Akkineni Laxmi Vara Prasada Rao (17 January 1907 – 22 June 1994), known professionally as L. V. Prasad, was an Indian film director, producer, actor, and businessman. He was one of the pioneers of Indian cinema and is the recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest Award for films in India. In 1980, he was awarded the

Raghupathi Venkaiah Award The Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu Award is an award issued by the Indian state government of Andhra Pradesh, to recognise lifetime achievements in Telugu cinema. The award was introduced in 1981 in honour of Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu, a pioneer of t ...

, for his contribution to

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 ...

. He founded ''Prasads Group'' in 1956, which include the Prasad Art Pictures,

Prasad Studios Prasad Studios & Prasad Film Labs are motion picture post-production studios headquartered in Hyderabad, India, founded by Prasad Group in 1956. The production house has produced over 150 movies in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. ...

, Prasad's IMAX and

L. V. Prasad Eye Institute The L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) is an eye-care network, established by Dr. Gullapalli Nageswara Rao, an ophthalmologist, at Hyderabad, in 1987. It is a non-profit, multi-campus, non-governmental institution. With more than 200 eye-care c ...

. He was elected as the President of The South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce for the year 1982–83. The Government of India released a Commemorative postage stamp in his memory in 2006. Prasad also had the unique distinction of acting in the first talkies of three different languages of Indian cinema; ''

Alam Ara ''Alam Ara'' () is a 1931 Indian Hindustani-language historical fantasy film directed and produced by Ardeshir Irani. It revolves on a king and his two wives, Navbahaar and Dilbahaar, who are childless; soon, a '' fakir'' (Muhammad Wazir Khan) ...

'' (Hindi), '' Bhakta Prahlada'' (Telugu) and ''

Kalidas Kālidāsa (''fl.'' 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on the Vedas, the Rāmāyaṇa, the Mahābhārata and ...

'' (a Tamil and Telugu bilingual film).

Early life

Akkineni Lakshmi Vara Prasada Rao was born on 17 January 1907 in the remote village of

Somavarappadu Somavarappadu is a village in Eluru district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located to the north of district headquarters Eluru at a distance of 6 km. It is under Eluru revenue division. Demographics Census of India The ...

, in Eluru Taluk in West Godavari district,

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 ...

, the second son to Akkineni Sriramulu and Akkineni Basavamma. The family was into agriculture and Prasad was a pampered child, very intelligent, but never interested in studies. At the age of 17 in 1924, he married his maternal uncle's daughter, Soundarya Manoharamma. Soon they had a baby girl. Prasad's father had mounting debts and declared

insolvency In accounting, insolvency is the state of being unable to pay the debts, by a person or company ( debtor), at maturity; those in a state of insolvency are said to be ''insolvent''. There are two forms: cash-flow insolvency and balance-sheet i ...

, at which point Prasad looked to a cinema career.

Career

L. V. Prasad worked as an errand boy for Venus Film Company. He then joined India Pictures as an errand boy, where Akthar Nawaz cast him in a bit-part in the silent film ''Star of the East''. In 1931, he acted in India's first "talkie", ''

'', recruited through Venus Film Company. Other minor roles followed. These films were made by Imperial Films, through which he met

H. M. Reddy Hanumappa Muniappa Reddy (12 June 1892 – 14 January 1960), known as H. M. Reddy, was an Indian film director and producer, known for his works in Telugu cinema. He directed the first Indian multilingual sound film ''Kalidas'' (1931), shot in ...

. Reddy gave Prasad a small role in ''

'', the first Tamil and Telugu bilingual "talkie", and subsequently in '' Bhakta Prahlada'', the first Telugu "talkie". It was around this time that Prasad made contact with his family and then returned home to visit them. He then returned to Bombay with his wife and daughter, where his sons, Anand and Ramesh, were born. Prasad by chance got a role as an assistant director in ''Kamar-Al–Zaman'', directed by

Ali Shah Ali Hassimshah Omarshah (born 7 August 1959), known as Ali Shah , is a former Zimbabwean international cricketer. An all-rounder who batted left-handed and bowled right-arm medium pace, Shah played in three Test matches and 28 One Day Internat ...

. This was also the time that his name was shortened from Akkineni Lakshmi Vara Prasad Rao to L. V. Prasad, this being a consequence of a clerk finding the name too long to use. The shortened name stuck with him thereafter. Tantra Subrahmanyam assigned him a job of a production supervisor and assistant director for the film ''Kashta Jeevi'', which took him to Bombay again. The film was abandoned after shooting three reels. Prasad was in no mood to leave now and he got a job as assistant director in a few other films. During this time, using his connections with

Prithviraj Kapoor Prithviraj Kapoor (born Prithvinath Kapoor; 3 November 1906 – 29 May 1972) was an Indian actor who is also considered to be one of the founding figures of Hindi cinema. He was associated with IPTA as one of its founding members and establish ...

, he joined

Prithvi Theatres Prithvi or Prithvi Mata (Sanskrit: पृथ्वी, ', also पृथिवी, ', "the Vast One") is the Sanskrit name for the earth, as well as the name of a devi (goddess) in Hinduism and some branches of Buddhism. In the Vedas, her conso ...

and satisfied his acting passion. It was during this time that he met Raj Kapoor, the hero of his first Hindi production '' Sharada''. In 1943, he got the opportunity to take on the responsibility of assistant director for ''Gruha Pravesam''. Due to circumstances, he became the director of the film and then he was also chosen as the lead actor of the film. ''Gruha Pravesam'', released in 1946 was one of the finest films of the forties and went on to become a classic of the period. After this, K. S. Prakasa Rao offered Prasad an important role in ''Drohi''. During this time, Ramabrahmam was facing difficulty in finishing his film ''

Palnati Yudham ''Palnati Yuddham'' is a 1947 Indian Telugu-language historical war film jointly directed by L. V. Prasad and Gudavalli Ramabrahmam. Based on the Battle of Palnadu, the film stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Govindarajula Subba Rao and Kannamba, ...

'' due to ill health and he chose Prasad to do justice to this film. After this in 1949, Prasad directed '' Mana Desam'' and introduced

N. T. Rama Rao Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996), often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who served as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for seven years over three terms. He starred ...

, later to become a legend in Telugu cinema, in a minor role. In 1950

Vijaya Pictures Vijaya Vauhini Studios was one of the premier motion picture movie studios in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is the combination of Vijaya Productions and Vauhini Studios. B. Nagi Reddy (Bommireddy Nagi Reddy) was the founder of Vijaya Pro ...

released their first film '' Shavukaru'', establishing L. V. Prasad as a director. '' Samsaram'', released in the same year, brought together the two people who would become notable actors in the

Telugu film industry 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 ...

as brothers – N. T. Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao in a social drama which created records wherever it was released. The film provided a model for later filmmakers, a model and theme relevant and popular amongst film makers even today. After this, success chased him. He directed some memorable films in the fifties all of them known for their drama and fine humour. ''Rani'' a Hindi film took him to Bombay again and after that Jupiter Films engaged L. V. Prasad to direct their magnum opus '' Manohara'' (1954), starring the legendary

Sivaji Ganesan Villupuram Chinnaiya Manrayar Ganesamoorthy, better known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan, (1 October 1928 – 21 July 2001) was an Indian actor and producer. He was active in Tamil cinema during the latter half of the 20th century. Sivaji Ga ...

in Tamil and dub it in Telugu and Hindi. But L. V. Prasad had more goals to achieve. In 1955, he assigned D. Yoganand to direct his first production ''

Ilavelpu ''Ilavelpu'' () is a 1956 Telugu-language drama film, produced by L. V. Prasad under the Lakshmi Productions banner and directed by D. Yoganand. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Anjali Devi and Jamuna, with music composed by Susarla Dakshina M ...

'' in Telugu under the banner Lakshmi Productions. L. V. Prasad established Prasad Productions, soon after this in 1956. His second son Ramesh returned from the United States after obtaining his B.E.M.S degree and established Prasad Film Labs in Chennai in 1974. Prasad Productions made many memorable box office hits including ''

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

'', '' Khilona'', '' Sasural'' and ''

Ek Duuje Ke Liye ''Ek Duuje Ke Liye'' () is a 1981 Indian Hindi romantic tragedy film directed by K. Balachander. A remake of Balachander's Telugu film ''Maro Charitra'', it stars Kamal Haasan and Rati Agnihotri as a pair of lovers from different families who o ...

''. L. V. Prasad contributed generously towards the establishment of

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

Prasad Group

*Prasad Productions Pvt. Ltd. *Prasad Film Labs. *Prasad EFX. *Prasad Video Digital. *L.V.Prasad Film and Television Academy. *Prasads Multiplex/Mall. *Prasads IMAX. *Prasad Panavision. *DCE Dubai. *DCE Singapore. *Prasad Corp USA.

Filmography

;Assistant Director *1931 : ''Kamar-Al-Zaman'' (Silent) *1941 : ''Darpan'' (Hindi) *1941 : ''Tenali Ramakrishna'' (Telugu) *1942 : ''Gharana Donga'' (Telugu) *1943 : ''Dawal'' (Hindi) *1944 : ''

Lady Doctor ''Lady Doctor'' is a 1967 Indian Malayalam film, directed by K. Sukumar and produced by P. Subramaniam. The film stars Madhu, Sheela, Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai and Vaikkam Mani in the lead roles. The film had musical score by V. Dakshinamoort ...

'' (Hindi) ;Assistant Cinematographer *1938 : ''Stree'' (Hindi) ;Actor *1931 : ''

'' (Hindi) *1931 : '' Bhakta Prahlada'' (Telugu) *1931 : ''

'' (Telugu and Tamil Bilingual) *1933 : ''Sita Swayamvar'' (Hindi) *1940 : ''Bondam Pelli'' (Telugu) *1940 : ''

Barrister Parvateesam ''Barrister Parvateesam'' () is a Telugu language humorous novel written by Mokkapati Narasimha Sastry in 1924. It was printed in three parts. This work is regarded as one of the best written novels in India. Plot First Part It describes the n ...

'' *1940 : ''Chaduvukunna Bharya'' (Telugu) *1941 : ''Tenali Ramakrishna'' (Telugu) *1942 : ''Gharana Donga'' (Telugu) *1946 : ''Gruha Pravesam'' (Telugu) *1947 : '' Palnati Yuddham'' (Telugu) *1948 : '' Drohi'' (Telugu) *1953 : ''

Pempudu Koduku ''Pempudu Koduku'' () is a 1953 Indian Telugu-language drama film directed by L. V. Prasad and produced by A. V. Subbarao. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, Savitri, Pushpavalli and Kanda Mohanbabu. Cast *Sivaji Ganesan * Savitri * Pushpavall ...

'' (Telugu) *1981 : ''

Raja Paarvai ''Raja Paarvai'' () is a 1981 Indian Tamil-language romance film directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao. The story was written by Kamal Haasan, for whom the film was his 100th as an actor and first as a producer. The score and soundtrack was compo ...

'' (Tamil) *1981 : ''Amavasya Chandrudu'' (Telugu) ;Director *1946 : ''Gruha Pravesam'' (Telugu) *1947 : '' Palnati Yuddham'' (Telugu) *1948 : '' Drohi'' (Telugu) *1949 : '' Mana Desam'' (Telugu) *1950 : '' Shavukar'' (Telugu) *1950 : '' Samsaram'' (Telugu) *1952 : ''

Pelli Chesi Choodu ''Pelli Chesi Choodu'' () is a 1952 Indian satirical comedy film directed by L. V. Prasad and produced by Nagi Reddi and Chakrapani under their company Vijaya Productions. The film was made simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil, the latter titled ...

'' (Telugu) *1952 : ''

Kalyanam Panni Paar ''Pelli Chesi Choodu'' () is a 1952 Indian satirical comedy film directed by L. V. Prasad and produced by Nagi Reddi and Chakrapani under their company Vijaya Productions. The film was made simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil, the latter titled ...

'' (Tamil) *1952 : ''

Rani ''Rani'' in Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, sometimes spelled ''Ranee'', is a Hindu/Sanskrit feminine given name. The term is the female form of the term for princely rulers in South and Southeast Asia and applies equally to the wife of a ...

'' (Tamil & Hindi) *1953 : ''

'' (Telugu) *1953 : '' Paradesi'' (Telugu) *1953 : '' Poongothai'' (Tamil) *1954 : '' Manohara'' (Tamil & Telugu) *1955 : ''

Missamma ''Missamma'' () is a 1955 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film directed by L. V. Prasad. It was produced by Nagi Reddi and Chakrapani on Vijaya Productions banner. The film stars N. T. Rama Rao, Savitri, Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Jam ...

'' (Telugu) / ''

Missiamma ''Missiamma'' () is a 1955 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by L. V. Prasad. Produced by B. Nagi Reddy and Aluri Chakrapani Vijaya Vauhini Studios, the script was adapted by Chakrapani from the Bengali novel ''Manmoyee Girl ...

'' (Tamil) *1955 : '' Mangaiyar Thilakam'' (Tamil) *1957 : ''

Baagyavathi ''Bagyavathi'' is a 1957 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by L. V. Prasad and written by Ra. Ve, starring Sivaji Ganesan, Padmini and M. N. Rajam. It was released on 27 December 1957. Plot Somu, who is a criminal, marries Meena. U ...

'' (Tamil) *1957 : '' Miss Mary'' (Hindi) *1957 : '' Sharada'' (Hindi) *1958 : ''

Kadan Vaangi Kalyaanam '' Kadan Vaangi Kalyaanam '' () is a 1958 Indian Tamil-language satirical comedy film directed by L. V. Prasad. The film stars R. Ganesh, Savithri and Jamuna. It was simultaneously shot in Telugu as ''Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu'', which was r ...

'' (Tamil) *1958 : ''

Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu ''Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu'' () is a 1959 Indian Telugu-language comedy drama film directed by L. V. Prasad. The film was produced by Nagi Reddi and Chakrapani of Vijaya Productions; the latter co-wrote its script with Prasad and Vempati Sadasiv ...

'' (Telugu) *1959 : '' Chhoti Bahen'' (Hindi) *1961 : ''Thayilla Pillai'' (Tamil) *1963 : ''

Iruvar Ullam Iruvar Ullam may refer to: * Iruvar Ullam (1963 film), an Indian Tamil-language romance film * Iruvar Ullam (2021 film) ''Iruvar Ullam'' () is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language family drama film directed by G. Ramesh and starring Vinay Rai, Payal Ra ...

'' (Tamil) *1964 : ''Beti Bete'' (Hindi) *1966 : ''Daadi Maa'' (Hindi) *1969 : ''

Jeene Ki Raah ''Jeene Ki Raah'' () is a 1969 Hindi-language drama film produced and directed by L. V. Prasad under the Prasad Productions Pvt. Ltd. banner. The film stars Jeetendra, Tanuja and Sanjeev Kumar and music composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal. It is a ...

'' (Hindi) *1972 : '' Shaadi Ke Baad'' (Hindi) *1974 : ''

Bidaai ''Bidaai'' () is a 1974 Indian Hindi-language drama film, produced and directed by L. V. Prasad under the Prasad Productions Pvt Ltd banner. It stars Jeetendra and Leena Chandavarkar, with music composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal. The film was a r ...

'' (Hindi) *1977 : ''

Jay Vejay ''Jay Vejay'' is a 1977 Indian Hindi-language action film, produced and directed by L. V. Prasad under the Prasad Productions Pvt. Ltd. banner. It stars Jeetendra, Reena Roy, Bindiya Goswami and Prem Krishan, with music composed by Rajesh Rosha ...

'' (Hindi) ;Producer *1956 : ''

'' (Telugu) *1957 : '' Sharada'' (Hindi) *1959 : '' Chhoti Bahen'' (Hindi) *1961 : '' Sasural'' (Hindi) *1963 : ''Hamrahi'' (Hindi) *1964 : ''Beti Bete'' (Hindi) *1965 : ''

Illalu Illalu () is a 1940 Telugu-language drama film directed by Gudavalli Ramabrahmam. Plot Murthy (Umamaheswara Rao) is married to Indira (Kanachanamala) and they live happily. Subsequently, he falls in love with Leela (Lakshmi Rajyam), an educated ...

'' (Telugu) *1965 : ''Idaya Kamalam'' (Tamil) *1965 : ''

Kalithozhan ''Kalithozhan'' is a 1966 Indian Malayalam film, directed by M. Krishnan Nair and produced by A. V. Subbarao and L.V Prasad. The film stars Prem Nazir, Sheela, Sukumari and Adoor Bhasi in the lead roles. The film had musical score by G. Devara ...

'' (Malayalam) *1966 : ''Daadi Maa'' (Hindi) *1967 : ''

'' (Hindi) *1968 : ''

Raja Aur Runk ''Raja Aur Runk'' () is a 1968 Bollywood film, directed by Kotayya Pratyagatma and starring Sanjeev Kumar and Kumkum. It is an Indian adaptation of Mark Twain's 1881 novel, The Prince and the Pauper. Synopsis ''Raja Aur Runk'' is the story of ...

'' (Hindi) *1969 : ''

'' (Hindi) *1970 : '' Khilona'' (Hindi) *1972 : '' Shaadi Ke Baad'' (Hindi) *1974 : ''

'' (Hindi) *1975 : ''Piriya Vidai'' (Tamil) *1976 : ''Thande Makkalu'' (Kannada) *1976 : ''Udhar Ka Sindur'' (Hindi) *1977 : ''

'' (Hindi) *1978 : ''Mane Belagida Sose'' (Kannada) *1980 : ''Yeh Kaisa Insaf'' (Hindi) *1981 : ''

'' (Hindi) *1985 : ''

Meraa Ghar Mere Bachche ''Meraa Ghar Mere Bachche'' () is a 1985 Indian Hindi-language film directed by Chander Vohra and produced by L. V. Prasad. It stars Raj Babbar, Smita Patil, Meenakshi Sheshadri in pivotal roles. Cast * Raj Babbar as Balwant Bhargav / Arun Bha ...

'' (Hindi) *1986 : ''Swati'' (Hindi) *1990 : ''Bidaai'' (Bengali) *1993 : ''Ardhana'' (Malayalam) *1994 : ''Nagpachami'' (Bengali) *1994 : ''Sandhyadhara'' (Bengali) *1996 : ''Mayer Katha'' (Bengali) *1996 : ''Sunapua'' (Oriya)

Accolades

L. V. Prasad was the chairman of the

27th National Film Awards The 27th National Film Awards, presented by Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema The Cinema of India consists of motion pictur ...

Selection Committee held at New Delhi in 1980. He was the chairman of the All India Selection Panel of Indian Panorama section for the 8th

International Film Festival of India The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually, currently in the state of Goa, on the western coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common pla ...

from 3 to 17 January 1981. Prasad was also the chairman of the International Jury for Children's Film Festival held in November 1981 at Madras. He was elected as the President of The South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce for the year 1982–83. He was a Member of the Board of Film Censors from October 1980 to February 1987. L. V. Prasad was Chairman of the Studio Owners, Council, a wing of Film Federation of India. The Government of India released a Commemorative postage stamp in his memory in 2006. ;

National Film Awards 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 Directorat ...

* Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film in Tamil – ''Mangayar Thilakam'' (1956). * National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu – ''

Bharya Bhartalu ''Bharya Bhartalu'' () is a 1961 Indian Telugu-language drama film, produced by A. V. Subba Rao under the Prasad Art Pictures banner and directed by K. Pratyagatma. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Krishna Kumari, with music composed by ...

'' (1962). *1982 – Dadasaheb Phalke Award ;Nandi Awards *

– 1980 ;Filmfare Awards *Filmfare Award for Best Film – ''Khilona'' (1970) *

Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South ceremony. Recipients Notes References General * Specific External links 55th Filmfare Awards South Winners {{DEFA ...

(1992) ;Other Awards *Raja Sandow Memorial Award for the year 1978–79 by the then Honorable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Dr. M. G. Ramachandran at Madras *Udyog Patra Award by the Honorable Vice-President of India, Mr. M.Hidayatullah at New Delhi on 20 December 1980 *Ramnath Award − 82 by the Cine Technicians' Association of South India on 5 June 1982 *Kalatapasvi Award by Telugu cinema weekly magazine Sitaara on 13 March 1983 at Hyderabad *

Kala Prapoorna Andhra University (IAST: ''Āndhra Vișvakalāpariṣhat'') is a public university located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established in 1926. History King Vikram Deo Verma, the Maharaja of Jeypore was one of the biggest don ...

award was conferred on him by Chancellor,

Andhra University Andhra University (IAST: ''Āndhra Vișvakalāpariṣhat'') is a public university located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established in 1926. History King Vikram Deo Verma, the Maharaja of Jeypore was one of the biggest do ...

at Waltair (Old Visakhapatnam) on 21 December 1985 *Andhra Ratna award was conferred on L.V.Prasad by Andhra Pradesh Kalavedhika on 27 March 1987 at Hyderabad

References

External links

Official websitePrasad Group website
* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Prasad, L. V. 1907 births 1994 deaths Male actors from Andhra Pradesh Andhra University alumni Telugu male actors Telugu film directors Film producers from Andhra Pradesh Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipients Filmfare Awards South winners Tamil film directors People from West Godavari district People from Eluru 20th-century Indian film directors 20th-century Indian male actors Male actors in Tamil cinema Male actors in Hindi cinema Film directors from Andhra Pradesh Indian male film actors Male actors in Telugu cinema Cinematographers from Andhra Pradesh