Samarla Venkata Ranga Rao (3 July 1918 – 18 July 1974), popularly known as SVR, was an Indian actor and filmmaker known for his works majorly in Telugu and Tamil films. He is regarded as one of the finest actors in the history of Indian cinema.^[1] He is known by the epithet "Viswa Nata Chakravarthi" (transl. "Universal Emperor of Acting").^[2][3] He was the earliest known character actor to have enjoyed a star status in South Indian cinema.^[4] In a career spanning nearly three decades, Ranga Rao garnered various national and international honours.^[2][5]

Ranga Rao was a method actor known for his natural acting style, portraying complex social, biographical, and mythological characters such as 'Nepala Manthrikudu', a tantric in Pathala Bhairavi (1951), Yama in Sati Savitri (1957), Ghatothkacha in Maya Bazaar (1957), Mayasura in Bhookailas (1958), Bhoja in Mahakavi Kalidasu (1960).^[6] In 1964, he received the Best Actor Award for his portrayal of Kichaka in Nartanasala (1963) at the third Afro-Asian Film Festival held in Jakarta,^[7] becoming the only Indian actor to have ever garnered the honour.^[8][9] He then essayed Duryodhana in the blockbuster Pandava Vanavasam (1965), Hiranyakasipu in Bhakta Prahlada (1967), and Ravana in Sampoorna Ramayanam (1971) to name a few.^[10][11][3]

His notable roles as a character actor include films such as Mana Desam (1949), Palletoori Pilla (1950), Devadasu (1953), Bangaru Papa (1954), Raju Peda (1954), Thodi Kodallu (1957), Chenchu Lakshmi (1958), Pelli Naati Pramanalu (1958), Nammina Bantu (1959), Gundamma Katha (1962), Sarada (1962), Aatma Bandhuvu (1962), Annai (1962), Karpagam (1963), Naanum Oru Penn (1963), Bobbili Yuddham (1964), Bandhavyalu (1968), Prema Nagar (1971), Dasara Bullodu (1971), Pandanti Kapuram (1972), Vasantha Maligai (1972), Thatha-Manavadu (1973), and Andaru Dongale (1974).^[4][12]

Government of Andhra Pradesh instituted an award in his memory, presented every year to the best character acting performance, known as the S. V. Ranga Rao Award for Best Character Actor.^[2]

Ranga Rao was born in Nuziveedu in erstwhile Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh in 1918 in a Telugu Zamindari family of Kapu caste.^[3][13][14] His father, Samarla Koteswara Rao, was an excise inspector at Nuzvidu, and his mother's name was Smt. Lakshmi Narasayamma.^[10][11] His grandfather was working as a doctor in the town. He had relatives scattered in East Godavari district. His grandfather, Kotayya Naidu, lived in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.^[3]

His mother, Lakshmi Narasayamma, a staunch devotee of Lord Venkateswara, named the boy after him. Ranga Rao was sent to Madras, where he completed his schooling at Hindu College. He also studied in Eluru and Visakhapatnam.^[3] At an early age of 12, he showed interest in stage acting. He ventured into acting after completing his bachelor's degree in sciences.^[10][11][15]

S. V. R. got an invitation from one of his relatives, B. V. Ramanandam, to play the lead actor in his film Varoodhini (1947). He immediately abandoned the job, and left for Salem to join the celluloid world. However, the film didn’t do well at the box office.^[3][4]

S. V. R. left Madras Presidency and reached Jamshedpur, where he took up the job as a budget assistant with the Tata company.^[4][15] However, his love for theatre began to bloom multifold. At this juncture, he married Badeti Leelavathi on 27 December 1947. In the days that followed, S. V. R. was given an opportunity to appear in Palletoori Pilla (1950), produced by B. A. Subba Rao.^[10] Shavukaru (1950) earned him recognition as a fine actor.^[3][4]

His role as the antagonist 'Nepala Manthrikudu', a tantric in Pathala Bhairavi (1951) was a turning point in his career.^[12][4] The film became a breakthrough for both Ranga Rao and the lead actor N. T. Rama Rao. Pathala Bhairavi was the only south Indian film screened at the first International Film Festival of India.^[16][17][18] Ranga Rao also starred in the enduring classics Mayabazar (1957) and Nartanasala (1963), featured in the CNN-IBN's list of "100 greatest Indian films of all time".^[19]

In a career spanning nearly three decades, he acted in over 160 films —109 in Telugu and 53 in Tamil.^[12] He was one of the earliest stars to feature in commercials and his ad for the popular cigarette brand Berkeley, was extremely popular.^[12]

Ranga Rao married Leelavati, daughter of Badeti Venkata Ramayya and Koteswaramma on 27 December 1947. They have three children: two daughters, Vijaya and Prameela and a son, Koteswara Rao.^[10]

Ranga Rao wanted to launch his son into films and shot a few portions. But the film didn’t take off for unknown reasons.^[4] He was a pet-lover, owned two German Shepherds at his residence. Ranga Rao was a poet and also wrote short stories for a few publications and nurtured a love for cricket, painting, hunting.^[4]

Ranga Rao suffered from heart attack at Hyderabad in February 1974. He was admitted in (Osmania General Hospital).Doctors suggested him to have "bypass surgery".and also adviced to quit drinking & acting for sometime and take rest. But rangarao neglected doctors words.unfortunately he suffered from Another heart stroke on 18 July 1974 at Madras it proved fatal and the actor died before any medical treatment could be administered.

Government of Andhra Pradesh instituted an award in his memory, presented every year to the best character acting performance, known as the S. V. Ranga Rao Award for Best Character Actor.^[2]

A bust-size bronze statue of Ranga Rao was unveiled by popular actor Chiranjeevi at Tummalapall Kalakshetram in Vijayawada in 2010.^[20] In 2018, N. Chandrababu Naidu, then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh unveiled a 12.5 feet bronze statue of Ranga Rao at Kalaparru on the outskirts of Eluru and announced that the state government was planning to establish a museum on Ranga Rao in Eluru.^[21][15]

Srivathsan Nadadhur of The Hindu wrote of him during his birth centenary in 2018 as follows, "S V Ranga Rao’s diction, towering on-screen persona, impressive quirks to his character-sketches, the ability to draw inspiration from society and literature have cemented his ‘irreplaceable’ stature over the years."^[4]

CV Aravind of The News Minute wrote of him in 2018, "SV Ranga Rao was ranked on par with the superstars of the 1950s, 60s and 70s such as N. T .Rama Rao, Nageswara Rao, M. G. Ramachandran, and Sivaji Ganesan. Ranga Rao was one of the earliest to be hailed as a ‘method’ actor and a substandard performance from him was simply out of the question. Rated as one of the most dignified and cooperative stars, he was held in high regard by the acting fraternity."^[12]

International honors

• Best Actor Award - 3rd Afro-Asian Film Festival held in Jakarta - (1963) - for Keechaka in Nartanasala^[7][8]
• Special Mention - 8th San Sebastián International Film Festival - (1960) for Nammina Bantu^[9][2][3]

Nandi Award for Best Feature Film (Director)

• Chadarangam (1967) - Second Best Feature Film (Silver)^[22]
• Bandhavyalu (1968) - Best Feature Film (Gold)^[22]

Other honors

• He was given distinguished titles such as Rashtrapati Award, Viswa Nata Chakravarti, Nata Sarvabhouma, Nata Sekhara, Nata Simha.^[2]