Balijepalli Lakshmikantha Kavi (23 December 1881 – 30 June 1953) was an Indian

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

, novelist, poet,

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

, actor and freedom fighter. He is remembered for the

magnum opus A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...

''Satya Harischandriyamu'', a play written in 1924, and for his works in

Telugu cinema Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu cinema is based in Film Nagar, Hy ...

Brief life

He was born in Itikampadu village of

Guntur district Guntur district is one of the twenty six districts in the Coastal Andhra region of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The administrative seat of the district is located at Guntur, the largest city of the district in terms of area and with a po ...

near

Bapatla Bapatla is a city and District headquarters of Bapatla district in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the mandal headquarters of Bapatla mandal of Bapatla revenue division. The ne ...

in 1881 to Narasimha Sastry and Adilakshmamma. After

matriculation Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now ...

Kurnool Kurnool is a city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It formerly served as the capital of Andhra State (1953–1956). The city is often referred to as "The Gateway of Rayalaseema".Kurnool is also known as The City of Gem Stones. It also se ...

, he worked for some in the Sub-registrar office as Gumasta. He worked as teacher in

Hindu College Hindu College may refers to several colleges around the world, including: India *Dharmamurthi Rao Bhahadur Calavala Cunnan Chetty's Hindu College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu * Gobardanga Hindu College, West Bengal * Gokul Das Hindu Girls College, Moradab ...

. He used to tour different Zamindaris to perform

Avadhanam Avadhānaṃ is a literary performance popular from the very ancient days in India. Avadhānaṃ originated as a Sanskrit literary process and is revived in modern times by poets in Telugu primarily. It involves the partial improvisation of poems ...

s.Luminaries of 20th Century, Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University, Hyderabad, 2005 He established Chandrika Printing press in Guntur with the help of Challapalli Raja in 1922. He had participated in

Salt Satyagraha The Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagraha, Dandi March and the Dandi Satyagraha, was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India led by Mahatma Gandhi. The twenty-four day march lasted from 12 March to 6 April 1930 as a di ...

and jailed. While in prison, he wrote ''Satya Harischandriyam'' drama. He established First Drama Company in 1926 and played Satya Harischandra and Uttara Raghavam many times. He used to play critical roles in these plays. The most prominent role he used to play was Nakshatraka. He entered the film industry with encouragement by

Chittajallu Pullayya Chittajallu Pullayya ( Telugu: చిత్తజల్లు పుల్లయ్య; 1898 – 6 October 1967) was an Indian film director and screenwriter. He is one of the earliest film personalities in Telugu cinema being associated with ...

and wrote dialogues and songs and acted in some Telugu films. His debut film as an actor was ''

Vara Vikrayam ''Vara Vikrayam'' ( te, వర విక్రయం) is a famous novel and play with same name by Kallakoori Narayana Rao. It is based on a reformist social theme about the Dowry system prevalent in India. Main characters * Purushotham Rao, Re ...

'' in 1939. He portrayed the character Lingaraju. He died in Sri Kalahasti in 1953.

Literary works

* '' Sivanandalahari Satakam'' (Telugu translation of

Adi Sankara Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shank ...

's work; 1916) * ''Swarajya Samasya'' (Poetic work) * ''

Brahmaratham Brahma Ratham ( te, బ్రహ్మ రథం) is a 1947 Telugu drama film directed by Chitrapu Narayana Rao. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Balijepalli Lakshmikantam. Cast * K. Raghuramaiah * Addanki Srirama Murthy ...

'' (Novel) * ''Mani Manjusha'' (Novel) * ''Buddhimati Vilasamu'' (Play) * ''Satya Harishchandriyamu'' (Play) * ''Uttara Raghavamu'' (Telugu translation of

Bhavabhuti Bhavabhūti (Devanagari: भवभूति) was an 8th-century scholar of India noted for his plays and poetry, written in Sanskrit. His plays are considered the equal of the works of Kalidasa. Bhavabhuti was born in Padmapura, Vidarbha, in Gond ...

's work)

Filmography

* ''Anasuya'' (1936) (writer) * ''

Jarasandha Jarasandha was a powerful king of Magadha, a minor antagonist in Mahabharata. He was the son of king Brihadratha, the founder of the Barhadratha dynasty of Magadha. According to popular lore, the descendants of Brihadratha ruled Magadha for 260 ...

'' (1938) (lyricist) * ''Malli Pelli''(1939) (dialogue writer and actor) * ''

'' (1939) (dialogue writer and actor) * '' Bhukailasa'' (1940) (dialogue) * ''

Viswa Mohini ''Viswa Mohini'' () is a 1940 Telugu-language romantic thriller film in the backdrop of Indian motion picture world, directed by Y. V. Rao. The ensemble cast starring V. Nagayya was written by Balijepalli Lakshmikanta Kavi, and was screened at ...

'' (1940) (dialogue) * ''

Jeevana Mukthi ''Jeevan Mukthi'' is a 1942 Indian Telugu-language film produced by S. S. Vasan of Gemini Studios. Plot summary Jeevudu, an untouchable cobbler, leads a saintly life with his wife Seva and son Bhavudu. Because of his devotion, Lord Vishnu app ...

'' (1942) * '' Bala Nagamma'' (1942) (writer and actor) * ''Tahsildar'' (1944) (dialogue writer and actor) * ''

Brahma Ratham Brahma Ratham ( te, బ్రహ్మ రథం) is a 1947 Telugu drama film directed by Chitrapu Narayana Rao. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Balijepalli Lakshmikantam. Cast * K. Raghuramaiah * Addanki Srirama Murthy ...

'' (1947) (writer) * ''Raksharekha'' (1949) (dialogues, story writer and actor)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lakshmikantam, Balijepalli Telugu people Screenwriters from Andhra Pradesh Male actors from Andhra Pradesh Indian male film actors 1881 births 1953 deaths 20th-century Indian male actors 20th-century Indian translators 20th-century Indian poets Telugu-language lyricists 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights People from Guntur district Poets from Andhra Pradesh Telugu screenwriters 20th-century Indian screenwriters Male actors in Telugu cinema Sanskrit–Telugu translators Screenwriters in British India Poets in British India Dramatists and playwrights in British India Male actors in British India