduring classics Mayabazar (1957) and Nartanasala (1963), featured in the CNN-IBN's list of "100 greatest Indian films of all time". In a career spanning nearly three decades, he acted in over 160 films 109 in Telugu and 53 in Tamil. He was one of the earliest stars to feature in commercials and his ad for the popular cigarette brand Berkeley, was extremely popular. ==Characters essayed==
Characters essayed
Akbar in AnarkaliBanasura in Usha ParinayamBhishma in Bala BharatamBhoja in Mahakavi KalidasuDaksha in DakshayagnamDuryodhana in Pandava VanavasamGhatotkacha in MayabazarHarischandra in HarischandraHiranyakashipu in Bhakta PrahladaKamsa in Yashoda Krishna and Srikrishna LeelaluKeechaka in NarthanasalaMayasura in BhookailasNarakasura in Vinayaka Chaviti and DeepavaliRajaraja Narendra in SarangadharaRavana in Sampoorna Ramayanam, Veeranjaneya, and Indrajeet (Sati Sulochana) • Tandra Paparayudu in Bobbili YuddhamUgrasena in Guna SundariYama in Sati Savitri ==Personal life==
Personal life
Ranga Rao married Leelavati, daughter of Badeti Venkata Ramayya and Koteswaramma on 27 December 1947. They have three children: two daughters, Vijaya and Prameela and a son, Koteswara Rao. Ranga Rao wanted to launch his son into films and shot a few portions. But the film didn't take off for unknown reasons. He was a pet-lover, owned two German Shepherds at his residence. Ranga Rao was a poet and also wrote short stories for a few publications and nurtured a love for cricket, painting, hunting. == Death ==
Death
Ranga Rao suffered from heart attack at Hyderabad in February 1974. He was admitted to Osmania General Hospital. Doctors suggested him to have "bypass surgery" and advised him to quit drinking, smoking & acting for sometime and take rest. But Ranga Rao neglected doctors' words. Unfortunately, he suffered from another heart stroke on 18 July 1974 at Madras. It proved to be fatal and the actor died before any medical treatment could be administered. == Legacy ==
Legacy
at Tummalapalli Kshetraya School of Arts in Vijayawada Government of Andhra Pradesh instituted an award in his memory, presented every year to the best character acting performance, known as the S. V. Ranga Rao Award for Best Character Actor. In 2018, N. Chandrababu Naidu, then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh unveiled a 12.5 feet bronze statue of Ranga Rao at Kalaparru on the outskirts of Eluru and announced that the state government was planning to establish a museum on Ranga Rao in Eluru. Srivathsan Nadadhur of The Hindu wrote of him during his birth centenary in 2018 as follows, "S V Ranga Rao's diction, towering on-screen persona, impressive quirks to his character-sketches, the ability to draw inspiration from society and literature have cemented his ‘irreplaceable’ stature over the years." CV Aravind of The News Minute wrote of him in 2018, "SV Ranga Rao was ranked on par with the superstars of the 1950s, 60s and 70s such as N. T .Rama Rao, Nageswara Rao, M. G. Ramachandran, and Sivaji Ganesan. Ranga Rao was one of the earliest to be hailed as a ‘method’ actor and a substandard performance from him was simply out of the question. Rated as one of the most dignified and cooperative stars, he was held in high regard by the acting fraternity." ==Awards==
Awards
;International honors • Best Actor Award - 3rd Afro-Asian Film Festival held in Jakarta - (1963) - for Keechaka in Nartanasala ;Nandi Award for Best Feature Film (Director) • Chadarangam (1967) - Second Best Feature Film (Silver) • Bandhavyalu (1968) - Best Feature Film (Gold) ;Other honors • He was given distinguished titles such as Rashtrapati Award, Viswa Nata Chakravarti, Nata Sarvabhouma, Nata Sekhara, Nata Simha. ==Selected filmography==
Selected filmography
Actor DirectorBandhavyalu (1968) • Chadarangam (1967) ProducerBandhavyalu (1968) (producer) • Chadarangam (1967) (producer) • Naadi Aada Janme (1965) (producer) • Sukhadukhalu (1969) ==References==
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