Kotayya Pratyagatma

Born on October 31, 1925, in Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh, Kotayya Pratyagatma was an Indian film writer, executive, and maker known for his works in Bollywood and Telugu silver screen. He was wedded to Satyavati and had three children. One of his kids is K. Vasu, who is a director. Kotayya has a daughter name TejoLatha in Bangalore and a child in the US, Kalidas. His little girl Tejolatha's is named after him and occupied the proceeding with the legacy.

He worked briefly as a journalist and then turned to a movie career. He worked at Prajashakti magazine as a reporter and also as a Jwala, magazine editor. In 1961, he entered the film industry with his movie Bharya Bhartalu as a director and got him Silver Medal in the category of the best feature film in Telugu. Kotayya has bagged National Awards for three directorial movies. Following year, his movie Kula Gotturalu won second best regional film award. In 1965, one of his another film Manushulu Mamathalu got the National award as a third best feature motion picture in Telugu.

He was dynamic throughout the 1960s and 1970s delivering numerous exemplary films such as Chilaka Gorinka featuring Krishnam Raju Uppalapati Venkata Krishnam Raju is a Telugu film >> Read More... and Krishna Kumari Krishna Kumari was a leading actress in Telugu cin >> Read More... , Palletoori Bava starring Akkineni Nageshwara Rao and Lakshmi, Gadusu Ammayi starrer Jayasudha and Murali Mohan Murali Mohan is a Telugu cinema actor, producer, p >> Read More... and much more. He has coordinated thirty motion pictures in Hindi and Telugu language. In 1966, Kotayya introduced actor Krishnam Raju, who is famously known as ‘Rebel Star’ through his films, in Chilaka Gorinka opposite Krishna Kumari. The Bollywood motion pictures directed by him are Raja Aur Runk featured Sanjeev Kumar Sanjeev Kumar was born on July 9th, 1938 in Mumbai >> Read More... and Kumkum, Ek Nari Ek Brahmachari starring Jeetendra and Mumtaz, Bachpan starred Sanjeev Kamar and Tanuja, and many other.

From these films, Raja Aur Runk and Ek Nari Ek Brahmachari were most famous. Many of the directors got inspired by the role of Jeetendra and Mumtaz in Ek Nari Ek Brahmachari such as Priyadarshan to make films. Malayalam hit film Minnaram starring Mohanlal and Shobana was inspired by this Hindi comedy movie, and Raja Aur Runk became Silver Jubilee. He has also produced some of the motion pictures under the banner of Atma Arts. He won Nandi Award for Chilaka Gorinka, a Telugu film. Kotayya wrote motion pictures such as Illarikam directed by Tatineni Prakash Rao, Bachpan was also directed and produced by him and many more films. He left the world June 8, 2001, at the age of 75, in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.