Vuppaladadiyam Nagayya Sarma (28 March 1904 – 30 December 1973), popularly known as Chittoor Nagayya, was an Indian actor, singer, music composer, and director known for his works in

Telugu cinema Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to the production of Film, motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Based in Film N ...

Tamil cinema Tamil cinema is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Tamil language, the main spoken language in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is nicknamed Kollywood, a portmanteau of the names Kodambakkam, a Ch ...

, and

Telugu theatre Telugu theatre is Indian theatre in the Telugu language, based in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Gurajada Apparao wrote the play, '' Kanyasulkam'' in 1892, which is often considered the greatest play in the Telugu language.20th Ce ...

. Nagayya was one of the first multilingual filmmakers in India. Indian film journalist

Baburao Patel Baburao Patel (1904–1982) was an Indian publisher and writer, associated with films and politics. Career Baburao: A Pioneer of Indian Cinema. Baburao was a key figure in the early days of Indian cinema. He started his career as a journalist ...

described Nagayya as "The

Paul Muni Paul Muni (born Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund; September 22, 1895 – August 25, 1967) was an American stage and film actor from Chicago. He started his acting career in the Yiddish theater and during the 1930s, he was considered one of ...

of India". Nagayya was considered the best

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

South Indian cinema Cinema of South India, refers to the cinema of the four major film industries in South India; primarily engaged in making feature films in the four major Dravidian languages of the region, namely Telugu cinema, Telugu, Tamil Cinema, Tamil, Ma ...

during 1940s and 1950s. In 1965, he became the first

South Indian South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...

actor to receive the

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

in Arts from the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

for his contributions to Indian cinema.Autobiography – Chittor V. Nagaiah, RK Books, Hyderabad, 2004. Brought up in Chittoor, Nagayya was closely connected to Rama Vilasa Sabha, a

association in the city. He made his film debut in '' Gruhalakshmi'' (1938). He worked in several films of

Vauhini Pictures Vijaya Vauhini Studios is a film production company based in Chennai, India. It is the combination of Vijaya Productions and Vauhini Studios. B. Nagi Reddy (Bommireddy Nagi Reddy) was the founder of Vijaya Productions and Moola Narayana Swam ...

such as ''Vande Mataram'' (1939), '' Sumangali'' (1940), ''

Devata ''Devata'' (pl: ''devatas'', meaning 'the gods') are smaller and more focused Devas (Deities) in Indian religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism. The term "devata" itself can also mean deva. They can be either male or female. Every human ac ...

'' (1941), ''

Swarga Seema ''Swargaseema'' is a 1945 Telugu-language drama film produced and directed by B. N. Reddi and starring V. Nagayya, B. Jayamma and Bhanumathi. The film marked the debut of Ghantasala as a playback singer and Marcus Bartley as a cinematograph ...

'' (1945), and ''Beedhalapatlu'' (1947). Nagayya was also the protagonist in ''

Viswa Mohini ''Viswa Mohini'' () is a 1940 Telugu-language romantic thriller film in the backdrop of Indian motion picture world, directed by Y. V. Rao. The ensemble cast starring V. Nagayya was written by Balijepalli Lakshmikanta Kavi, and was screened at ...

'' (1940), the first film on the Indian

motion picture A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, since ...

world. Nagayya made significant contributions to

, and starred in about two hundred Telugu films. He was a

method actor ''Method Actor'' is an eponymous album of the band Method Actor released in 1988 featuring American singer Eva Cassidy. It was unofficially re-released on CD in 2002. Track listing # "Getting Out" (David Christopher) – 4:19 # "Look in to My ...

, and his forte was usually playing intense characters, often immersing himself in the study of the real character's traits and mannerisms. His other prominent film roles include the 14th-century poet ''

Pothana Bammera Pothana (1450–1510) was a Telugu poet best known for his translation of the Srimad Bhaagavatam from Sanskrit to Telugu. He was a Telugu and Sanskrit Scholar. His work, Srimad Bhagavatamu, is popularly called as Pothana Bhagavatam i ...

'' in ''

Bhakta Potana ''Bhakta Pothana'' is a 1943 Telugu-language biographical film directed by K. V. Reddy in his directorial debut. Based on the life of poet-saint Pothana who translated Bhagavatham into Telugu language, the film was scripted by Samudrala Sr. T ...

'' (1942), 17th-century saint ''

Tyagaraja Sadguru Tyagaraja Swami ( Telugu: సద్గురు త్యాగరాజ స్వామి; 4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Tyagayya, and in full as Kakarla Tyagabrahmam ( Telugu: కాకర్ల త్యాగబ ...

'' in '' Thyagayya'' (1946), 12th-century saint ''

Gora Kumbhar Sant Gora Kumbhar (also known as Goroba) was a Hindu '' sant'' associated with the Bhakti movement and the Varkari sect of Maharashtra, India. He was a potter by trade and devotee of Vithal. Gora Kumbhar, along with other saints, wrote and sun ...

'' in ''Chakradhari'' (1948), and Sivaram in the social problem film ''

Naa Illu ''Naa Illu'' () is a 1953 Indian Telugu-language film produced and directed by V. Nagayya. The story was written by Devulapalli Krishnasastri. The film had two dance sequences and full-length Hindi songs sung by Meena Kapoor. The film was simul ...

'' (1953). In 1964, Nagayya essayed the 17th-century saint ''Bhadrachala Ramadasu'' in the film Ramadasu which he had also co-written, directed and produced. The film won the

National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu The National Film Award for Best Telugu Feature Film is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the National Film Development Corporation of India. It is one of several awards presented for feature films and awarded with Rajat Kam ...

. Nagayya also starred in about one hundred and sixty films in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...

, and

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

. In his honour, the Chittoor Nagayya Kalakshetram of Arts was established in

Chittoor Chittoor is a city and district headquarters in Chittoor district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is also the mandal and divisional headquarters of Chittoor mandal and Chittoor revenue division respectively. The city has a popul ...

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

Early life

Nagayya was born on 28 March 1904 in a

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

family in a tiny hamlet near

Repalle Repalle is a town in Bapatla district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The town is one of the 12 municipalities in Bapatla district and the headquarters of Repalle mandal under the administration of Repalle revenue division. It is situat ...

Guntur district Guntur district is one of the twenty six districts in the Coastal Andhra region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The administrative seat of the district is located at Guntur, the List of urban agglom ...

, Andhra Pradesh. His parents were Ramalinga Sarma and Venkata Lakshmamba. His maternal grandmother adopted him and took him to her native village, Gonugur, near

Kuppam Kuppam is a City in Chittoor district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located 115.8 kilometers south-east of Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka, and 243 kilometers west of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. It is the headqu ...

and later to

. He took up studies with a scholarship provided by the Tirupati Devasthanam and took his degree in Chittoor. After working as a clerk in a government office, Nagayya became a journalist with ''Andhra Patrika''.

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...

and Nehru influenced him and he participated in the freedom struggle ( Dandi Satyagraha) in 1930, later going on to work for some gramophone companies including Hutchins as well as attending the Gowhati Congress conclave with S. Srinivasa Iyyengar. He was married to Jaya Lakshmi, but she died giving birth to a daughter a year after. He then married Girija, and she too died due to miscarriage in the eighth month. His first daughter died of an undiagnosed illness. He then participated in long stays at

Ramana Maharshi Ramana Maharshi (; ; 30 December 1879 – 14 April 1950) was an Indian Hindu Sage (philosophy), sage and ''jivanmukta'' (liberated being). He was born Venkataraman Iyer, but is mostly known by the name Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. He was b ...

Ashram. He had family in

Tirupati Tirupati () is a city in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Andhra Pradesh and serves as the administrative headquarters of Tirupati district. It is known for its significant religious and cultural heritage, being home to th ...

who are his brother's (Vuppaladadiyam Subrahmanya Sarma) son, Vuppaladadiyam S. Haragopal and daughters (Late Amruthavalli and Late Kusuma), Lakshmi Narasimha and their children, Vuppaladadiyam Shyam Sundar and Vuppaladadiyam Pavan Kumar.Chittoor V. Nagaiah: A Monograph
/ref>

Accolades

;Civilian Awards *

Padmashri The Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 Janu ...

in 1965 ;National honors *Abinava Thyagaraju by the

Maharaja of Travancore The Maharaja of Travancore was the principal title of the ruler of the Kingdom of Travancore in the southern part of Kerala, India. The Maharaja of Travancore was the topmost ruler of Travancore until 1949, when Travancore was acceded to India. ...

;

National Film Awards The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...

(director) – 1964 for '' Ramadasu'' ;State Awards *Best Actor Award by the Andhra Film Journalists Association *Felicitated by a life size statue in Panagal Park, Chennai at his demise.

Selected filmography

Actor

;Composer and play back singer ;Playback singer *''Ramadasu'' (1964) * ''Tenali Raman'' *''Gumasta'' (1953/II) (playback singer and composer) *''

'' (1953) (playback singer and composer) *''

Yogi Vemana Vemana, popularly known as Yogi Vemana, was an Indian philosopher and poet in the Telugu language. His poems are known for their use of simple language and native idioms. They discuss the subjects of yoga, wisdom and morality. Early life and ...

'' (1947) (playback singer and composer) *''Thyagayya'' (1946) (playback singer and composer) *''

Swargaseema ''Swargaseema'' is a 1945 Telugu language, Telugu-language drama film produced and directed by B.N. Reddi, B. N. Reddi and starring V. Nagayya, B. Jayamma and Bhanumathi Ramakrishna, Bhanumathi. The film marked the debut of Ghantasala (musician), ...

'' (1945) (playback singer and composer) *''

'' (1942) (playback singer and composer) *''

Devatha ''Devata'' (pl: ''devatas'', meaning 'the gods') are smaller and more focused Devas (Deities) in Indian religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism. The term "devata" itself can also mean deva. They can be either male or female. Every human ac ...

'' (1941) (playback singer and composer) * ''Sumangali'' (1940) (playback singer and composer) *''

'' (1940) (playback singer) *''

Vande Mataram Vande Mātaram (Bengali language, Original Bengali: বন্দে মাতরম্‌ ''Bônde Mātôrôm'' Devanagari script: वंदे मातरम्; , Transcreation: I Bow to Thee, Mother) is a poem that was adopted as the nati ...

'' (1939) (playback singer and composer) *'' Gruhalakshmi'' (1938) (playback singer) ;Director (partial filmography) *''Ramadasu'' (Telugu, 1964) *''

En Veedu ''Naa Illu'' () is a 1953 Indian Telugu-language film produced and directed by V. Nagayya. The story was written by Devulapalli Krishnasastri. The film had two dance sequences and full-length Hindi songs sung by Meena Kapoor. The film was simult ...

'' (Tamil, 1953) *''

'' (Telugu, 1953) * ''Thyagayya'' (Telugu, 1946) ;Producer (partial filmography) *''

'' (1953) ;Writer (partial filmography) * ''Thyagayya'' (1946)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nagayya, V. 1904 births 1973 deaths 20th-century Indian composers 20th-century Indian male actors 20th-century Indian male singers 20th-century Indian screenwriters 20th-century Indian singers Film directors from Andhra Pradesh Film musicians from Andhra Pradesh Film producers from Andhra Pradesh Indian arts administrators Indian male film actors Indian male stage actors Indian theatre directors Male actors in Hindi cinema Male actors in Kannada cinema Male actors in Tamil cinema Male actors in Telugu cinema Indian male film score composers People from Chittoor district Actors from Guntur district Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Screenwriters from Andhra Pradesh Singers from Andhra Pradesh Telugu film directors Telugu film producers Telugu film score composers Telugu male actors Telugu playback singers