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 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