'''Yaragudipati Varada Rao''' Yaragudipati Varada Rao (1903–1973), also known as Y. V. Rao, was an Indian film producer, director and actor in Telugu cinema. He has also directed a number of films in Kannada, and Tamil during 1930s to 1940s. He is the father of prominent Indian film actress Lakshmi.In 1932, a Marwari businessman, Chamanlal Doongaji from Bangalore, launched South India Movietone. The company made the first talking picture in Kannada language called Sati Sulochana. Rao was given the privilege of directing this film thereby making his name immortal in the annals of Indian film history. Sathi Sulochana was shot at Chatrapathi Cinetone, in Kolhapur; the shooting took eight weeks. Produced at an enormous cost of Rs. 40,000, Sathi Sulochana created a sensation in Bangalore. He also directed Hari Maya (1932) that starred his first wife, Rajam (actress).Eventually, by the start of the 1930s, Rao moved to film direction and made silent films like Pandava Nirvana (1930), Pandava Agnathavaas (1930) and Hari Maya (1932) In 1937, Rao directed the Tamil film Chintamani which eventually became a blockbuster and went on to create new records in the Tamil film industry. More importantly, it was the movie which propelled M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar to superstardom. Vishwamohini is his Telugu film directed and acted in 1940. It is a love triangle satirizing the film industry. His next film in Tamil, Lavangi (1946) was based on the life of poet Pandit Jagannath, who was believed to have served the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The heroine was Kumari Rukmini, daughter of actress and dancer Nungambakkam Janaki. During the making of the film, Rao fell in love with her and she became his second wife. Their daughter is actress Lakshmi and granddaughter is Aishwarya. Noteworthy amongst later films of Rao was a mythological in Tamil language called Savithri starring M. S. Subbulakshmi and Shanta Apte. [[Producer]]