Bellary Raghava (born ''Tadipatri Raghavacharyulu''; 2 August 1880 – 16 April 1946) was an Indian

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

and actor, known for his works predominantly in Telugu theatre and cinema.M.L. Narasimharao (2002) ''Nooruguru Telugu Pramukhulu''. Vepachedu Educational Foundation Inc. His uncle Dharmavaram Ramakrishnamacharyulu was a pioneering dramatist in Telugu, and initiated him on the stage. Raghava was also associated with another dramatist from

Ballari Ballari (formerly Bellary) is a city in the Ballari district in state of Karnataka, India. Ballari houses many steel plants such as JSW Steel, JSW Vijayanagar, one of the largest in Asia. Ballari district is also known as the ‘Steel city of ...

, Kolachalam Srinivasa Rao. His students include female artists like Sarojini Kopparapu, Padmavati Kommuri, Annapurna Kakinada, and male artists like Vasudevarao K.S., Apparao Basavaraju and Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao.

Early life

Raghava studied at Bellary High School and at Christian College, Madras. He then practiced law after graduating from Madras Law College in 1905. Aged 12, he founded Shakespeare Club in

and played in Shakespeare dramas. Raghava also portrayed main characters in various dramas in the Sreenivasarao Kolachalam's group "Sumanohara" in Bangalore. In 1909 he founded the ''Amateur Dramatic Association of Bangalore''.

Notable theatre works

''Harischandra'', ''Padukapattabhishekamu'', ''Savitri'', ''Brihannala'', ''Ramaraju charitra'', ''Ramadasu'', ''Tappevaridi'', ''Saripadani sangatulu'', etc. were his noted dramas. He visited various countries like Sri Lanka, England, France, Germany and Switzerland and gave seminars and lectures on Indian drama art. He advocated and developed the naturalistic style in acting. He was very particular that women should always play female roles on the stage. In 1927 he went to England and took part in English dramas with

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

and

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (; 1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British and American actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play wi ...

. His presentation of ''Tappevaridi'' by Rajamannar in 1930 in Madras, has received critical reception as a momentous event heralding a new era in Telugu theatre.

Cinema

In 1936, Raghava played ''Duryodhana'' in

H. M. Reddy Hanumappa Muniappa Reddy (12 June 1892 – 14 January 1960), known as H. M. Reddy, was an Indian film director and producer, known for his works in Telugu cinema. He directed the first Indian multilingual sound film '' Kalidas'' (1931), shot in ...

's ''Draupadi Maanasamrakshanam''. He then acted in '' Raithu Bidda'' (1939) and ''Chandika'' (1940), and garnered critical acclaim.

Death

Raghava died on 16 April 1946. The ''Ballari Raghava Puraskaram'' award was instituted in his memory. It is presented to talented artists who contributed to drama and cinema. In 1981, a postal stamp was released in his memory.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raghava, Bellary 1880 births 1946 deaths People from Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh Telugu-language writers Indian arts administrators Indian theatre directors 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights Indian male dramatists and playwrights Telugu-language dramatists and playwrights University of Madras alumni 20th-century Indian male actors Indian male film actors Dramatists and playwrights from Andhra Pradesh Male actors in Telugu cinema 19th-century Indian male actors Male actors in Telugu theatre Indian male stage actors 19th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights Male actors from Andhra Pradesh 20th-century Indian male writers Male actors from British India Dramatists and playwrights from British India