Kadiri Venkata Reddy

Kadiri Venkata Reddy Biography

Kadiri Venkata Reddy, shortly called K. V. Reddy was a National award winning film director from Telugu cinema. Patala Bhairavi and Donga Ramudu are his most noted works which received many national and international acclamations. Patala Bhairavi got critical acclaim at India International Film Festival in 1952 and won 3 National awards as well. Many of his directorial ventures have won best film award in the regional category at National award film section. Pedda Manushulu (1955), Pelli Naati Pramanalu (1958) and Satya Harishchandra (1966) are among those. In 1972, he received Filmfare Best Director Award (Telugu) for the movie, Sri Krishna Satya. He has also served film field as a writer, producer and production manager.

K. V. Reddy was born on 1 July 1912 in Tadipatri, Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. He completed graduation in physics from Madras Presidency College. He joined the studio of Rohini Pictures and worked for some time and later in 1938, he joined Vauhini Studios as a cashier and thus got associated with film industry. Through his talents, he became production manager for films like Sumangali (1940) and Devata (1941). Impressed by his talent and craftsmanship, producers B N Reddy and Moola Narayana Swamy gave him the chance to direct with Bhakta Potana (1941). The movie was a hit. Yet he continued to work as production manager till 1947.

His second movie was Yogi Vemana, released in 1947 and it was commercially successful. Gunasundari Katha, an adoption of Shakespeare drama King Lear was his next directorial venture released in 1949. With Patala Bhairavi, he received international acclaim and after that he never turned back. In 1954, Pedda Manushulu Rastrapathi Award for the first time for a Telugu movie. Maya Bazaar is regarded as his magnum opus. His film Donga Ramudu (1955) was archived in the curriculum of the FTII.

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Updated: January 30, 2014