https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Chakrapani_%28director%29Chakrapani (director) - Revision history2026-10-14T15:04:37ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chakrapani_(director)&diff=493168&oldid=prevMartiAshley1795: Added data...2026-03-09T13:01:37Z<p>Added data...</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian writer, producer and director}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}<br />
{{family name hatnote|Aluri|lang=Telugu}}<br />
{{Infobox person<br />
| name = Chakrapani<br />
| image = <br />
| birth_name = Aluri Venkata Subbarao<br />
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1908|8|5}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Tenali]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British India]] (now [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[India]])<br />
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1975|9|24|1908|8|5}}<br />
| death_place = [[Hyderabad]],[[Andhra Pradesh]], India<br />
| occupation = {{hlist|Film producer|writer|director}}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Aluri Venkata Subbarao''' (5 August 1908 – 24 September 1975), popularly known by his [[pen name]] '''Chakrapani''', was an Indian screenwriter, film producer, studio owner, and director in [[Telugu cinema]]. He received two [[Filmfare Awards South|Filmfare Awards]] and was notable for his association with [[Vijaya Vauhini Studios]], one of Asia's largest studios at the time. Chakrapani was also a partner at Vijaya Productions alongside [[B. Nagi Reddi]] and co-founded [[Chandamama]], the children's magazine.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=MK Raghavendra |date=8 Jul 2017 |title=Mayabazar to Andhra state: Why the 1950s were the golden age for Telugu cinema |url=https://www.dailyo.in/arts/telugu-films-indian-cinema-andhra-mayabazar-malliswari-18241 |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=DailyO |language=en}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Early life==<br />
Chakrapani was born in Ithanagar village near [[Tenali]], [[Guntur]] in present-day [[Andhra Pradesh]], into a Kamma middle-class agricultural family. He initially studied [[Hindi]] under the tutelage of the well-known author Vraj Nandan Sharma<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080806010029/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/telugu/article/40519.html Chakrapani the legend turned hundred - Telugu Movie News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and later taught himself Tamil, Sanskrit, and English, mastering all three languages.<ref>{{cite web |last=NaChaKi |date=5 August 2008 |title=Chakrapani: 100 years |url=http://www.telugucinema.com/c/publish/starsprofile/chakrapani.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100122074056/http://www.telugucinema.com/c/publish/starsprofile/chakrapani.php |archive-date=22 January 2010 |website=[[Telugucinema.com]]}}</ref><br />
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==Literary career==<br />
In 1932, Chakrapani contracted [[tuberculosis]] and was admitted to the [[Madanapalle]] sanatorium for treatment. During his stay, he reportedly learned to read and write [[Bengali language|Bengali]] in just three months from a fellow patient.<ref name=":2" /> This skill led him to translate many Bengali literary works into Telugu, including [[Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay|Sarat Chandra Chatterji]]'s ''[[Devdas]]'',<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chakrapani |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.331226/mode/2up |title=Devadasu |date=1933 |publisher=Yuva Book Depot |location=Madras |language=Telugu |access-date=18 January 2021}}</ref> which he translated as ''Devadasu'' in 1933. His translations of Bengali novels became immensely popular among Telugu readers.<br />
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==Film career==<br />
Chakrapani's film career took off when he became a close friend of [[B. Nagi Reddi]] while working as a writer for [[Vauhini Studios|Vauhini Productions]]' ''[[Swarga Seema]]'' (1945). Well-versed in both Hindi and Bengali, Chakrapani brought a unique literary perspective to Telugu cinema. After joining forces with Nagi Reddi, Chakrapani took on editorial roles for ''[[Andhra Jyothi]]'', ''Yuva'', and ''[[Chandamama]]'' under BNK Press.<ref name=":2" /><br />
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When Vijaya Productions was launched, their first film, ''[[Shavukaru]]'' (1950), was based on a story written by Chakrapani. From then on, all Vijaya Productions films credited Nagi Reddi and Chakrapani as producers, a practice that continued until Chakrapani's demise. Within this partnership, Chakrapani handled story, dialogue, and direction-related matters, while Nagi Reddi focused on production and logistics.<ref name=":2" /> Together, they made successful films like ''[[Patala Bhairavi]]'', ''[[Mayabazar|Maya Bazar]]'', ''[[Gundamma Katha]]'', ''[[Missamma]]'', ''[[Shavukaru]]'', and ''[[Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu]]'' that are still popular with Telugu speaking people. Both made 35 films in [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Kannada]], [[Odia language|Odia]] and [[Hindi]] languages.<br />
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==Awards==<br />
*[[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada]] – ''Maduve Madinodu'' (1965)<br />
*[[Filmfare Best Film Award (Telugu)]] - [[Maya Bazaar]] (1957)<br />
* Filmfare Best Film Award (Telugu) - [[Gundamma Katha]] (1962)<br />
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==Selected filmography==<br />
* [[Dharma Patni|Dharmapatni]] (Telugu, 1941) (dialogue) (debut)<br />
* [[Dharma Patni|Dharmapatni]] (Tamil, 1941) (dialogue)<br />
* [[Swarga Seema|Swargaseema]] (1945) (dialogue) (story)<br />
* [[Shavukaru]] (1950) (writer)<br />
* [[Pelli Chesi Choodu]] (1952) (writer)<br />
* [[Chandraharam]] (1954) (writer)<br />
* [[Guna Sundari]] (1955) (Producer)<br />
* [[Missamma]] (1955) (writer)<br />
* [[Missiamma]] (1955) (writer)<br />
* [[Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu]] (1958) (adaptation)<br />
* [[Rechukka Pagatichukka]] (1959) (screen adaptation)<br />
* [[Gundamma Katha]] (1962) (story)<br />
* [[Manithan Maravillai]] (1962) (screen adaptation)<br />
* [[Julie (1975 film)|Julie]] (1975) (screen adaptation)<br />
* Sri Rajeswari Vilas Coffee Club (1976) (writer)<br />
* Swayamvar (1980) (story)<br />
<br />
==Producer==<br />
* Sri Rajeswari Vilas Coffee Club (1976)<br />
* [[Julie (1975 film)|Julie]] (1975) (Nagi Reddi-Chakrapani)<br />
* [[Ganga Manga]] (1973)<br />
* [[Ram Aur Shyam]] (1967)<br />
* [[Maduve Madi Nodu]] (Kannada) (1965)(Nagi Reddi-Chakrapani)<br />
* [[Gundamma Katha]] (1962)<br />
* [[Manithan Maravillai]] (1962)<br />
* [[Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu]] (1958)<br />
* [[Maya Bazaar]] (1957)<br />
* [[Missamma]] (1955)<br />
* [[Chandraharam]] (1954)<br />
* [[Pelli Chesi Choodu]] (1952)<br />
* [[Patala Bhairavi]] (1951)<br />
* [[Shavukaru]] (1950)<br />
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==Director==<br />
* Sri Rajeswari Vilas Coffee Club (1976)<br />
* Manithan Maravillai (1962)<br />
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==Chandamama==<br />
{{main|Chandamama}}<br />
Both Nagireddy and Aluri came up with the idea of a story book for kids and children, and thus ''[[Chandamama (magazine)|Chandamama]]'' was born.<ref name="rediffLink">{{cite news | title=Investors revive Chandamama | url=http://www.rediff.com/business/1999/sep/22chand1.htm | date=22 September 1999 | publisher=Rediff | first=Shobha | last=Warrier | accessdate=1 July 2018 }}</ref> The first edition of [[Chandamama]] was released in July, 1947. They made [[Chandamama (magazine)|Chandamama]] popular not only in [[Telugu language]] but in ten other Indian languages.<ref name="rediffLink"/> He started in 1934 the monthly publication of Yuva magazine from [[Chennai]] which was later shifted to [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]]. Well-known writer [[Kodavatiganti Kutumba Rao]] was a partner in this venture.<br />
Kodavatiganti Kutumba Rao, a very close friend of aluri and a literary colossus in Telugu Literature, edited it for 28 years, till his death in August 1980.<br />
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==Notes==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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{{Authority control}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
* http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/the-story-in-a-road-name/article404360.ece<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chakrapani, Aluri}}<br />
[[Category:People from Tenali]]<br />
[[Category:Film people from Guntur district]]<br />
[[Category:1908 births]]<br />
[[Category:1975 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Telugu film producers]]<br />
[[Category:Tamil film producers]]<br />
[[Category:Tamil film directors]]<br />
[[Category:Telugu screenwriters]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian screenwriters]]</div>MartiAshley1795