G. K. Venkatesh Biography 
G. K. Venkatesh was a prominent music director of Kannada film industry. His full name is Gurjada Krishnadas Venkatesh and also known as GKV. He has also done a few Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu movies. He is known for bringing Western background score into Kannada films and also has composed music for all Bond movies of Dr. Rajkumar during 1960’s and 1970’s. Many of his prominent songs are sung by P. B. Sreenivas, Janaki, Dr Rajkumar, P. Susheela, Yesudas, A. L. Ragavan, K. Jamuna Rani and S. P. Balasubrahmanyam. He has also recorded songs with Pt Bhimsen Joshi and Bismillah Khan (on the Shehanai - Sanadi Appanna (1977)). Kannadati taaye baa from Sandhyaaraaga is a noted song sung by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Joshi sang again in the movie Nodi Swami Navirodu Heege (1983).
GKV was born on September 21, 1927 in Hyderabad. He was a gifted child who learnt music at a younger age. He was appreciated by the Raja of Bobbili when he was a child. He learned veena from his elder brother G. K. S. Pathi and later worked as a veena artist for prominent music directors of Kannada film industry like S. V. Venkatraman, S. M. Subbaiah Naidu and C. R. Subburaman. He was a singer of All India Radio, Bangalore before entering movies. He became a close friend to M. S. Viswanathan during late 1940’s and shared the same room, when MSV got film offer through ‘Genova’. GKV became a part of his troupe and later got opportunity to sing Tamil song - ‘Ezhayin Kovilai Naadinaen’ in Panam.
In 1952, he composed music for a Malayalam movie. It was dubbed in Tamil as Nadigai. In 1955, he composed music for a Kannada movie of Rajkumar and became one of the most sought music directors of the industry. He has also acted in one movie - Mella Thirandhathu Kadhavu in 1986. Doorada betta, Sandhyaaraaga, Bangarada Manushya, Kasturi Nivasa and Daari Thappida Maga are among his noted movies as a music director.
Published: N/A
Updated: January 16, 2014
