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K. Raghavendra Rao
Rao at an interview in 2018
Born	Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao (1942-05-23) 23 May 1942 (age 82) Kolavennu, Madras Presidency, British India (now Andhra Pradesh, India)
Occupations	Film director screenwriter choreographer producer
Years active	1977–present
Spouse	Sarala
Children	2, including Prakash Kovelamudi
Parent(s)	K. S. Prakash Rao (father) G. Varalakshmi (step-mother)
Relatives	K. Bapayya (cousin) Shobu Yarlagadda (son-in-law)

Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao (born 23 May 1942) is an Indian filmmaker known primarily for his work in Telugu cinema, besides a few Hindi films. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has directed over a hundred films across various genres, including romantic comedies, fantasies, melodramas, action thrillers, biographical dramas, and romances. He has received numerous accolades, including four Nandi Awards and five Filmfare Awards South.

Raghavendra Rao received the state Nandi Award for Best Director for his works such as Bobbili Brahmanna (1984), and Pelli Sandadi (1996). He received the Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu for the drama film Prema Lekhalu (1977), the fantasy film Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990), and the romance film Allari Priyudu (1993). Raghavendra Rao is known for his works in hagiographical films such as Annamayya (1997), which won two National Film Awards, and was featured at the 29th IFFI in the mainstream section. Raghavendra Rao also received the Nandi Award for Best Direction, the Filmfare Award for Best Direction for his work in the film. His other hagiographic works such as Sri Manjunatha (2001), Sri Ramadasu (2006), Shirdi Sai (2012) and Om Namo Venkatesaya (2017), received several state honours.

His mainstream works such as the 1987 social problem film Agni Putrudu, and the 1988 romantic action Aakhari Poratam, were featured at the 11th and 12th IFFI respectively in the mainstream section. In 1992, he directed the melodrama Gharana Mogudu featured at the 24th IFFI in the mainstream section. It became the first Telugu film to gross over ₹10 crore (US$1.2 million) at the box office. Next, he directed the instant hit Allari Priyudu (1993), featured at the 25th IFFI in the mainstream section.

Personal life

Raghavendra Rao was born on 23 May 1942 to veteran director K. S. Prakash Rao and Koteswaramma. He is also the father of actor turned filmmaker Prakash Kovelamudi. Raghavendra Rao was an executive member in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Board from 2015 to 2019.

Awards and honors

Nandi Awards

• NTR National Award - 2015
• B. N. Reddy National Award for lifetime contribution to Telugu cinema (2009)
• Best Director – Annamayya (1997)
• Best Choreographer – Pelli Sandadi (1996)
• Best Director – Pelli Sandadi (1996)
• Best Director – Allari Priyudu (1993)
• Best Director – Bobbili Brahmanna (1984)

Filmfare Awards South

• Best Director – Prema Lekhalu (1977)
• Best Director – Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990)
• Best Director – Allari Priyudu (1993)
• Best Director – Annamayya (1997)
• Lifetime Achievement Award (2002)

IIFA Awards

• Outstanding contribution to Indian cinema (2017)

SIIMA Awards

• Lifetime Achievement Award (2014)

CineMAA Awards

• Lifetime Contribution Award – (2012)
• Best Film (Jury) – Shirdi Sai – (2013)

Other Awards

• Allu Rama Lingaiah Award (2016)

Filmography

Director

Actor

Supervisor of direction

Associate director

Producer

Presenter

Choreographer

Television

• 2002: Santhi Nivasam (ETV)
• 2010: Arundathi (ETV Kannada)
• 2013: Mangammagari Manavaralu (Zee telugu)
• 2014: Soundrya Lahari (ETV)
• 2016: Koyilamma (MAA TV)
• 2017: Sye Sye Sayyare (ETV)
• 2017: Agnisakshi (Star MAA)
• 2018: Siri Siri Muvvalu (Star MAA)
• 2020: C/o Anasuya (Star MAA)
• 2021: Krishna Tulasi (Zee telugu)

References

1. Candid and confident – The Hindu
2. ^ CINEmaa Lifetime Achievement Award for Raghavendra Rao – The Hindu
3. "Directorate of Film Festival" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
4. Saroja Devi, Ramoji Rao among recipients of A.P. film awards – The Hindu
5. "Directorate of Film Festival" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
6. "Directorate of Film Festival" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
7. First Telugu film to gross 100 million
8. "Directorate of Film Festival" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
9. "Tollywood extends birthday wishes to K Raghavendra Rao". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
10. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Soundaryalahari - సౌందర్యలహరి - 15th June 2014". YouTube.
11. When the stars descended – The Hindu
12. "నంది అవార్డు విజేతల పరంపర (1964 - 2008)" [A series of Nandi Award Winners (1964 - 2008)] (PDF) (in Telugu). Information & Public Relations of Andhra Pradesh. 13 March 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
13. http:// Refer Filmfare Magazine August 1991, 38th filmfare awards south
14. "45th Filmfare South Best Director Awards". 4 February 2017. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
15. IANS (30 March 2017). "'Janatha Garage', 'Kirik Party' bag top honours at IIFA Utsavam 2017". Business Standard India – via Business Standard.
16. ^ "Director K Raghavendra Rao all set to make his acting debut with 'Pelli SandaD'; see first look". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 July 2021.

External links

• K. Raghavendra Rao at IMDb

v t e Nandi Award for Best Director
1981–1990	Bharathiraja (1981) U. Visweswar Rao (1982) Jandhyala (1983) K. Raghavendra Rao (1984) Singeetam Srinivasa Rao (1985) K. Viswanath (1986) K. Viswanath (1987) Suresh Krissna (1988) Ram Gopal Varma (1989) Kranthi Kumar (1990)
1991–2000	Ram Gopal Varma (1991) C. Umamaheswara Rao (1992) K. Raghavendra Rao (1993) Singeetam Srinivasa Rao (1994) K. Raghavendra Rao (1995) Gangaraju Gunnam (1996) K. Raghavendra Rao (1997) Dasari Narayana Rao (1998) Ram Gopal Varma (1999) S. V. Krishna Reddy (2000)
2001–2010	Teja (2001) Krishna Vamsi (2002) Gunasekhar (2003) Sekhar Kammula (2004) Krishna Vamsi (2005) Sekhar Kammula (2006) Krishna Vamsi (2007) Krish (2008) S. S. Rajamouli (2009) Sunil Kumar Reddy (2010)
2011–present	N. Shankar (2011) S. S. Rajamouli (2012) Daya Kodavaganti (2013) Boyapati Srinu (2014) S. S. Rajamouli (2015) Satish Vegesna (2016)
Category

• Living people
• Telugu film directors
• Kannada film directors
• 21st-century Indian people
• Filmfare Awards South winners
• Nandi Award winners
• Hindi-language film directors
• Telugu film producers
• Hindi film producers
• Indian film choreographers
• People from Krishna district
• Film people from Andhra Pradesh
• Dancers from Andhra Pradesh
• 20th-century Indian people
• Film producers from Andhra Pradesh
• Film directors from Andhra Pradesh
• Screenwriters from Andhra Pradesh
• 1941 births
• South Indian International Movie Awards winners