(This article has been contributed by Mr. Ratnakar Sadasyula)
You might have seen these actors, enjoyed their roles on screen, laughed along with them, been terrified by their villainy, or often wept along with them too. But how much do you know about these actors behind the scenes, or their real persona as opposed to their reel persona. Well, here are some interesting facts about some under Telugu actors, which you may or may not have known.
1. Ramana Reddy, with his lanky frame, was one of the top comedians of Telugu cinema in older time. Particularly memorable for his role as Chinnamaya in Maya Bazaar, and his Nellore accent. He learnt magic as a hobby and has actually given more than 100 magic shows in real life, mostly for fund raising purposes. He also happens to be the paternal uncle of industrialist, MP, T.Subbirami Reddy.
2. CSR Anjaneyelu was famous for his very distinctive voice, and of course his memorable role as Shakuni in Mayabazaar, as well as the villain in other movies. He also took active part in the National movement, and when Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, appealed for funds, he donated 10,000 to the Indian National Army, through the money he got for shows of his play Tukaram.
3. Rami Reddy made a memorable debut as the bad guy in Ankusam with his Telangana dialect and spot pedatha punch. He was one of the most well noted bad guys not just in Telugu cinema, but even Bollywood with his menacing looks, dead pan dialog delivery. But prior to entering movies he was a journalist and graduated in journalism from Osmania University.
4. Dhulipala, often famous as the Andhra Sakuni, for his role in Daana Veera Soora Karna, and a well known character actor of yesteryears. His real name was Dhulipala Seetarama Sastry, and used to work as an advocate’s clerk, before entering movies. After acting in around 300 movies he took sanyas motivated by Kanchi Kamakothi Peetam’s Swami Jayendra Saraswati, and established the Maruthi Ashram at Guntur. He can be seen in Murari as the Swamiji who predicts Mahesh Babu’s death.
5. Veteran actor Sarath Babu was from Amadalavalasa in Srikakulam district, and his father ran a successful hotel business. He wanted to be a cop, but due to short sight, could not make it. And that was when he tried his luck in movies, and made his debut with K.Balachander’s Idhi Katha Kaadhu.
6. Tanikella Bharani has an impressive family lineage. Viswanatha Satyanarayana was his grand uncle, and Divakarala Tirupati Sastry, one of the Tirupati Venkata Kavulu duo, was his great grand uncle. He credits this to his literary abilities.
7. Veteran actor Ranganath, who has a long career as a hero, character actor, villain used to work as a ticket collector in Railways.
8. Gollapudi Maruthi Rao is a graduate in Mathematical Physics from Andhra University, and has written several plays, novels, short story collections etc. His volume of essays on theater, Telugu Nataka Rangam is prescribed as a textbook for Department of Theater Arts, Andhra University.
2. CSR Anjaneyelu was famous for his very distinctive voice, and of course his memorable role as Shakuni in Mayabazaar, as well as the villain in other movies. He also took active part in the National movement, and when Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, appealed for funds, he donated 10,000 to the Indian National Army, through the money he got for shows of his play Tukaram.
3. Rami Reddy made a memorable debut as the bad guy in Ankusam with his Telangana dialect and spot pedatha punch. He was one of the most well noted bad guys not just in Telugu cinema, but even Bollywood with his menacing looks, dead pan dialog delivery. But prior to entering movies he was a journalist and graduated in journalism from Osmania University.
4. Dhulipala, often famous as the Andhra Sakuni, for his role in Daana Veera Soora Karna, and a well known character actor of yesteryears. His real name was Dhulipala Seetarama Sastry, and used to work as an advocate’s clerk, before entering movies. After acting in around 300 movies he took sanyas motivated by Kanchi Kamakothi Peetam’s Swami Jayendra Saraswati, and established the Maruthi Ashram at Guntur. He can be seen in Murari as the Swamiji who predicts Mahesh Babu’s death.
5. Veteran actor Sarath Babu was from Amadalavalasa in Srikakulam district, and his father ran a successful hotel business. He wanted to be a cop, but due to short sight, could not make it. And that was when he tried his luck in movies, and made his debut with K.Balachander’s Idhi Katha Kaadhu.
6. Tanikella Bharani has an impressive family lineage. Viswanatha Satyanarayana was his grand uncle, and Divakarala Tirupati Sastry, one of the Tirupati Venkata Kavulu duo, was his great grand uncle. He credits this to his literary abilities.
7. Veteran actor Ranganath, who has a long career as a hero, character actor, villain used to work as a ticket collector in Railways.
8. Gollapudi Maruthi Rao is a graduate in Mathematical Physics from Andhra University, and has written several plays, novels, short story collections etc. His volume of essays on theater, Telugu Nataka Rangam is prescribed as a textbook for Department of Theater Arts, Andhra University.
