Chittor V. Nagaiah

Chittoor V. Nagaiah (born Vuppaladadiyam Nagaiah) was a multilingual Indian film actor, thespian, composer, director, producer, writer and playback singer from Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, India. Indian film journalist and the editor of Film India, Baburao Patel, described Nagiah as The Paul Muni of India. In his honor, the Mahati Chittor Nagaiah Kalakshetram of arts was established in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Nagaiah was closely connected to Rama Vilasa Sabha, a Telugu theatre association in Chittoor. He performed and directed several stage plays, such as Sarangadhara, Viswamithra Chitra Nilayam, Savitri, Bruhannala and Ramadasu. He staged the roles of Telugu saint-poets Pothana, Vemana, Ramadasu, and Tyagaraja. Nagaiah developed a life-time association with B. N. Reddy, at this juncture H. M. Reddy formed Rohini Pictures with the association of B. N. Reddy. The firm started its first venture in Telugu through the film Gruhalakshmi in 1938, in which Nagaiah played a significant role. Later, the association worked through several films with Vauhini Studios including social films such as; Vande Matharam (1939), Sumangali (1940), Devata (1941), Swarga Seema (1945), and Beedhalapatlu. (1947). Nagaiah made significant contributions to Telugu cinema, and was starred in about two hundred Telugu films. Regarded as one of the finest Indian method actors, and the first Telugu matinee idol, his forte was usually playing intense characters, often immersing himself in study of the real character's traits and mannerisms. Nagaiah was the lead protagonist in the most expensive 1940 Telugu production, Viswa Mohini, touted to be the first film on the Indian motion picture world. He was the producer, director, composer and actor for pioneering works; he essayed 14th century poet Pothana in Bhakta Potana (1942), 17th century saint Tyagaraja in Thyagayya (1946), 12th century saint Gora Kumbhar in Chakradhari (1948), and the social problem film Naa Illu (1953). In 1964, Nagaiah essayed 17th century saint Kancharla Gopanna in Ramadasu for which he won the National Film Award. Nagaiah was also starred in about one hundred and sixty films in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi in a variety of roles. He received the Padma Shri from the Government of India in 1965 for his contributions to Indian cinema.