S. V. Ranga Rao - Film Career

Film Career

S.V.R. got an invitation from one of his relatives, B.V. Ramanandam, to play the hero in his film Varoodhini. He immediately abandoned the job, and left for Salem to join the celluloid world. In fact, it’s a great beginning for the young man. The film "Varoodhini" was released, and in a few days people began to forget that they had ever seen such a movie. No producer dared to offer a role to him.

Soon, S.V.R. was disillusioned with the filmdom and followed by his father's death, left the Madras presidency and reached Jamshedpur, where he took up the job as a budget assistant with the Tata Company. However, his love for dramas began to bloom multifold. At this juncture, he was married to Leelavathi Badeti on 27 December 1947. In the days that followed, S.V.R. was given an opportunity to play the villain in the film, "Palletoori Pilla", produced by B. A. Subba Rao. Unfortunately, when S.V.R. was about to take a train to Chennai, his father expired. After performing the final rites, S.V.R. reached Chennai, but somebody had knocked away the villain role.

Opportunity tapped at S.V.R.'s door through Vijaya Pictures, which offered him the most memorable "Nepala Mantrikudu" role in "Pathala Bhairavi." Immediately, he came into the limelight, followed by "Pelli Chesi Choodu" (1952). Its Tamil version was also played by him.

Maya Bazaar and Nartanasala are among his movies. SVR was the second Indian actor to get an international award in Jakarta International Film Festival for his role of Keechaka in Nartanasala.

His compatriot Gummadi Venkateswara Rao once exclaimed "Fortunate are we, to have SVR born in India but SVR is unfortunate to have been born here... If he had the fortune of being born in the West he might have been one of the top actors of all time in the world".

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