'''Ghantasala Balaramaiah  (1906-53)'''


Telugu director born in Pottepalem village, AP. Well-known 20s Telugu stage actor, e.g. title role in Ramadasu directed by his brother Radhakrishnaiah. Started Shri Rama Films, financed by rich landlords from Nellore, with [[Chitrapu Narasimha Rao]]’s Sati Tulasi, then set up Studio Kubera Pics with two [[Chitrapu Narayanamurthy]] films, Markandeya (1938)and Mahiravana (1940). Started directing after founding Pratibha Film with Parvati Kalyanam. His [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garuda_Garvabhangam|Garuda Garvabhangam]], starring [[Bhanumathi]] and [[Gaggaiah]], instituted an influential variant of the mythological: a kind of heroic folklore loosely echoing forms like the Burrakatha. This trend, which he developed with the hit [[Swapna Sundari]] featuring [[A. Nageshwara Rao]] and [[Anjali Devi]], was also continued by [[K.V. Reddy]] and provided in Gaggaiah an early model for the [[NTR]] persona.


'''FILMOGRAPHY''' (* only act): 1933: Ramadasu*; 1936: Sati Tulasi*; Kabir*; 1941: Parvati Kalyanam; 1942: Seeta Rama Jananam; 1943: Garuda Garvabhangam; 1946: Mugguru Maratilu; 1948: Balaraju; 1950: Shri Lakshmamma Katha; Swapna Sundari; 1952: Chinnakodalu.

[[Director]]