Gollapudi Maruthi Rao

Gollapudi Maruthi Rao
Gollapudi Maruthi Rao on his way to Kalahasthi - Dec 2007
Born	14 April 1939 (age 72) Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh,India
Occupation	Writer(plays, stories, novels), Screenwriter, TV anchor, Journalist, Editor, Actor, director

Early life

Maruthi Rao was born in a brahmin family on April 14, 1939, in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, India and graduated from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India in 1959 specializing in Mathematical Physics. However his strong interests from his schooldays were in writing. After a two year service on the editorial department of Andhra Prabha Daily Newspaper, he joined All India Radio, Government of India and held various positions as Transmission Executive, Program Executive, and Assistant Station Director for a total period of 19 years before entering into a prolific career of films and continues his writing which started since his school days: News, Features, Interviews, Essays, Editorials, Short Stories, Playlets, Plays, Audio Pictures, Cine Stories, Cine Screen Plays, Cine Dialogues, TV Serial Writing etc.

Literary Activity

Maruthi Rao has written and published several Plays (9), Playlets (18), Novels (12), Story volumes (4), Essays (2), Children’s’ Stories (3)

He wrote a weekly column “Jeevana Kaalam (The Living Times)” 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 (Daily) after the former Daily newspaper was closed for sometime. His column along with an audio reading (his voice) continues 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 USA 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' Awarded by the Vanguri Foundation in Hyderabad.

Performing arts

Maruthi Rao wrote for 87 films (story, screenplay, dialogues). He acted in over 230 movies as character actor, comedian and villain took part in film direction apart from his writing, directing and acting in plays. He conducted TV shows as an anchor.

Awards and honors

Maruthi Rao has been felicitated and honored in hundreds of occasions in many countries including India. Five Nandi Awards for Best Story, Screen Writing, Dialogues and performance for several movies and TV. He has received gold medals such as the Gurazada Apparao Memorial Medal and felicitations such as Sarvaraya Memorial Puraskaram. He received many awards for stage acting, stage playwriting, and TV features/anchoring.

• Pulikanti Krishna Reddy Puraskaram (2007)
• Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Academy Award for the play Kallu (The Eyes) as Best Playlet of 1975. It had won the Best Script Award in the Raghava Memorial Competitions at Vizianagaram. The play was prescribed as textbook for M.A. (Telugu literature) at Osmania University, Hyderabad. It was translated into all Indian Languages by the National Book Trust, under the Aadaan Pradaan Programme. It was made into a Telugu film, for which the Andhra Pradesh government presented Nandi Award for the Best Story in 1989).
• Three Nandi Awards for films from the government of Andhra Pradesh: Atma Gowravam (Best Story, 1965); Mestari Kapuram (Dialogues, 1991), Prema Pustagam (Best Screenplay, 1994).
• Sarvaraya Dharmanidhi Puraskaram for the best humorous writing in Telugu awarded by Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Academy (1983).
• Paidi Lakshmayya Dharmanidhi Puraskaram from Telugu University (2002).
• Gurazada Apparao Memorial Gold Medal as the best playwright by Vamsee Art Theatres, Hyderabad in 1985.
• The play Anantam was adjudged as the Best Script in the Inter-University Radio play contest conducted by All India Radio, Delhi in 1959.
• Telugu play Prasna (The Question) was awarded the Mahatma Gandhi Award for Creative Literature in an All India Contest.
• The play Oka Chettu – Rende Puvvulu was purchased by Song and Drama Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for popular exhibition.
• Recipient of Telugu Velugu Award in 1987 and Best All-Rounder Award in 1996 by the Madras Telugu Academy, an association striving for National Integration.
• Best Script award for the play Karuninchani Devatalu and Best Script Award for the playlet Kallu both in the same spell of competitions conducted by Andhra Nataka Kala Parishad at Vijayawada in 1970.
• Best Script Award for the playlet Rendu Rellu Aaru (“Two times Two is Six”) in the drama competitions conducted at Lalitha Kala Niketan, Rajahmundry.
• Best Script Award for the playlet Patita in the play writing competitions conducted by Natya Kala, a magazine run by Andhra Pradesh Sangeeta Nataka Academy in 1960.
• Silver Medal for Karuninchani Devatalu from Padma Bhushan Akkineni Nageswara Rao in 1969.
• Best Script prize for the play Mahanatudu at Rayala Nataka Kala Parishad in 1970.
• Best Script prize for the playlet “Kaalam Venakku Tirigindi” at Railway Institute Competitions at Rajahmundry and Hindustan Shipyard Competitions at Visakhapatnam in 1970.
• Best Script Award for Patita (playlet) at Mitra Brindam, Palakol. The play was presented at Asian Theatre Institute, New Delhi in 1959.
• Best Script Award for Aasayaalaku Sankellu (playlet) at Art Lovers Union Competitions, Chittoor in 1961 and at Mitra Samajam, Bhimavaram in 1962. It was presented by Pravasi Andhra Sangham at Poona in 1969.
• Best Script Award for Rendu Rellu Aaru (playlet) at Calcutta Pravasi Andhra Competitions in 1969, at Postal Inter-Dept. Competitions, Vijayawada, Nataraj Kala Samithi, Kharagpur and at Samskriti Sammelan, Gudur.
• Delhi Telugu Akademi Award (2001) at New Delhi.
• Madras Telugu Akademi Award (Telugu Velugu) 1987; Madras Telugu Akademi Award (Best All Rounder) 1996.
• Raja-Lakshmi Foundation Award (Visishta Puraskaram) 2002.
• Vamsee-Berkeley Award (Hyderabad) for playwriting and the Gurazada Apparao Memorial Gold Medal (Vizianagaram) 1984.
• Best Comedian Award for his role in Tarangini (1983).
• Best Character Actor Award from Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, Governor, Andhra Pradesh for his role in Ramayanamlo Bhagavatham (1985)
• Vamsee Award for Best Character Role in Samsaram Oka Chadarangam (1987).
• Gurazada Puraskaram (2001) from Gurazada Samakhya, Vizianagaram.
• Felicitations from Melu Kalayika' (1994) of Bangalore; from Vijaya Bhawana (1996) of Vizianagaram; by Pravasandhra Navya Kala(PNK) Parishat, Kharagpur (2004); by Vipanchi, Telugu Association, Sharjah, UAE (2005); by Rasamayi, Dubai, UAE (2005).
• Kondamudi Sriramachandra Murthi Award, an award named after a renowned writer by Sahiti Samakhya, Guntur (2009).
• Sripada Subrahamanya Sastri Award, an award named after a renowned trendsetter in Telugu writing by Buddhavarapu Charitable Trust, Polamuru (2009).
• Presented a paper on mythology in films at Film Institute of India, Pune in the seminar on adaptation of stories to films (2009).
• Presented a paper in the screenwriting workshop conducted by Chennai International (June, 2009).
• Recipient of Kondamudi Sreeramachandra Murti Puraskaram at Guntur (2009).
• Lifetime Achievement Award at 2nd World Telugu Conference by Vanguri Foundation (U.S.A.) at Hyderabad.

Academic impact of work

Maruthi Rao’s works are subjects of study and research in universities in India.

• A volume of essays on theatre, Telugu Nataka Rangam, was prescribed as a textbook for the Department of Theatre Arts, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam (1967).
• His play KALLU is prescribed as a textbook for M.A. students of Osmania University.
• Many researchers received their PhD and MPhil degrees for their researches on Rao’s works.
• He participated in many seminars as keynote speaker.
• Two research articles appeared in Andhra Vigyana Sarvaswam (Telugu Encyclopedia) 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."

Honorary and other positions held

• Elected member of EOLSS International Editorial Council since 2005. The Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS) is the world’s largest publication, carrying state-of-the-art knowledge with contributions from nearly 10,000 renowned experts and 400 subject editors chosen from over 100 countries.
• Member, jury committees for many competitions held by the Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Academy (novels, children’s literature, etc.)
• Member of the Script Scrutiny Committee of National Film Development Corporation.
• Reviewer of films screened at the International Film Festival held in Madras (Chennai) in 1978 in English from All India Radio.
• Special Jury Award for the script of the TV series Premalu Pellillu.
• Member of National Jury for Indian Panorama, 1996
• Presided at seminar on Arts and Culture in World Telugu Conference at Visakhapatnam (December 8, 2000)
• Presided over Kavi Sammelan and presented keynote address in the seminar on media explosion in 5th All India Telugu Conference held at Chennai (June 2, 3, 2007)
• Keynote speaker, Krishna District Prapancha Telugu Conference (September 23, 2007)
• Invited participant in the 5th Inter-university Youth Festival representing Andhra University in 1958 and enacted the play Manastatvaalu. The festival was inaugurated by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
• Invited participant in the Group Counseling Programme of Madras University Employment Information and Guidance Bureau in 1976. The chairman of the project was Padma Bhushan Dr. Malcolm S. Audiseshaiah.

Recognition and special presentations of works and performances

The play Vandemaataram, the first one in Telugu about Chinese aggression, was published by Andhra Pradesh State Information & Public Relations Dept. (1963) with an introduction by Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao, the then former External Affairs Minister.

The play Raaga Raagini was presented before Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Vice President of India on December 16, 1959. It was translated into Hindi with the title Pathar Ke Ansoo.

Personal life

Maruthi Rao lives with his wife, two sons and their families in Chennai, India.