Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu (15 October 1869 – 15 March 1941) was an Indian filmmaker and entrepreneur widely regarded as the father of

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 ...

. A pioneer of

Indian cinema The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on p ...

, Naidu established the first Indian-owned movie theatres in

South India 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 ...

and founded Star of the East Films, the first film production company established by a Telugu person. He is credited with producing ''Bhishma Pratigna'' (1921), considered the first Telugu

feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...

, thus laying the foundation for the Telugu film industry. Born in

Machilipatnam Machilipatnam (), also known as Masulipatnam and Bandar (), is a city in Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipal corporation and the administrative headquarters of Krishna district. It is also the Tehsil, mandal ...

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 ...

, Naidu was the second son of an Indian Army official and the younger brother of the noted social reformer Raghupathi Venkataratnam Naidu. He moved to

Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...

(now Chennai) at the age of 18, where he began his career as a commercial photographer. Venturing into filmmaking, he established "The Glass Studio," a

cinematograph Cinematograph or kinematograph is an early term for several types of motion picture film mechanisms. The name was used for movie cameras as well as film projectors, or for complete systems that also provided means to print films (such as the ...

company named for its glass roof, which allowed sunlight to penetrate in the days before electric lighting. Naidu's entrepreneurial spirit led him to set up the first permanent cinema theatres in Madras, including The Gaiety in 1912, followed by Crown Theatre and Globe Theatre, where he screened American, European, and Indian

silent films A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

. Despite facing intense competition from European firms, Naidu persisted, producing and exhibiting short films across South India and

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

. His efforts in promoting cinematic techniques and distributing foreign silent films were instrumental in the growth of the South Indian film industry. He and his

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

-educated son, Raghupathi Surya Prakash Naidu, produced several films over the years, including ''Bhishma Pratigna'', ''Gajendra Moksham'', ''Mathsyavatharam'' and ''Nandanaar''. The Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, part of the

Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are annual awards presented by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to recognise excellence in Telugu cinema, theatre, and television, as well as lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. The awards are named after the monolithic ...

, is named in his honour, recognizing lifetime achievements in Telugu cinema.

Early life

Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu was born on 15 October into a Telugu family in

.M. L. Kantha Rao (July 1999)
''A Study of the Socio-Political Mobility of the Kapu Caste in Modern Andhra''
University of Hyderabad. Chapter 6. p. 275–278. hdl:10603/25437 He was the second son of Subedar Raghupathi Appayya Naidu, an Indian Army official, and Seshamma. His elder brother, Raghupathi Venkataratnam Naidu, was a prominent educationalist and

social reformer Reformism is a type of social movement that aims to bring a social or also a political system closer to the community's ideal. A reform movement is distinguished from more radical social movements such as revolutionary movements which reject t ...

. Venkaiah Naidu's family had a long history of military service, with his ancestors serving as commanders in the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

and

Madras Army The Madras Army was the army of the Presidency of Madras, one of the three presidencies of British India within the British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations manda ...

's Hyderabad Regiments.

Career

Early career

From a young age, Venkaiah Naidu developed a passion for painting and sculpture. Noticing Naidus’s keen interest in art, his father sent him to

at the age of 18. In Madras, Naidu rented a small house on Mount Road and established an art centre where he honed his skills in painting and sculpture. He created numerous oil paintings and sculptures, which attracted the attention of local royalty and zamindars. These patrons purchased his artworks, providing him with financial support. In addition to his passion for painting and sculpture, Naidu also developed an interest in photography. He established a

photographic studio A photographic studio is often a business owned and represented by one or more photographers, possibly accompanied by assistants and pupils, who create and sell their own and sometimes others’ photographs. History Since the early years of th ...

and began experimenting with various techniques. Around the same time,

were gaining popularity, and Naidu started studying the filmmaking process, marking the beginning of his exploration into cinema.

Film exhibition

During this time, Naidu came across an advertisement for a new device called the Chrono Megaphone, which projected sound waves during silent film screenings, enhancing the viewer's experience. Although expensive, Naidu acquired the device and imported it from London, along with a 4,000-foot silent film. In 1910, he conducted the first experiment with the Chrono Megaphone at the Victoria Public Hall in Madras, where the audience was thrilled by the added sound during the silent film. His experiment's success led to wider screenings across towns and villages in the

Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency or Madras Province, officially called the Presidency of Fort St. George until 1937, was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India and later the Dominion of India. At its greatest extent, the presidency i ...

, as well as in places like

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

Vijayawada Vijayawada ( ), formerly known by its colonial name Bezawada, is the second largest city and a major commercial hub in the Andhra Pradesh state of India. The city forms an integral part of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region and is situated on th ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

Rangoon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...

and

Pegu Bago (formerly spelled Pegu; , ), formerly known as Hanthawaddy, is a city and the capital of the Bago Region in Myanmar. It is located north-east of Yangon. Etymology The Burmese name Bago (ပဲခူး) is likely derived from the Mon lang ...

. In 1910, he established Esplanade Tent House to exhibit his films. In 1912, he constructed Gaiety Theatre on Mount Road, the first Indian-owned cinema theatre in Madras. He later constructed Crown Theatre on Mint Street and Globe Theatre in Purasawakkam, Madras. He also exhibited American and British films. Some of the first films shown in his theatres were '' The Million Dollar Mystery'' (1914), ''

The Broken Coin ''The Broken Coin'' is a 1915 American adventure- mystery film serial directed by Francis Ford. This serial is presumed to be lost. Cast * Grace Cunard - Kitty Gray * Francis Ford - Count Frederick * Eddie Polo - Roleau * Harry Schumm ...

'' (1915), ''Mysteries of Meera'', ''Clutching Hand'', ''Raja's Casket'', ''Pearl Fish'', and ''Great Bard''. He established a film library and provided training on

cinematic techniques This article contains a list of cinematic techniques that are divided into categories and briefly described. Basic definitions of terms ;180-degree rule :A continuity editorial technique in which sequential shots of two or more actors within ...

Film production

Realizing the potential in filmmaking, Venkaiah Naidu sent his son, Ragupathi Surya Prakash Naidu, to

to study film production techniques. Surya Prakash trained under renowned directors and worked as an assistant to

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

. Upon returning to India, he brought a camera with him and started Star of the East Films in 1919. Their first production was ''Meenakshi Kalyanam'', filmed near the

Meenakshi Temple Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, also known as Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman Thirukkovil, is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to the go ...

Madurai Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...

. However, technical issues with the camera ruined the footage, forcing them to abandon the project. They later imported another camera and successfully produced ''Bhishma Pratigna'' (1921), the first Telugu silent film, while his son directed. Following this, they produced four more films: ''Gajendra Moksham'', ''Bhakta Nandanar'', ''Samudra Mathanam'', and ''Matsyavataram''. Due to the unavailability of Telugu actresses,

Anglo-Indian Anglo-Indian people are a distinct minority group, minority community of mixed-race British and Indian ancestry. During the colonial period, their ancestry was defined as British paternal and Indian maternal heritage; post-independence, "Angl ...

women were cast in female roles. Venkaiah also built a studio, known as the Glass Studio, where sunlight was used for filming due to the lack of electricity. By 1927, Venkaiah Naidu was producing films in large numbers, but the financial returns did not meet their expectations, leading to severe financial difficulties. He faced high competition with

East India Film Company The East India Film Company was an Indian film production company, based in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India. It was the first Indian film company to screen a movie at an international film festival. Started in 1932 in Calcutta, by R. L ...

. Eventually, he was forced to sell his studio in 1929. While Venkaiah Naidu returned to his photography business, his son, Surya Prakash, continued in the film industry, although without much financial success. Venkaiah Naidu died on 15 March 1941 due to medical illness.

Legacy

Ragupathi Venkaiah Award

In 1981, the Andhra Pradesh government instituted the prestigious Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, honouring individuals for their lifetime contributions to Telugu cinema. The award includes a gold Nandi and a cash prize of ₹50,000. It is presented annually during the

ceremony. The first recipient of this honour was L. V. Prasad, followed by luminaries such as P. Pullayya, Bhanumathi, Nagi Reddy, and

Akkineni Nageswara Rao Akkineni Nageswara Rao (20 September 1924 – 22 January 2014), known as ANR, was an Indian actor and film producer in Telugu cinema. Over his seven decade career, he became a prominent figures in the industry, and is among most influential ac ...

. In 2016, the award was presented to

Chiranjeevi Konidela Chiranjeevi (born Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad; 22 August 1955) is an Indian actor, philanthropist and former politician known for his work in Telugu cinema. Known as the "Mega Star", he is widely regarded as one of the most succe ...

. In a controversial move, the government removed the word "Naidu" from the award's name, renaming it as simply the "Ragupathi Venkaiah Award".

Biographical film

In 2012, a

biographical film A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from Docudrama, docudrama films ...

on Ragupathi Venkaiah Naidu was produced by Satish Babu, directed by Babji, and starred actors such as Naresh,

Tanikella Bharani Tanikella Bharani (born 14 July 1954) is an Indian actor, screenwriter, poet and playwright who works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He has worked as an actor in more than 750 films, including few in Tamil, Kannada and Hindi; while he was al ...

, and

Maharshi Raghava Raghava Gogineni, better known as Maharshi Raghava, is an Indian actor who works in Telugu films and television. Raghava acted in more than 170 films in various roles. He shot to fame as a lead actor with his first film '' Maharshi'' (1987), w ...

. Despite being completed, the film has not yet been released, which has been viewed as a disservice to Venkaiah’s legacy.

Personal life

Devika Devika Devadoss (born Prameela Devi; 25 April 1943 – 2 May 2002) was an Indian actress who worked in Tamil cinema, Tamil and Telugu cinema, Telugu along with a few Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi films. She was one of the popular lead actresse ...

, a popular actress in Telugu and

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 ...

films in the 1960s, was the grand-daughter of Venkaiah Naidu. Devika's daughter, Kanaka is also an actress.

Filmography

*''Meenakshi Kalyanam'' *''Gajendra Moksham'' *''Mathsyavatharam'' *''Nandanaar'' *'' Bhishma Pratigya'' (1921)

In popular culture

A biographical film on Naidu titled ''Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu'' was released in November 2019. Naresh played the title role of Venkaiah Naidu.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Venkaiah, Raghupati 19th-century births 1941 deaths Telugu film directors Film directors from Andhra Pradesh Indian silent film directors People from Machilipatnam Film people from Krishna district 20th-century Indian illustrators 20th-century Indian people Indian editors Writers who illustrated their own writing Indian industrialists Indian cinematographers Businesspeople from Andhra Pradesh Indian business executives Indian technology company founders Theatre owners Film exhibitors 19th-century Indian illustrators