Dasari Yoganand

Dasari Yoganand Biography

Dasari Yoganand was a noted Telugu and Tamil film director. He has directed about 50 films in both these languages collectively. Among them N. T. Rama Rao had the lead role in 17 films. As a director, his successful films include - Kodalu Diddina Kapuram, Thodu Dongalu, Dabbuku Lokam Dasoham, Jayasimha, Vade Veedu, Thodu Dongalu, Ilavelpu, Muga Nomu, Jai Jawan, Vemulavada Bheema Kavi, Kathanayakuni Katha, Ummadi Kutumbam, Thikka Shankarayya and Pelli Sandadi. He has also participated in Quit India Movement where he came close to political leaders like Rajagopalachari and Tanguturi Prakasam.

Yoganand was born in Chennai in 1922 to Venkata Das and Lakshmi Bai. His father was an estate manager. He was the youngest of three children survived. D. Subbayya, a Photographic equipment businessman in Machilipatnam, adopted Yoganand. Thus he got exposed to photography and got experiences in this section as well. Very soon he became an expert photographer. Very soon, he became a theater artist working as a stage actor as well as a stage director. His association with drama gave him chances to meet lead names of Telugu theater like Tungala Chalapathi Rao and Yadavalli Nageswara Rao in Machilipatnam.

He went to Bangalore to train in radiology and later returned back to help his father. Yoganand joined Jiten Benarjee of Newtone Studios after his father's death where he worked with famous cinematographer M. A. Rehman. Later he worked as associate to Gudavalli Ramabrahmam and L. V. Prasad. In 1943, he became editor with the movie, Mayalokam. Later he worked as an assistant director to Gudavalli Ramabrahmam. His debut film was Ammalakkalu (Telugu) followed by Marumagal (Tamil) in 1953. Very soon he became a popular director with Madurai Veeran (1956) being one of his earliest hits. As a director he also owns credit of directing all the top stars of the time, both in Telugu and Tamil languages.

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Updated: March 20, 2014