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{{Short description|Indian Kannada-language film director and screenwriter (1927-2002)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Y. R. Swamy
| image = Y.R.SwamyImg.jpg
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{circa|1927}}
| birth_place = [[Chitradurga]], [[Kingdom of Mysore]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2002|10|21|1927|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Pune]], [[India]]
| other_names = Y. R. Swami
| occupation = Film director, screenwriter
| known_for =
}}

'''Y. R. Swamy''' ({{circa|1927}} – 21 October 2002) was an Indian [[film director]] and [[screenwriter]] who worked primarily [[Cinema of Karnataka|Kannada cinema]]. He directed over 35 films in his career, 18 of which came in films that stars [[Dr. Rajkumar]] in the lead role. He also holds the record for directing Dr. Rajkumar for the highest no. of times — eighteen.

Swamy's first film as a director came in the 1953 [[Telugu cinema|Telugu film]], ''Pratigna''. Since then, he directed films in the [[Kannada language]] and mostly in the mythological genre and with a social connect. His popular films include ''[[Bhakta Kanakadasa]]'' (1960), ''Katari Veera'' (1966), ''[[Paropakari]]'' (1970), ''[[Sipayi Ramu]]'' (1972) and ''[[Bhale Huchcha]]'' (1972). Recognizing his contribution to Kannada cinema, he was awarded the 1990–91 [[Puttanna Kanagal Award]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Y.R.SWAMY DEAD |url=http://www.chitraloka.com/sections/stock_shots/flashback_swamy_yr.html |website=Chitraloka |access-date=14 April 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030416173509/http://www.chitraloka.com/sections/stock_shots/flashback_swamy_yr.html |archive-date=16 April 2003 |date=21 October 2002 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Career==
Swamy's role as [[Prahlada]], a mythological Indian boy-saint, marked his entry into films in the early 1950s. Around the time, he worked as an assistant to his adoptive father and filmmaker [[H. M. Reddy]], who directed films in [[Telugu language|Telugu]] and [[Tamil language]]s.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}} Swamy's directorial debut came in the 1953 [[Telugu language|Telugu]] film ''Pratigna'', a film that Reddy produced, starring [[Kanta Rao]] (debut as a hero) and [[Savitri (actress)|Savitri]] with [[Rajanala Kaleswara Rao|Rajanala]] debuting as a villain.<ref>{{cite news |title= Pratigna (1953) |url= http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-columns/pratigna-1953/article5128628.ece |newspaper= The Hindu |date= 14 September 2013 |access-date= 25 November 2014}}</ref> Following this, he directed [[Vaddante Dabbu]] starring [[N. T. Rama Rao|NTR]], [[Peketi Sivaram]], [[Jamuna (actress)|Jamuna]] and [[Sowcar Janaki]] and other films before entering Kannada cinema as an independent director with the 1956 film ''Renuka Devi''. His next directorial was the 1960 film ''[[Bhakta Kanakadasa]]'' that had [[Dr. Rajkumar|Rajkumar]] playing the lead role of [[Kanakadasa]], a 16th-century Kannada poet. The film was a massive success during its time and is seen as a landmark film in Kannada cinema.<ref>{{cite news |title= Watching the legendary actor on screen |url= http://www.deccanherald.com/content/377566/watching-legendary-actor-screen.html |newspaper= Deccan Herald |date= 31 December 2013 |access-date= 25 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Language is a bridge, not a wall |url= http://www.deccanherald.com/content/325984/archives.php |newspaper= Deccan Herald |date= 15 April 2013 |access-date= 25 November 2014}}</ref>

Alongside directing, Swamy also wrote the screenplay to films such as ''Swarna Gowri'' (1962), ''Katari Veera'' (1966) and ''Bhale Raja'' (1969), also producing the latter. He would go on to direct other films such as ''[[Sipayi Ramu]]'' (1972), ''[[Bhale Huchcha]]'' (1972), ''Mooruvare Vajragalu'' (1973), ''Devara Kannu'' (1975), ''[[Pavana Ganga]]'' (1977) and ''[[Apoorva Sangama]]'' (1984). The 1991 film ''Bangaradantha Maga'' marked his last as director.

==Filmography==
{{colbegin}}
* ''[[Pratigne]]'' (1953)
* ''[[Vanjam]]'' (1953)
* ''[[Vaddante Dabbu]]'' (1954)
* ''[[Panam Paduthum Paadu]]'' (1954)
* ''[[Renuka Mahatme]]'' (1956)
* ''[[Bhakta Kanakadasa]]'' (1960)
* {{Lang|kn-latn|[[Swarna Gowri]]}} (1962)
* {{Lang|kn-latn|[[Jenu Goodu]]}} (1963)
* {{Lang|kn-latn|[[Muriyada Mane]]}} (1964)
* ''[[Vathsalya]]'' (1965)
* ''[[Katari Veera]]'' (1966)
* ''[[Sathi Sukanya]]'' (1967)
* ''[[Muddu Meena]]'' (1967)
* ''[[Mamathe]]'' (1968)
* ''[[Atthegondu Kala Sosegondu Kala]]'' (1968)
* ''[[Bhale Raja]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Bhale Jodi (1970 film)|Bhale Jodi]]'' (1970)
* ''[[Devara Makkalu]]'' (1970)
* ''[[Paropakari]]'' (1970)
* ''[[Sipayi Ramu]]'' (1972)
* ''[[Bhale Huchcha]]'' (1972)
* ''[[Nanda Gokula]]'' (1972)
* ''[[Bidugade]]'' (1973)
* ''[[Swayamvara (film)|Swyamvara]]'' (1973)
* ''[[Mooruvare Vajragalu]]'' (1973)
* ''[[Maga Mommaga]]'' (1974)
* ''[[Mane Belaku]]'' (1975)
* ''[[Devara Kannu]]'' (1975)
* ''[[Aparadhi (1976 film)|Aparadhi]]'' (1976)
* ''[[Pavana Ganga]]'' (1977)
* ''[[Thayigintha Devarilla]]'' (1977)
* ''Kudure Mukha'' (1978)
* ''[[Muyyige Muyyi]]'' (1978)
* ''[[Pakka Kalla]]'' (1979)
* ''[[Atthege Thakka Sose]]'' (1979)
* ''[[Savathiya Neralu]]'' (1979)
* ''[[Jari Bidda Jana]]'' (1980)
* ''[[Apoorva Sangama]]'' (1984)
* ''[[Bangaradantha Maga]]'' (1991)
{{colend}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|1032977}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swamy Y. R.}}
[[Category:1920s births]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:Kannada screenwriters]]
[[Category:Kannada film directors]]
[[Category:Date of birth missing]]
[[Category:Tamil film directors]]
[[Category:People from Chitradurga district]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Karnataka]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian screenwriters]]

Y. R. Swamy - Revision history

Pururava at 10:08, 14 April 2026