Gollapudi Maruti Rao


Gollapudi Maruti Rao was an Indian film actor, screenwriter, dramatist, playwright, and dialogue writer known for his works in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu Literature. Rao acted in over 250 Telugu films in a variety of roles.
His noted literary works and plays, like Rendu Rellu Aaru, Patita, Karuninchani Devatalu, Mahanatudu, Kaalam Venakku Tirigindi, Aasayaalaku Sankellu, won numerous State Awards.
He was a member of the Script Scrutiny Committee of National Film Development Corporation and served as a Jury Member at International Film Festival of India for Indian Panorama section in 1996. He was known for scripting landmark films like Doctor Chakravarthy, Tharangini, Samsaram Chadharangam, Kallu etc. He garnered six Andhra Pradesh State Nandi Awards. In 1997, he established the Gollapudi Srinivas Memorial Foundation, which presents the Gollapudi National Award, for the best first film of a director in Indian cinema.
Rao was also known for his works in All India Radio and Journalism, for over two decades. His play was included in the Master of Arts curriculum of Osmania University. This work was translated into all Indian languages by the National Book Trust, under the Aadaan Pradaan programme. The work was remade into a Telugu film in 1988 which won the Nandi Award for the Best Story in 1989. His 1975 play Kallu, was also remade into a Telugu film Kallu, which also garnered Nandi Award for Best Feature Film. His play Oka Chettu – Rende Puvvulu was purchased by the Song and Drama Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for popular exhibition.
A volume of essays on theatre, Telugu Nataka Rangam, was prescribed as a textbook for the Department of Theatre Arts, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam. He published two research articles appearing in Andhra Vignana Sarvaswam 11th volume: "History of the development in 'Thought' and 'Technique' of Telugu Play-writing" and "Amateur Theatre – its origin and growth in relation to the World Amateur Theatre movement. His Telugu play Vandemaataram, the first one in Telugu about the Sino-Indian War, was published by Andhra Pradesh State Information & Public Relations Department,.

Early life

Maruti Rao was born in a Telugu-speaking family on 14 April 1939, in Nandabalaga Village, Vizianagaram District, Andhra Pradesh, India and graduated from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh in 1959 specializing in Mathematical Physics.

Literary activity

Maruti Rao has written and published several plays, playlets, novels, story volumes, essays, children's stories.
He wrote a weekly column, "Jeevana Kaalam", a kaleidoscopic study of contemporary social and political issues for over 24 years. It was a very popular feature in one of the largest circulated Telugu dailies of Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Jyothy, and the feature continued to appear in Vaartha. His column with an audio reading is presented, in an internet magazine Koumudi.
His autobiography Amma Kadupu Challaga, a 550-page compendium of his memoirs was released in India, USA and Australia.
A travelogue Tanzania Teerthayatra was published by Koumudi in the US in 2008 in its collection. It is based on 15-day safari with his friend Ganti Prasada Rao in the major national parks and historical places in Tanzania. The novel Pidikedu Aakaasham was released as an audio publication on 16 February 2009 while conferring the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Vanguri Foundation in Hyderabad.

Death

He died on 12 December 2019 in Chennai. The loss of Gollapudi Maruti Rao is being mourned by several noted writers and members of the Telugu film fraternity.

Awards

;Andhra Pradesh State Nandi Awards
;All India Radio Awards
;Sangam Academy Awards
;Other awards
;Actor
;Television
;Writer
;Director