B. R. Panthulu

Budaguru Ramakrishnaiah Panthulu (26 July 1910 – 8 October 1974)^[1] was an Indian film director, producer and actor. He is best known for directing films in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. His most popular films are Karnan, Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Sri Krishnadevaraya, School Master and Kittur Channamma, B. R. Panthulu, is a successful actor and converted Ma. Po. Si.'s biographic works Veerapandiya Kattabomman (a movie about a local chieftain who fought with the British in the 18th century in Tamil Nadu) and Kappalottiya Thamizhan (a movie about a lawyer who rebelled against the British rule that forbade Tamils operating shipping companies) to celluloid.

B. R. Panthulu
Panthulu, pictured in 1948
Born	Boodgur Ramakrishnaiah Panthulu (1910-07-26)26 July 1910 Rallabudaguru, Santhipuram Taluk, North Arcot District, Madras State, (Then), Chottoor, District (Now), Andra Pradesh
Died	8 October 1974(1974-10-08) (aged 64)
Nationality	Indian
Occupation(s)	Actor, director, producer
Spouse	B. R Kamalamma (B. R. Andalammal)
Children	B. R. Vijayalakshmi, B. R. Ravishankar

Early life

Panthulu was born on 26 July 1910 in the village of Rallabudaguru of Arcot district in the erstwhile Madras state (in present-day Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh ).^[2] He began his career as a teacher. Influenced by professional theatre during the time, he joined the troupe Chandrakala Nataka Mandali. He acted in plays Samsara Nouka, Sadarame and Guleba Kavali. He also worked for some time with Gubbi Veeranna's troupe and acted in Sri Krishna Garudi among others. Panthulu then formed his own Kannada professional theatre troupe, the Kalaseva Nataka Mandali, staging plays of his own choice.^[2]

Career

He made his debut as an actor in the 1936 Kannada film Samsara Nauka, an adaptation of the play he acted in. It was produced by Devi Films, based in Chennai. Directed by H. L. N. Simha, the film starred Panthulu, M. V. Rajamma, Dikki Madhava Rao, S. K. Padmadevi and M. S. Madhava Rao. The hero marries against his grandfather's wishes and is cast out. His troubles do not end there – he finds no favour with his in-laws, loses his job, and finds himself accused of murdering the bride his grandfather had chosen for him. The film was adapted from a play by the Chadrakala Natak Mandali, and remained true to the original's reformist ideal.

In 1950, he made the Tamil film Macharekhai, partnering with filmmaker P. Pullaiah under a stage company that later came to be known as Sukumar Productions with musician T. R. Mahalingam as his partner. With writer P. Neelakantan, he started the company Padmini Pictures, and produced the Tamil film Kalyanam Panniyum Brahmachari in 1954. Under the banner, he would go on to produce the Kannada films School Master (1958), Kittur Chennamma (1961) and Sri Krishnadevaraya (1970), that went on to become landmark films. His portrayal of Timmarusu, the Prime minister of the Vijayanagara King Krishnadevaraya, won him the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor.

As director, Panthulu his debut as a director with the Kannada film Rathnagiri Rahasya, a major commercial success during the time.^[2] He has produced and directed 57 films in all South Indian languages under the banner of Padmini Pictures.^[3]

Filmography

Year	Title	Credited as			Language	Role	Notes
		Director	Producer	Actor
1936	Samsara Nauka	N	N	Y	Kannada	Sundar
1941	Bhaktimala	N	N	Y	Telugu	Mohan
1943	Radha Ramana	N	N	Y	Kannada
1944	Tahsildar	N	N	Y	Telugu
1946	Lavangi	N	N	Y	Tamil
1947	Nam Iruvar	N	N	Y	Tamil	Jayakumar
1948	Bhaktha Jana	N	N	Y	Tamil	Panthoji
1950	Macha Rekai	N	N	Y	Tamil
1953	Ammalakkalu	N	N	Y	Telugu
1954	Kalyanam Panniyum Brahmachari	N	Y	Y	Tamil
1954	Jaladurga	N	N	Y	Kannada
1954	Karkottai	N	N	Y	Tamil
1955	Modala Thedi	N	Y	Y	Kannada	Shivram
1955	Mudhal Thethi	N	Y	Y	Tamil
1955	Vadina	N	Y	Y	Telugu
1955	Shivasharane Nambekka	N	Y	Y	Kannada
1955	Doctor Savithri	N	N	Y	Tamil
1956	Sivasakthi	N	Y	Y	Tamil
1957	Thangamalai Ragasiyam	Y	Y	Y	Tamil
1957	Rathnagiri Rahasya	Y	Y	Y	Kannada
1958	Sabaash Meena	Y	Y	Y	Tamil
1958	School Master	Y	Y	Y	Kannada	Ranganna
1958	Suhag	Y	Y	Y	Hindi
1959	School Master	Y	Y	Y	Hindi
1959	Abba! A Hudgi	N	N	Y	Kannada
1959	Veerapandya Kattabomman	Y	Y	Y	Tamil
1959	Veerapandya Kattabrahmana	Y	Y	Y	Telugu
1959	Sabaash Pilla	Y	Y	Y	Telugu
1959	Amar Shaheed	Y	Y	Y	Hindi
1960	Makkala Rajya	Y	Y	Y	Kannada
1960	Kuzhandhaigal Kanda Kudiyarasu	Y	Y	Y	Tamil
1960	Pillalu Techina Challani Rajyam	Y	Y	Y	Telugu
1960	Sangaili Thevan	Y	Y	Y	Tamil
1961	Kittur Chennamma	Y	Y	Y	Kannada
1961	Kappalottiya Thamizhan	Y	Y	Y	Tamil
1961	Kaanal Neer	N	N	Y	Tamil	Apparao
1962	Gaali Gopura	Y	Y	Y	Kannada
1962	Bale Pandiya	Y	Y	Y	Tamil
1962	Dil Tera Diwana	Y	Y	Y	Hindi
1962	Gaali Medalu	Y	Y	Y	Telugu
1963	Pempudu Koothuru	Y	Y	Y	Telugu
1963	Saaku Magalu	Y	Y	Y	Kannada
1964	School Master	N	Y	N	Malayalam
1964	Chinnada Gombe	Y	Y	Y	Kannada
1964	Karnan	Y	Y	Y	Tamil
1964	Muradan Muthu	Y	Y	Y	Tamil
1965	Aayirathil Oruvan	Y	Y	Y	Tamil
1966	Dudde Doddappa	Y	Y	Y	Kannada	Somayya
1966	Nadodi	Y	Y	Y	Tamil
1966	Enga Paappa	Y	Y	Y	Tamil		25th Film
1966	Nammaveetu Lakshmi	Y	Y	Y	Tamil
1966	Emme Thammanna	Y	Y	Y	Kannada
1966	Parakkum Pavai	N	N	Y	Tamil
1967	Gange Gowri	Y	Y		Kannada
1967	Beedi Basavanna	Y	Y	Y	Kannada
1968	Ragasiya Police 115	Y	Y	Y	Tamil
1968	Amma	Y	Y	Y	Kannada	Hullalli Ramaraya
1968	Chinnari Puttanna	Y	Y	Y	Kannada
1969	Gandondu Hennaru	Y	Y	Y	Kannada
1970	Sri Krishnadevaraya	Y	Y	Y	Kannada	Timmarusu
1970	Thedi Vandha Mappillai	Y	Y	Y	Tamil
1971	Aliya Geleya	Y	Y	Y	Kannada
1971	Malathi Madhava	Y	Y	Y	Kannada
1972	Ondu Hennina Kathe	Y	Y	Y	Kannada
1973	Ganga Gowri	Y	Y	Y	Tamil
1973	School Master	Y	Y	Y	Tamil
1974	Kadavul Mama	Y	Y	Y	Tamil

Awards

International Film Awards for his film "Veerapandia Kattapomman"

Award	Ceremony	Category	Nominee(s)	Outcome	Ref.
Afro-Asian Film Festival	Afro-Asian Film Festival - 1960	Best Film	B. R. Panthulu	Won
		Best Actor	Sivaji Ganesan	Won
		Best Music Director	G. Ramanathan	Won

National Film Awards

• 1958: All India Certificate of Merit for Third Best Feature film – School Master^[4]
• 1959: Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film in Tamil – Veerapandiya Kattabomman^[5]
• 1961: Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film in Kannada – Kittur Chennamma^[6]
• 1961: President's silver medal for Best Feature Film in Tamil – Kappalottiya Thamizhan^[6]

Karnataka State Film Awards

• 1969-70: Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor - Sri Krishnadevaraya

Filmfare Awards South

• 1970: Filmfare Award for Best Film – Kannada - Sri Krishnadevaraya

Book on B.R.Pantulu

A. N. Prahlada Rao has written a Book '"Danivillada Dhani" on B.R.Panthulu in Kannada, consisting of the details of his childhood, theatre, films produced in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam. The book was published by Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy. The book was released in November 2016 by Dr. Bharati Vishnuvardhan. Journalist and short story writer Jogi spoke on Book. S.V. Rajendra Singh Baabu presided.

References

1. KCA celebrating BR Panthulu's 100th birth anniversary Archived 9 July 2012 at archive.today at Oneindia.in
2. Khajane, Muralidhara (23 July 2010). "A born showman". The Hindu. from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
3. "Hundred years of legendary director BR Panthulu". merinews.com. from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
4. . International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
5. "7th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. (PDF) from the original on 26 March 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
6. . International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2011.