# S. V. Ranga Rao (సామర్ల వెంకట రంగారావు)
**S. V. Ranga Rao** (సామర్ల వెంకట రంగారావు; 3 July 1918 – 18 July 1974), popularly known as **SVR**, was an Indian film actor, director, and producer who worked mainly in Telugu and [Tamil cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/tamil-cinema), and was known by the epithet *Viswa Nata Chakravarthi* ("Emperor of Acting"). In a career of nearly three decades he acted in about 162 films, 109 in Telugu and 53 in Tamil, and won the Best Actor award at the Afro-Asian Film Festival in Jakarta for his portrayal of Keechaka in *Narthanasala* (1963).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0710036/bio/) • [2](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/remembering-sv-ranga-rao-versatile-actor-loved-his-mythological-roles-86007) • [3](https://www.hyderabadfilmclub.org/newsletter/Press%20Meet%20of%20S%20V%20Ranga%20Rao%20Festival.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 3 July 1918, Nuzvid, Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh; 18 July 1974, Madras, of a heart attack, at age 56[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0710036/bio/) • [2](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/remembering-sv-ranga-rao-versatile-actor-loved-his-mythological-roles-86007) |
| Output | About 162 films in a career of nearly three decades: 109 Telugu, 53 Tamil; he also directed and produced[2](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/remembering-sv-ranga-rao-versatile-actor-loved-his-mythological-roles-86007) • [3](https://www.hyderabadfilmclub.org/newsletter/Press%20Meet%20of%20S%20V%20Ranga%20Rao%20Festival.pdf) |
| Signature roles | Ghatotkacha in *Maya Bazaar* (1957), Keechaka in *Narthanasala* (1963), Ravana in *Sampoorna Ramayanam*, Hiranyakashipu in *Bhakta Prahlada*, Nepala Manthrikudu in *Pathala Bhairavi* (1951)[2](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/remembering-sv-ranga-rao-versatile-actor-loved-his-mythological-roles-86007) • [4](https://prgc.edu.in/Departments/STALWARTS%20OF%20DEPARTMENT%20OF%20TELUGU.pdf) |
| International honor | Best Actor award at the Afro-Asian (Indonesian) Film Festival in Jakarta for *Narthanasala*; sources date the festival to 1963 or 1964[3](https://www.hyderabadfilmclub.org/newsletter/Press%20Meet%20of%20S%20V%20Ranga%20Rao%20Festival.pdf) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0710036/bio/) |
| Indian honors | Five-time Rashtrapati Award recipient; Nandi Awards for acting and directing; Filmfare Special Award (South)[5](https://www.mintageworld.com/media/detail/9807-remembering-s-v-ranga-rao/) • [3](https://www.hyderabadfilmclub.org/newsletter/Press%20Meet%20of%20S%20V%20Ranga%20Rao%20Festival.pdf) |
| Family | Married Leelavathi in 1947; two daughters and one son[6](https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2018/jul/04/cm-n-chandrababu-naidu-unveils-125-feet-bronze-statue-of-sv-ranga-rao-1837938.html) |
| Commemoration | 12.5-foot bronze statue unveiled at Eluru in 2018, with a museum announced; a commemorative postage stamp was issued in 2013[6](https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2018/jul/04/cm-n-chandrababu-naidu-unveils-125-feet-bronze-statue-of-sv-ranga-rao-1837938.html) • [5](https://www.mintageworld.com/media/detail/9807-remembering-s-v-ranga-rao/) |
## Early life and education
Ranga Rao was born in Nuzvid, in the then [Krishna district](https://www.edgepedia.org/krishna-district) of the [Madras Presidency](https://www.edgepedia.org/madras-presidency), to Samarla Koteswara Rao, an excise inspector, and Lakshmi Narasayamma. His grandfather Kotayya Naidu was a well-known physician in Nuzvid and later worked at Chengalpattu near Madras, where the boy lived with his grandmother and studied at the Hindu High School in Triplicane.[7](https://ntvtelugu.com/movie-news/cinema-news/remembering-sv-rangarao-on-his-birth-anniversary-27073.html) • [4](https://prgc.edu.in/Departments/STALWARTS%20OF%20DEPARTMENT%20OF%20TELUGU.pdf) He went on to study intermediate at Mrs. A.V.N. College in [Visakhapatnam](https://www.edgepedia.org/visakhapatnam) and completed a B.Sc. at P.R. College in Kakinada.[7](https://ntvtelugu.com/movie-news/cinema-news/remembering-sv-rangarao-on-his-birth-anniversary-27073.html)
He showed a talent for the stage at fifteen and was influenced by the theater actors Ballari Raghavacharyulu and Govindarajulu Subba Rao.[7](https://ntvtelugu.com/movie-news/cinema-news/remembering-sv-rangarao-on-his-birth-anniversary-27073.html) After completing his degree he took a job as a budget assistant with the Tata company in [Jamshedpur](https://www.edgepedia.org/jamshedpur), but left it when his relative B.V. Ramanandam invited him to play the lead in the film *Varudhini*.[6](https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2018/jul/04/cm-n-chandrababu-naidu-unveils-125-feet-bronze-statue-of-sv-ranga-rao-1837938.html) • [4](https://prgc.edu.in/Departments/STALWARTS%20OF%20DEPARTMENT%20OF%20TELUGU.pdf) The film did not do well, and *Mana Desam* (1949), in which he appeared alongside N.T. Rama Rao, restored his confidence in a film career.[2](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/remembering-sv-ranga-rao-versatile-actor-loved-his-mythological-roles-86007)
## Film career
**Breakthrough.** Recognition as a fine actor came with *Shavukaru* (1950), and the turning point was the role of the scheming tantric Nepala Manthrikudu in *Pathala Bhairavi* (1951), 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](https://www.edgepedia.org/international-film-festival-of-india).[4](https://prgc.edu.in/Departments/STALWARTS%20OF%20DEPARTMENT%20OF%20TELUGU.pdf) A frequently quoted dialogue from the film, "Dhairyam Seyara Rakumari Labhistundi," is still remembered.[6](https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2018/jul/04/cm-n-chandrababu-naidu-unveils-125-feet-bronze-statue-of-sv-ranga-rao-1837938.html)
**Mythological roles.** Ranga Rao was, apart from N.T. Rama Rao, an automatic choice for Telugu filmmakers making mythologicals, and his range of characters exceeded even NTR's: he played Akbar, Bhishma, Duryodhana, Yama, Ravana, Ghatotkacha, Kamsa, and Keechaka.[2](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/remembering-sv-ranga-rao-versatile-actor-loved-his-mythological-roles-86007) His gluttonous [Ghatotkacha](https://www.edgepedia.org/ghatotkacha) in *Maya Bazaar* (1957) endeared him to children, and the song "Vivaha Bhojanambu" from that film remains the performance he is most identified with; in the Tamil version the corresponding song, "Kalyana Samayal Sadham," sung by Tiruchi Loganathan, became one of the biggest hits of the year.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0710036/bio/) • [2](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/remembering-sv-ranga-rao-versatile-actor-loved-his-mythological-roles-86007) He played Mayasura in *Bhookailas* (1958) and Bhoja in *Mahakavi Kalidasu* (1960), which won the [National Film Award for Best Feature Film](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-film-award-for-best-feature-film) in Telugu.[8](https://virtuafil.org/images/expos/parts/exhibits/1853.pdf)
**Narthanasala and international recognition.** As the lustful Keechaka in *Narthanasala* (1963), Ranga Rao used his deep bass voice to deliver lengthy dialogues that won over the award jury at the Afro-Asian Film Festival in Jakarta, where the film was screened; he received the Best Actor award, and Telugu-language accounts record him as the first Telugu actor to win an international best-actor prize.[2](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/remembering-sv-ranga-rao-versatile-actor-loved-his-mythological-roles-86007) • [3](https://www.hyderabadfilmclub.org/newsletter/Press%20Meet%20of%20S%20V%20Ranga%20Rao%20Festival.pdf) • [9](https://www.123telugu.com/telugu/?p=28625) Sources differ on the festival's year: the Hyderabad Film Club press release and the Mintage World tribute place the award in 1963, while IMDb dates the Jakarta festival to 1964.[3](https://www.hyderabadfilmclub.org/newsletter/Press%20Meet%20of%20S%20V%20Ranga%20Rao%20Festival.pdf) • [5](https://www.mintageworld.com/media/detail/9807-remembering-s-v-ranga-rao/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0710036/bio/)
**Social dramas and Tamil cinema.** Away from mythologicals he was a sober presence: the village elder, the family patriarch, the doting elder brother, and the caring father-in-law. In Tamil cinema he appeared in films such as *Missiamma*, *Annai*, *Naanum Oru Penn*, *Karpagam*, and *Parthiban Kanavu*, usually with well-defined roles opposite the heroes MGR and [Sivaji Ganesan](https://www.edgepedia.org/sivaji-ganesan); one of his rare villain appearances was in MGR's *Nam Naadu* (1969).[2](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/remembering-sv-ranga-rao-versatile-actor-loved-his-mythological-roles-86007) In Telugu he played a rich landlord in *Aathma Bandhuvu* and a daily-wage laborer in *Thatha Manavadu*, and showed a gift for comedy in *Andaru Dongale*.[2](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/remembering-sv-ranga-rao-versatile-actor-loved-his-mythological-roles-86007)
## Directing and producing
In the late 1960s Ranga Rao moved into directing and producing with the social dramas *Chadarangam* (1967) and *Bandhavyalu* (1968), both of which won [Nandi Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/nandi-awards).[10](https://socinety.com/en/person/s-v-ranga-rao) His last film was in Tamil, released in 1974, the year of his death.[11](https://andhraportal.org/personalities-s-v-ranga-rao/)
## Style and reputation
Ranga Rao was among the earliest Indian actors to be described as a "method" actor, and he was known for a natural acting style and a command of dialogue delivery in both Telugu and Tamil that contemporaries and later actors treated as a standard of gravitas.[2](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/remembering-sv-ranga-rao-versatile-actor-loved-his-mythological-roles-86007) • [3](https://www.hyderabadfilmclub.org/newsletter/Press%20Meet%20of%20S%20V%20Ranga%20Rao%20Festival.pdf) His height, physique, and voice modulation suited larger-than-life mythological characters, yet audiences did not read his forceful style as overacting.[2](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/remembering-sv-ranga-rao-versatile-actor-loved-his-mythological-roles-86007) He was also one of the earliest Indian film stars to appear in commercials, with a popular advertisement for the Berkeley cigarette brand.[2](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/remembering-sv-ranga-rao-versatile-actor-loved-his-mythological-roles-86007)
## Death and legacy
Ranga Rao died of a heart attack in Madras on 18 July 1974, at the age of 56.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0710036/bio/) • [2](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/remembering-sv-ranga-rao-versatile-actor-loved-his-mythological-roles-86007) The India Postal Department issued a 500-paisa commemorative stamp in his honor in 2013.[5](https://www.mintageworld.com/media/detail/9807-remembering-s-v-ranga-rao/) During his birth centenary in 2018, centenary celebrations and a film festival were held at Sri Sarathi Studios in [Hyderabad](https://www.edgepedia.org/hyderabad), and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu unveiled a 12.5-foot bronze statue of him at Eluru, announcing that a museum in his memory would be built in the city.[3](https://www.hyderabadfilmclub.org/newsletter/Press%20Meet%20of%20S%20V%20Ranga%20Rao%20Festival.pdf) • [6](https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2018/jul/04/cm-n-chandrababu-naidu-unveils-125-feet-bronze-statue-of-sv-ranga-rao-1837938.html) An SVR Memorial Award is presented in his memory to stage and film actors.[12](https://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/amaravati-tab/2016-07-19/kota-sankara-rao-honoured-with-svr-memorial-award/243276)
## References
1. [S.V. Ranga Rao – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0710036/bio/)
2. [Remembering SV Ranga Rao: A versatile actor loved for his mythological roles, The News Minute (2018)](https://www.thenewsminute.com/flix/remembering-sv-ranga-rao-versatile-actor-loved-his-mythological-roles-86007)
3. [Press Release: Centenary Celebrations and Film Festival of S V Ranga Rao, Hyderabad Film Club (2018)](https://www.hyderabadfilmclub.org/newsletter/Press%20Meet%20of%20S%20V%20Ranga%20Rao%20Festival.pdf)
4. [Stalwarts of the Department of Telugu, P.R. Government College (autodidact collection) profile of S. V. Ranga Rao](https://prgc.edu.in/Departments/STALWARTS%20OF%20DEPARTMENT%20OF%20TELUGU.pdf)
5. [Remembering S. V. Ranga Rao, Mintage World (2019)](https://www.mintageworld.com/media/detail/9807-remembering-s-v-ranga-rao/)
6. [CM N Chandrababu Naidu unveils 12.5 feet bronze statue of SV Ranga Rao, The New Indian Express (2018)](https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2018/jul/04/cm-n-chandrababu-naidu-unveils-125-feet-bronze-statue-of-sv-ranga-rao-1837938.html)
7. [యాక్టింగ్ డిక్షనరీ… ఎస్వీఆర్! NTV Telugu](https://ntvtelugu.com/movie-news/cinema-news/remembering-sv-rangarao-on-his-birth-anniversary-27073.html)
8. [S.V. Ranga Rao exhibit, Virtua Film](https://virtuafil.org/images/expos/parts/exhibits/1853.pdf)
9. [విశ్వ నట చక్రవర్తి ఎస్.వి రంగారావు, 123telugu](https://www.123telugu.com/telugu/?p=28625)
10. [S. V. Ranga Rao biography, Socinety](https://socinety.com/en/person/s-v-ranga-rao)
11. [Personalities: S.V. Ranga Rao, Andhra Cultural Portal (2017)](https://andhraportal.org/personalities-s-v-ranga-rao/)
12. [Kota Sankara Rao honoured with SVR Memorial Award, The Hans India (2016)](https://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/amaravati-tab/2016-07-19/kota-sankara-rao-honoured-with-svr-memorial-award/243276)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Indian and South Asian film actors by industry and language › Telugu film actors › Surnames H to R*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license