| Y. V. Rao | |
| Native Name: | యెర్రగుడిపాటి వరదరావు |
| Birth Name: | Yaragudipati Varada Rao |
| Birth Date: | 30 May 1903 |
| Birth Place: | Nellore, Madras Presidency, British India |
| Death Place: | Madras, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Spouse: | Rajam, Kumari Rukmani |
| Years Active: | 1930–1968 |
| Children: | Lakshmi |
| Relatives: | Aishwariyaa Bhaskaran (granddaughter) |
Yaragudipati Varada Rao (30 May 1903 – 13 February 1979) was an Indian director, actor, screenwriter, and editor known for his works primarily in Telugu, Kannada, and Tamil films.[1] Rao plunged into theatre and did a few stage plays before moving to Kolhapur and Bombay to act in silent films.[2] [3] Rao started his career as a lead actor in many silent films such as Gajendra Moksham (1923),[4] Garuda Garvabhangam (1929),[5] and Rose of Rajasthan (1931).[6] Regarded as one of the greatest filmmaking pioneers of the Cinema of South India,[2] [7] he made motion-pictures across Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Konkani, and Hindi languages, apart from silent films.[2] [7]
Rao made significant contributions to South cinema during the British rule in India. Rao's 1934 film Sati Sulochana was the first talkie film in the Kannada language.[7] In 1937, he directed the hagiographical classic Chintamani, the Tamil sleeper hit ran for a year with highest estimated footfall at a single screen in India, and British Ceylon.[8] Rao's 1938 film Swarnalatha was one of the finest political drama scripted by Ayyalu Somayajulu; with prohibition as the central theme, in which Rao played the lead. The film was shot extensively at Newtone Studios, Kilpauk, during Madras Presidency.[7] Rao's 1940 film, Viswa Mohini, is the first Indian film, depicting the Indian movie world, scripted by Balijepalli Lakshmikanta Kavi, starring V. Nagayya.[9] Rao subsequently made the mythology sequel films Savithiri (1941), and Sathyabhama (1942) casting thespian Sthanam Narasimha Rao.
Yaragudipati Varada Rao was born in Telugu Brahmin family[10] of Nellore in the then Madras Presidency of British India in May 1903. In the late 1920s, he moved to Madras and ventured into Kannada cinema.[2] He married Kumari Rukmini who was paired with him in Lavangi (1946). Indian actress Lakshmi is their daughter.[11]
Rao moved into film direction and made silent films such as Pandava Nirvan (1930), Pandava Agnathavaas (1930) and Hari Maya (1932). In 1932, a Marwari businessman, Chamanlal Doongaji from Bangalore, launched South India Movie Tone. The company made Sati Sulochana, the first talking picture in Kannada with an expense of . Rao directed this blockbuster film shot at Chatrapathi Cinetone, in Kolhapur; the shooting took eight weeks. He then directed Hari Maya (1932) that starred his first wife, Rajam.
As Director