Jandhyala Subrahmanya Sastry (14 January 1951 – 19 June 2001), known mononymously by his surname Jandhyala, was an Indian film director, screenwriter, playwright, and actor known 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, ...
and Telugu theatre. He is popularly known as Hasya Brahma (). In a career spanning more than two decades, he directed over 40 films and wrote the dialogue for more than 300 films. He won three state
Nandi Awards
The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...
one each for
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
Filmfare Award
The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' referred to him as the 'King of Comedy in Tollywood'.
Jandhyala was interested in
theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
right from his childhood. In his college days, he wrote many plays that became popular. He later entered the film industry in 1976 and established himself as a versatile writer penning commercial blockbusters such as '' Adavi Ramudu'' (1977), ''
Vetagadu
''Vetagadu'' () is a 1979 Indian Telugu-language action film, produced by M. Arjuna Raju and K. Sivarama Raju under the Roja Movies banner and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Sridevi, with music composed by Chakrav ...
'' (1979) as well as critically-acclaimed films like ''
Siri Siri Muvva
''Siri Siri Muvva'' is a 1976 Indian Telugu-language drama film written and directed by K. Viswanath. It stars Jaya Prada and Chandra Mohan. K. Viswanath later remade the film with his leading lady Jaya Prada, as '' Sargam'', in 1979. ''Siri ...
'' (1976), '' Sankarabharanam'' (1980).
He later turned director with the film ''
Mudda Mandaram
Mudda Mandaram is a 1981 Telugu-language drama film, written and directed by Jandhyala. It is the debut film for both the leading actors Poornima, It also stars Pradeep Kondiparthi, and Suthi Velu.
The Plot
Pradeep is son of a millionaire. H ...
'' (1981)''.'' His notable films as a director include '' Nalugu Sthambalata'' (1982)'',
Ananda Bhairavi
Anandabhairavi or Ananda Bhairavi (pronounced ānandabhairavi) is a very old melodious rāgam (musical scale) of Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). This rāgam also used in Indian traditional and regional musics. ''Ānandam'' (San ...
Padamati Sandhya Ragam
''Padamati Sandhya Ragam'' ( te, script=latn, Paḍamaṭi Sandhyārāgaṁ; ) is a 1987 Telugu-language drama film written and directed by Jandhyala. It stars Vijayashanti as Sandhya, a young Indian woman, and Thomas Jane as Chris, a white Amer ...
Choopulu Kalasina Subhavela
''Choopulu Kalasina Subhavela'' is a 1988 Telugu-language romantic comedy film directed by Jandhyala starring Naresh, Mohan, Ashwini and Gayatri. The music was composed by Rajan–Nagendra
Rajan–Nagendra were an Indian musical duo who ...
Babai Hotel
''Babai Hotel'' is a 1992 Telugu-language comedy drama film directed by Jandhyala and produced by K. S. Rama Rao under the banner Creative Commercials. The film stars Brahmanandam, Gundu Hanumantha Rao and Kinnera.
He also wrote the dialogue for
National Award
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate ...
-winning films such as ''
Saptapadi
Saptapadi () is regarded to be the most important rite (Sanskrit: ) of a Hindu wedding ceremony. After tying the sacred knot known as the mangalasutra, the newly-wed couple takes seven steps together, during which the marriage is solemnised. Aft ...
Sagara Sangamam
''Sagara Sangamam'' () is a 1983 Indian Telugu-language dance film written and directed by K. Viswanath and produced by Edida Nageswara Rao. The film stars Kamal Haasan, Jaya Prada, Sarath Babu, S. P. Sailaja and Chakri Toleti. Upon release, ...
'' (1983), and ''
Swathi Kiranam
''Swathi Kiranam'' () is a 1992 Telugu-language musical drama film directed by K. Viswanath. Produced by V. Madhusudhana Rao, the film starred Mammootty in his Telugu debut, Master Manjunath and Raadhika, along with Achyuth, Jayanthi, Saks ...
'' (1992). His other famous works as a writer include '' Sommokadidi Sokokadidi'' (1978), ''
Nireekshana
''Nireekshana'' () is a 1986 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film co-written, directed, filmed, and edited by Balu Mahendra. Produced by Linga Raju, the film stars Bhanu Chander and Archana. Allu Ramalingaiah, P. L. Narayana and Rallap ...
'' (1986), ''
Aakhari Poratam
''Aakhari Poratam'' () is a 1988 Indian Telugu-language action film produced by C. Ashwini Dutt under the Vyjayanthi Movies banner and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars Nagarjuna, Sridevi with music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. Based on the ...
Aditya 369
''Aditya 369'' is a 1991 Indian Telugu-language science fiction film written and directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao. The film stars Nandamuri Balakrishna and Mohini while Amrish Puri, Tinnu Anand, and Suthivelu play supporting roles. The music ...
Brahmanandam
Kanneganti Brahmanandam (born 1 February 1956), known mononymously as Brahmanandam, is an Indian actor, comedian, impersonator, and voice actor known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He is particularly known for his comic perfor ...
,
Rajendra Prasad
Rajendra Prasad (3 December 1884 – 28 February 1963) was an Indian politician, lawyer, Indian independence activist, journalist & scholar who served as the first president of Republic of India from 1950 to 1962. He joined the Indian Nationa ...
,
Kota Srinivasa Rao
Kota Srinivasa Rao (born 10 July 1942) is an Indian character actor known for his work primarily in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He has also starred in a few films in Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam. As a former politician, Rao has ...
Gundu Hanumantha Rao
Gundu Hanumantha Rao (10 October 1956–19 February 2018) was an Indian actor and comedian who worked in Telugu films, theatre, and television. He first appeared in Jandhyala's film '' Aha Naa Pellanta'' in 1987 and gained popularity in comedia ...
,
Sri Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
became established comic actors through his films.
Early life
Jandhyala was born as 'Jandhyala Venkata Durga Siva Subrahmanya Sastry' into a middle-class family on 14 January 1951 in
Narasapuram
Narasapuram, or Narsapur, is a city in West Godavari district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and mandal headquarters of Narasapuram mandal in Narasapuram revenue division. The city is situated on the banks of the V ...
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
. He completed his
B.Com
A Bachelor of Commerce (abbreviated BComm or BCom; also, ''baccalaureates commercii'') is an undergraduate degree in business, usually awarded in Canada, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Ireland, New Zealand, Ghana, South Africa, Myanma ...
in SRR & CVR Govt. Degree College in
Vijayawada
Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises N ...
.
C. Aswani Dutt
Chalasani Aswani Dutt (also spelled Ashwini Dutt; born 15 September 1950) is an Indian film producer known for his work in the Telugu cinema. He established the film production company Vyjayanthi Movies in 1974 which is one of the biggest produ ...
, who would later go on to become a noted producer, was Jandhyala's childhood friend. They were classmates from fourth standard till their graduation and also lived in neighbouring houses.
He acted as a child artist in the drama troupe of Vinnakota Ramanna Pantulu. He continued acting in his college days. In 1969, he won the best actor prize for ''Tasmath Jagratha'' at an inter-university drama competition. His first short story was published in ''
Andhra Prabha
''Andhra Prabha'' - ''Journalism first'' is a Telugu language daily newspaper of India sold mostly in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The newspaper is one of the oldest running Telugu-language daily newspapers of India. The newspaper ...
'' when he was only 12. Jandhyala once noted, "''
Kanyasulkam
''Kanyasulkam'' is a Telugu play written by Gurajada Apparao in 1892.20th Century Telugu Luminaries, Potti Sriramulu Telugu University, Hyderabad, 2005 It is one of the earliest modern works in an Indian language, and it is the first Telugu play ...
'' and ''Keerthi Seshulu'' inspired me to write stage plays. I read them several times like text books''. The first play written by him was ''Jeevana Jyothi''. His later plays like ''Ek Din Ka Sultan, Gundelu Marchabadunu, O Cheekati Ratri,'' ''Mandodari Mahila Mandali'' etc. became popular. ''Ek Din Ka Sultan'' won him accolades and was translated into several languages. His social play ''Sandhyaraagamlo Sankhaaraavam'' was acclaimed and paved the way for his entry into the film industry.
Career
In 1974, Jandhyala came to Chennai to stage his play ''Sandhyaraagamlo Sankhaaraavam.'' The veteran filmmaker
B. N. Reddy
Bommireddy Narasimha Reddy (16 November 1908 – 8 November 1977), professionally known as B. N. Reddy, was an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was an early figure in the Telugu cinema. Many of his earlier films like ''Vand ...
who watched the play was so impressed that he signed Jandhyala to work on a film based on the Beenadevi novel ''O Punya Bhoomi Kallu Theru''. Due to B. N. Reddy's ill health, the project did not materialise.
Later, A. Ananda Mohan signed him for '' Pelli Kani Pelli'' and V. Hanuman Prasad signed him for '' Devudu Chesina Bommalu''. His first released film was ''Devudu Chesina Bommalu'' (1976). ''Pelli Kani Pelli'' released later in 1977.
K. Viswanath
Kasinadhuni Viswanath (born 19 February 1930) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor, known for his works primarily in Telugu cinema. He is recipient of five National Film Awards, seven state Nandi Awards, ten Filmfare Awards South ...
's ''
Siri Siri Muvva
''Siri Siri Muvva'' is a 1976 Indian Telugu-language drama film written and directed by K. Viswanath. It stars Jaya Prada and Chandra Mohan. K. Viswanath later remade the film with his leading lady Jaya Prada, as '' Sargam'', in 1979. ''Siri ...
'' (1976) became a big hit and Jandhyala became popular as a writer. He established himself as a versatile writer penning commercial potboilers such as '' Adavi Ramudu'' (1977), ''
Vetagadu
''Vetagadu'' () is a 1979 Indian Telugu-language action film, produced by M. Arjuna Raju and K. Sivarama Raju under the Roja Movies banner and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Sridevi, with music composed by Chakrav ...
'' (1979) as well as critically-acclaimed films like ''
Seetamalakshmi
''Seetamalakshmi'' is a 1978 Indian Telugu-language film written and directed by K. Viswanath. The film stars Talluri Rameswari (in her Telugu debut) and Chandra Mohan. It was released on 27 July 1978. It won two state Nandi Awards and a Fi ...
'' (1976), '' Sankarabharanam'' (1980). He was a very busy writer from 19761981 and wrote nearly 200 films in those five years. He worked in various roles as a story writer, screenplay writer, and dialogue writer. He was working on four or five films at any given time during that period.
Jandhyala turned director with the film ''
Mudda Mandaram
Mudda Mandaram is a 1981 Telugu-language drama film, written and directed by Jandhyala. It is the debut film for both the leading actors Poornima, It also stars Pradeep Kondiparthi, and Suthi Velu.
The Plot
Pradeep is son of a millionaire. H ...
'' in the year 1981. He continued writing other directors' films while directing his own films. As Jandhyala noted in one of his last interviews, he wrote over 150 films from 19812001 and directed a total of 42 films. After ''Mudda Mandaram'', he directed the
romantic drama
Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
-
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
bilingual
dance film
A dance film (also known as screen dance) is a film in which dance is used to reveal the central themes of the film, whether these themes be connected to narrative or story, states of being, or more experimental and formal concerns. In such films, ...
''
Ananda Bhairavi
Anandabhairavi or Ananda Bhairavi (pronounced ānandabhairavi) is a very old melodious rāgam (musical scale) of Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). This rāgam also used in Indian traditional and regional musics. ''Ānandam'' (San ...
Nandi Awards
The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...
dramedy
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
Padamati Sandhya Ragam
''Padamati Sandhya Ragam'' ( te, script=latn, Paḍamaṭi Sandhyārāgaṁ; ) is a 1987 Telugu-language drama film written and directed by Jandhyala. It stars Vijayashanti as Sandhya, a young Indian woman, and Thomas Jane as Chris, a white Amer ...
Choopulu Kalasina Subhavela
''Choopulu Kalasina Subhavela'' is a 1988 Telugu-language romantic comedy film directed by Jandhyala starring Naresh, Mohan, Ashwini and Gayatri. The music was composed by Rajan–Nagendra
Rajan–Nagendra were an Indian musical duo who ...
'' (1988). ''Padamati Sandhya Ragam'' received the
Filmfare Award for Best Film – Telugu
The Filmfare Award for Best Film – Telugu is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Telugu films. The award was first given in 1964 for films released around 1963. Here is a list of the award winners a ...
, and Nandi Award for Best Story. Other films he directed during this time include a film on national integration called ''
Nelavanka
''Nelavanka'' () is a 1983 Indian Telugu-language film directed by Jandhyala.
Cast
* Gummadi as Srirama Raju
* J. V. Somayajulu as Raheem
*Rajesh as Saleem
*Kiran as Kiran
*Tulasi as Lalita
*Rajyalakshmi as Savitri
*Master Ali as Ali
*Muddali ...
Akkineni Nageswara Rao
Akkineni Nageswara Rao (20 September 1923 – 22 January 2014), widely known as ANR, was an Indian actor and producer, known for his works majorly in Telugu cinema. He starred in many landmark films in his seventy five-year career, and became on ...
Balakrishna
Bala Krishna ( sa, बाल कृष्ण, lit=child Krishna/divine child Krishna, translit=Bālakṛṣṇa). Present day Krishna worship is an amalgam of various elements. According to historical testimonies Krishna-Vasudeva worship alread ...
and Rajani. The last film he directed was ''Vichitram'' (1998) which starred
Ghazal Srinivas
Kesiraju Srinivas (born 14 October 1966), popularly known as Ghazal Srinivas, is a Ghazal singer, actor, activist, and frame drum player from Hyderabad, India. He holds the Guinness World Record for most languages sung. He did a pioneering w ...
in the lead role.
Jandhyala also wrote the dialogue for
National Award
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate ...
Saptapadi
Saptapadi () is regarded to be the most important rite (Sanskrit: ) of a Hindu wedding ceremony. After tying the sacred knot known as the mangalasutra, the newly-wed couple takes seven steps together, during which the marriage is solemnised. Aft ...
Sagara Sangamam
''Sagara Sangamam'' () is a 1983 Indian Telugu-language dance film written and directed by K. Viswanath and produced by Edida Nageswara Rao. The film stars Kamal Haasan, Jaya Prada, Sarath Babu, S. P. Sailaja and Chakri Toleti. Upon release, ...
'' (1983), and ''
Swathi Kiranam
''Swathi Kiranam'' () is a 1992 Telugu-language musical drama film directed by K. Viswanath. Produced by V. Madhusudhana Rao, the film starred Mammootty in his Telugu debut, Master Manjunath and Raadhika, along with Achyuth, Jayanthi, Saks ...
'' (1992). His other famous works as a writer include '' Sommokadidi Sokokadidi'' (1978), ''
Nireekshana
''Nireekshana'' () is a 1986 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film co-written, directed, filmed, and edited by Balu Mahendra. Produced by Linga Raju, the film stars Bhanu Chander and Archana. Allu Ramalingaiah, P. L. Narayana and Rallap ...
'' (1986), ''
Aakhari Poratam
''Aakhari Poratam'' () is a 1988 Indian Telugu-language action film produced by C. Ashwini Dutt under the Vyjayanthi Movies banner and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars Nagarjuna, Sridevi with music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. Based on the ...
Aditya 369
''Aditya 369'' is a 1991 Indian Telugu-language science fiction film written and directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao. The film stars Nandamuri Balakrishna and Mohini while Amrish Puri, Tinnu Anand, and Suthivelu play supporting roles. The music ...
'' (1991), '' Govinda Govinda'' (1994). Jandhyala listed ''Sankarabharanam'', ''Saptapadi'', ''Adavi Ramudu'' as his favourite films among those he penned the dialogues for.
In a film career spanning twenty five years, Jandhyala won three state
Nandi Awards
The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...
and a
Filmfare Award South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing f ...
. He collaborated with directors
K. Raghavendra Rao
Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao (born 23 May 1942) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema besides having directed a few Hindi films. He has garnered four state Nandi Awards and fiv ...
and
K. Viswanath
Kasinadhuni Viswanath (born 19 February 1930) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor, known for his works primarily in Telugu cinema. He is recipient of five National Film Awards, seven state Nandi Awards, ten Filmfare Awards South ...
on many of their hit films.E. V. V. Satyanarayana worked as an assistant director to Jandhyala in 22 films for eight years and later went on to become a noted director. Jandhyala also wrote children's stories, and more than 27 stage and radio plays. He also acted in hundreds of stage plays in his career. He was also a popular television anchor and wrote television scripts. He was also an occasional dubbing artist and lent his voice in a few films.
Death
He died on 19 June 2001, due to a massive heart attack, at 50, and after completing his silver jubilee year in film industry.
Filmmaking
Though famous as a comedy director, he directed films in other genres too. Drama film ''Nelavanka'',
dance film
A dance film (also known as screen dance) is a film in which dance is used to reveal the central themes of the film, whether these themes be connected to narrative or story, states of being, or more experimental and formal concerns. In such films, ...
''Ananda Bhairavi'',
romance film
Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...
s ''Amarajeevi, Seeta Rama Kalyanam'' are some of his famous films in non-comedy genres.
Jandhyala disliked
ribald
Ribaldry or blue comedy is humorous entertainment that ranges from bordering on indelicacy to indecency. Blue comedy is also referred to as "bawdiness" or being "bawdy".
Sex is presented in ribald material more for the purpose of poking fun at ...
comedy. He preferred simple and natural dialogues. He believed that dialogues should be realistic conversations with which the audience could easily identify themselves with, and enjoy. Regarding his comedic style, A. Saye Sekhar of ''The Hindu'' writes,
"In his dialogue-writing and also direction in his time, Jandhyala took sensitive potshots at the doings of assorted nabobs, stuffed shirts in typical Telugu families, village footpads, miserable misers, secret polluters, tax evaders, preening lawyers, idiosyncratic doctors, oily accountants, defendants who got off too easily and celebrities who talked too much."
In his career as a screenwriter, he worked in various roles as a story writer, screenplay writer, and dialogue writer. As a screenwriter, Jandhyala was known for his versatility penning commercial blockbusters such as ''Adavi Ramudu'', ''Vetagadu'' as well as critically-acclaimed films like ''Siri Siri Muvva'', ''Sankarabharanam''. He wrote films in various genres like the
action
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
film ''Aakhari Poratam'',
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
film ''Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari'',
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
film ''Aditya 369'', supernaturalthriller ''Govinda Govinda'', films based on classical art forms like ''Siri Siri Muvva'', ''Sankarabharanam'', ''Sagara Sangamam'', ''Swathi Kiranam''.
Legacy
Actors like
Rajendra Prasad
Rajendra Prasad (3 December 1884 – 28 February 1963) was an Indian politician, lawyer, Indian independence activist, journalist & scholar who served as the first president of Republic of India from 1950 to 1962. He joined the Indian Nationa ...
,
Brahmanandam
Kanneganti Brahmanandam (born 1 February 1956), known mononymously as Brahmanandam, is an Indian actor, comedian, impersonator, and voice actor known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He is particularly known for his comic perfor ...
Kota Srinivasa Rao
Kota Srinivasa Rao (born 10 July 1942) is an Indian character actor known for his work primarily in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He has also starred in a few films in Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam. As a former politician, Rao has ...
Gundu Hanumantha Rao
Gundu Hanumantha Rao (10 October 1956–19 February 2018) was an Indian actor and comedian who worked in Telugu films, theatre, and television. He first appeared in Jandhyala's film '' Aha Naa Pellanta'' in 1987 and gained popularity in comedia ...
,
Sri Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
became established comic actors through his films.
Jandhyala is popularly known as 'Hasya Brahma' (). ''
The Hindu
''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' referred to him as the 'King of Comedy in Tollywood'. '' Idlebrain.com'' noted, "Before his movies, comedy was a small part of movies and comedians were sidekicks to the hero or villain. Jandhyala proved to the Telugu film industry that comedy can itself be a full-length subject and achieved a great success in this endeavor." His films are well known as clean entertainers affable to the family audiences without any obscene language or
double entendre
A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...
.
''Aha Naa Pellanta!'' is considered one of the best comedy films in Telugu cinema. A bronze bust of Jandhyala was put up on the premises of Tummalapalli Kalakshetram in
Vijayawada
Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises N ...
in January 2005.
Brahmanandam considered Jandhyala to be the best comedy director he has ever worked with. Noted screenwriter
V. Vijayendra Prasad
Koduri Viswa Vijayendra Prasad is an Indian screenwriter and film director who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. He also worked in a few Hindi, Kannada, and Tamil films. His filmography consists of more than twenty five films as a screenwrit ...
expressed his admiration for Jandhyala. Filmmaker
Tharun Bhascker
Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam (born 5 November 1988) is an Indian film director, writer, actor, and television presenter who works in Telugu language, Telugu cinema. He directed the critically acclaimed romantic comedy film ''Pelli Choopulu'' (2016) ...
mentions Jandhyala as one of the inspirations on his directorial sensibilities. Director and screenwriter
Anil Ravipudi
Anil Ravipudi (born 23 November 1982) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Telugu cinema.
He made his directorial debut with the comedy ''Pataas'' (2015). He then directed the dramedy works such as '' Supreme'' (2016), ''Ra ...
cited Jandhyala as the biggest inspiration in his career. “I grew up watching Jandhyala films. I have watched video cassettes of all his films. He provided healthy comedy. I took inspiration from him to provide entertainment in all my films,” he said.
Filmography
;As director
;As dialogue writer
* ''
Siri Siri Muvva
''Siri Siri Muvva'' is a 1976 Indian Telugu-language drama film written and directed by K. Viswanath. It stars Jaya Prada and Chandra Mohan. K. Viswanath later remade the film with his leading lady Jaya Prada, as '' Sargam'', in 1979. ''Siri ...
Seetamalakshmi
''Seetamalakshmi'' is a 1978 Indian Telugu-language film written and directed by K. Viswanath. The film stars Talluri Rameswari (in her Telugu debut) and Chandra Mohan. It was released on 27 July 1978. It won two state Nandi Awards and a Fi ...
Tayaramma Bangarayya
''Tayaramma Bangarayya'' is a 1979 Indian Telugu-language film starring Sowcar Janaki as Tayaramma and Kaikala Satyanarayana as Bangarayya. Chandra Mohan, Ranganath, Madhavi, Sangeetha play supporting characters. Chiranjeevi makes a guest a ...
'' (1979)
* ''
Driver Ramudu
''Driver Ramudu'' is a 1979 Indian Telugu-language action-drama film, produced by Nandamuri Harikrishna under the Ramakrishna Cine Studios banner and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Jayasudha, with music by Chakrava ...
'' (1979)
* ''Viyyala vari Kayyalu'' (1979)
* ''
Vetagadu
''Vetagadu'' () is a 1979 Indian Telugu-language action film, produced by M. Arjuna Raju and K. Sivarama Raju under the Roja Movies banner and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Sridevi, with music composed by Chakrav ...
'' (1979)
* ''Burripalem Bullodu'' (1979)
* ''
Bhale Krishnudu
''Bhale Krishnudu'' is a comedy-drama Telugu film starring Krishna. Krishna is the son of millionaire Madhav Rao. Madhav Rao's partners cheat him, which leads to his death. Krishna then has to take care of his family as well as avenge his fath ...
Rowdy Ramudu Konte Krishnudu
''Rowdy Ramudu Konte Krishnudu'' is a 1980 Indian Telugu-language action film produced by N. T. Rama Rao under his Ramakrishna Cine Studios banner and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, Nandamuri Balakrishna, Sridevi and ...
Saptapadi
Saptapadi () is regarded to be the most important rite (Sanskrit: ) of a Hindu wedding ceremony. After tying the sacred knot known as the mangalasutra, the newly-wed couple takes seven steps together, during which the marriage is solemnised. Aft ...
Sagara Sangamam
''Sagara Sangamam'' () is a 1983 Indian Telugu-language dance film written and directed by K. Viswanath and produced by Edida Nageswara Rao. The film stars Kamal Haasan, Jaya Prada, Sarath Babu, S. P. Sailaja and Chakri Toleti. Upon release, ...
'' (1983)
* ''
Vijetha
Vijetha () is a 1985 Indian Telugu-language film directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy and produced by Allu Aravind starring Chiranjeevi, Bhanupriya, and J. V. Somayajulu. The film released on 23 October 1985. The film was a remake of the 1981 Benga ...
'' (1985)
* ''
Pasivadi Pranam
''Pasivadi Pranam'' is a 1987 Indian Telugu-language thriller film directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy, starring Chiranjeevi, Vijayashanti, Raghuvaran and Sujitha. The film was produced by Allu Aravind under Geetha Arts banner. It was a remake ...
'' (1987)
* ''
Aakhari Poratam
''Aakhari Poratam'' () is a 1988 Indian Telugu-language action film produced by C. Ashwini Dutt under the Vyjayanthi Movies banner and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars Nagarjuna, Sridevi with music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. Based on the ...
Aditya 369
''Aditya 369'' is a 1991 Indian Telugu-language science fiction film written and directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao. The film stars Nandamuri Balakrishna and Mohini while Amrish Puri, Tinnu Anand, and Suthivelu play supporting roles. The music ...
'' (1991)
* ''
Swathi Kiranam
''Swathi Kiranam'' () is a 1992 Telugu-language musical drama film directed by K. Viswanath. Produced by V. Madhusudhana Rao, the film starred Mammootty in his Telugu debut, Master Manjunath and Raadhika, along with Achyuth, Jayanthi, Saks ...
Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
(1982) – Telugu dubbing for
Roshan Seth
Roshan Seth (born 2 April 1942) is a British-Indian actor, writer and theatre director who has worked in the United Kingdom, United States and India. He began his acting career in the early 1960s in the UK, but left acting the following decade ...
as
Jawaharlal Nehru
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat—
*
*
*
* and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...
Choopulu Kalasina Subhavela
''Choopulu Kalasina Subhavela'' is a 1988 Telugu-language romantic comedy film directed by Jandhyala starring Naresh, Mohan, Ashwini and Gayatri. The music was composed by Rajan–Nagendra
Rajan–Nagendra were an Indian musical duo who ...
'' (1988) – for
Sutti Veerabhadra Rao
Sutti Veerabhadra Rao or Mamidipalli Veerabhadra Rao was a very popular south Indian film actor who played comedians and character artists, as well as a renowned radio and theater artist.
Early life
Veerabhadra Rao was the only son, and had tw ...
*''Donga Donga'' (1993) – Telugu version of ''
Thiruda Thiruda
''Thiruda Thiruda'' () is a 1993 Indian Tamil-language black comedy caper film directed by Mani Ratnam written along with Ram Gopal Varma. The film stars Prashanth, Anand, Anu Aggarwal and Heera Rajagopal while S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Salim ...
'' (for
Salim Ghouse
Salim Ahmad Ghouse (10 January 1952 – 28 April 2022) was an Indian film, television and theatre actor, theatre director, and martial artist. He has acted in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and English films.
Early life
Salim Ghouse was born ...
)
*''Bharateeyudu'' (1996) – Telugu version of ''
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
'' (for
Nedumudi Venu
Kesavan Venugopal (22 May 1948 – 11 October 2021), better known by his stage name Nedumudi Venu, was an Indian actor and screenwriter from Kerala, who predominantly worked in Malayalam cinema. He acted in more than 500 films, primarily in Ma ...
)
*''Bhama Ne Satyabhama Ne'' (1996) – Telugu version of '' Avvai Shanmughi'' (for
Gemini Ganesan
Ramasamy Ganesan (17 November 1920 – 22 March 2005), better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was referred to as the ''Kaadhal Mannan'' (King of Romance) for his romantic roles ...
)
*''Iddaru'' (1997) – Telugu version of ''
Iruvar
''Iruvar'' () is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language epic political drama film co-written, produced and directed by Mani Ratnam. The film, inspired by the lives of M. Karunanidhi, M. G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa is set against the backdrop ...
Visu
Meenakshisundaram Ramasamy Viswanathan (1 July 1945 – 22 March 2020), best known by his stage name Visu, was an Indian writer, director, stage, film and television actor and talk-show host. Visu initially worked as an assistant to director ...
)
Awards
;
Nandi Awards
The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...
* 1984,
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
– ''
Ananda Bhairavi
Anandabhairavi or Ananda Bhairavi (pronounced ānandabhairavi) is a very old melodious rāgam (musical scale) of Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). This rāgam also used in Indian traditional and regional musics. ''Ānandam'' (San ...
''(in
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
Padamati Sandhya Ragam
''Padamati Sandhya Ragam'' ( te, script=latn, Paḍamaṭi Sandhyārāgaṁ; ) is a 1987 Telugu-language drama film written and directed by Jandhyala. It stars Vijayashanti as Sandhya, a young Indian woman, and Thomas Jane as Chris, a white Amer ...
* Madras Film Fans Award
* Andhra Pradesh Film Journalists Award
* Vijayawada Film Journalists Award
* Vamsi Award
* Kalasagar Award
* Andhra Pradesh Cinegoers Award