L. V. Prasad worked as an errand boy for Venus Film Company. He then joined India Pictures as an errand boy, where Akthar Nawaz cast him in a bit-part in the silent film
Star of the East. In 1931, he acted in India's first "talkie",
Alam Ara, recruited through Venus Film Company. Other minor roles followed. These films were made by Imperial Films, through which he met
H. M. Reddy. Reddy gave Prasad a small role in
Kalidas, the first Tamil and Telugu bilingual "talkie", and subsequently in
Bhakta Prahlada, the first Telugu "talkie". It was around this time that Prasad made contact with his family and then returned home to visit them. He then returned to Bombay with his wife and daughter, where his sons, Anand and Ramesh, were born. Prasad by chance got a role as an assistant director in
Kamar-Al–Zaman, directed by Ali Shah. This was also the time that his name was shortened from Akkineni Lakshmi Vara Prasad Rao to L. V. Prasad, this being a consequence of a clerk finding the name too long to use. The shortened name stuck with him thereafter. Tantra Subrahmanyam assigned him a job of a production supervisor and assistant director for the film
Kashta Jeevi, which took him to Bombay again. The film was abandoned after shooting three reels. Prasad was in no mood to leave now and he got a job as assistant director in a few other films. During this time, using his connections with
Prithviraj Kapoor, he joined
Prithvi Theatres and satisfied his acting passion. It was during this time that he met
Raj Kapoor, the hero of his first Hindi production
Sharada. In 1943, he got the opportunity to take on the responsibility of assistant director for
Gruha Pravesam. Due to circumstances, he became the director of the film and then he was also chosen as the lead actor of the film.
Gruha Pravesam, released in 1946 was one of the finest films of the forties and went on to become a classic of the period. After this, K. S. Prakasa Rao offered Prasad an important role in
Drohi. During this time, Ramabrahmam was facing difficulty in finishing his film
Palnati Yudham due to ill health and he chose Prasad to do justice to this film. After this in 1949, Prasad directed
Mana Desam and introduced
N. T. Rama Rao, later to become a legend in Telugu cinema, in a minor role. In 1950,
Vijaya Pictures released their first film
Shavukaru, establishing L. V. Prasad as a director.
Samsaram, released in the same year, brought together the two people who would become notable actors in the
Telugu film industry as brothers – N. T. Rama Rao and
Akkineni Nageswara Rao in a social drama which created records wherever it was released. The film provided a model for later filmmakers, a model and theme relevant and popular amongst film makers even today. After this, success chased him. He directed some memorable films in the fifties all of them known for their drama and fine humour.
Rani a Hindi film took him to Bombay again and after that Jupiter Films engaged L. V. Prasad to direct their magnum opus
Manohara (1954), starring the legendary
Sivaji Ganesan in Tamil and dub it in Telugu and Hindi. But L. V. Prasad had more goals to achieve. In 1955, he assigned
D. Yoganand to direct his first production
Ilavelpu in Telugu under the banner Lakshmi Productions. L. V. Prasad established Prasad Productions, soon after this in 1956. His second son Ramesh returned from the United States after obtaining his B.E.M.S degree and established Prasad Film Labs in Chennai in 1974. Prasad Productions made many memorable box office hits including
Beti Bete (1964),
Milan (1967),
Khilona (1970),
Sasural and
Ek Duuje Ke Liye. L. V. Prasad contributed generously towards the establishment of
L. V. Prasad Eye Institute in
Hyderabad. ==Prasad Group==