Maruti Rao

Biography:

Gollapudi Maruti Rao was an Indian actor, screenwriter, dramatist, playwright, columnist, and dialogue writer best known for his work in Telugu theater, Telugu literature, and Telugu cinema (14 April 1939 – 12 December 2019). Rao played a range of roles in more than 250 Telugu movies.He received multiple State Awards for his notable plays and literary works, including Rendu Rellu Aaru, Patita, Karuninchani Devatalu, Mahanatudu, Kaalam Venakku Tirigindi, and Aasayaalaku Sankellu.

He served as a jury member for the Indian Panorama portion of the International Film Festival of India in 1996 while also being a member of the National Film Development Corporation’s script scrutiny committee. His notable screenplays include Doctor Chakravarthy, Tharangini, Samsaram Chadharangam, Kallu, and others. Six Andhra Pradesh State Nandi Awards went to him. He founded the Gollapudi Srinivas Memorial Foundation in 1997, which gives out the Gollapudi National Award to the director of the greatest debut film in Indian cinema.

For more than 20 years, Rao was also well-known for his journalism and work with All India Radio. His drama was taught as part of Osmania University’s Master of Arts (Telugu literature) program. The National Book Trust’s Aadaan Pradaan program saw this book translated into every Indian language. The piece was recreated in 1988 into a Telugu film, which in 1989 took home the Nandi Award for Best Story. His 1975 drama Kallu, which won the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film, was later adapted into the Telugu film Kallu. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s Song and Drama Division bought his play Oka Chettu – Rende Puvvulu for public performance.

Telugu Nataka Rangam, a collection of theatre articles, was recommended as a textbook for the Andhra University Department of Theatre Arts in Visakhapatnam in 1967. Two of his research pieces, “History of the development in “Thought” and “Technique” of Telugu Play-writing” and “Amateur Theatre – its origin and growth in relation to the World Amateur Theatre movement,” were published in the 11th volume of Andhra Vignana Sarvaswam (Telugu Encyclopedia). Andhra Pradesh State Information & Public Relations Department published his Telugu play Vandemaataram, the first one to deal with the Sino-Indian War, in 1963.