Kamalakara Kameswara Rao
Kamalakara Kameswara Rao (14 October 1911 – 29 June 1998) was an Indian film director known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema, and a few Tamil and Hindi films. Widely known as Pauranika Chitra Brahma (transl. Brahma of mythological films), Kameswara Rao directed fifty feature films in a variety of genres.
Kamalakara Kameswara Rao | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 October 1911 Machilipatnam, Madras Presidency, British India |
| Died | 29 June 1998 (aged 86) Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Occupation | Film direction |
| Education | Bachelor of Arts |
| Alma mater | Noble College, Machilipatnam |
| Period | 1940s to 1980s |
| Genre | Epic Historical |
| Notable works | Mahakavi Kalidasu Gundamma Katha Mahamantri Timmarusu Nartanasala |
In 1960 he directed the biographical film, Mahakavi Kalidasu which won the President's silver medal for Best Feature Film in Telugu. In 1962 he directed Gundamma Katha which was commercially successful and received the Filmfare Award for Best Film – Telugu. In the same year, he directed another biographical film, Mahamantri Timmarusu which won the President's silver medal for Best Feature Film in Telugu at the 10th National Film Awards.
In 1963, Rao directed the blockbuster, epic mythological film Nartanasala. The film is cited among CNN-IBN's list of the hundred greatest Indian films of all time. The film has received wide critical acclaim and has garnered the National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film at the 11th National Film Awards, and has secured the Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Film.