Pattabhirama Reddy Tikkavarapu

Widely known for spearheading the art film movement in Karnataka in the 70s decade, Patabhirama Reddy Tikkavarapu was a noted film producer and director and a pioneer of Kannada and Telugu Parallel Cinema. Tikkavarapu was a social activist, working primarily for improving the condition of the working children. He was a writer and a poet contributing to the Telugu and Kannada literary circles. Born into an affluent family on February 19, 1919, in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, Pattabhirama did his schooling from famous poet Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Shantiniketan.’

Later, he studied English literature from Calcutta (now Kolkata) University, and History of Cinema at the Columbia University, New York Click to look into! >> Read More... . Familiarly known as Pattabhi, his career, though spanning more than a single field, began in the literary circles when his collection of twelve poems in Telugu, Fidelu Ragala Dozen, was published in 1939 and applauded by many.

Pattabhi’s remarkable stint in the film industry began in 1958 as the producer of the Telugu film Pellinati Pramanalu. After this, he produced a string of Telugu and Kannada films until his debut directorial project in 1970, the Kannada movie Samskara. The film received widespread critical acclaim and established Pattabhi as the frontrunner in the arena of Parallel Cinema in the Kannada language. The film had a ban imposed for its strong opposition to the caste restrictions, but the ban was later repealed, and the film released and went on to win the prestigious National Award for Best Feature Film in 1971, the Karnataka State Film Award, and the Bronze Leopard award at the Locarno International Film Festival. His other directorial ventures Chanda Marutha, Sringara Masa and Devara Kaadu, made him famous, and he won another National Award for Devara Kaadu in 1992.

It is noteworthy that Pattabhi is one of the select few to have been honored with the National Award four times in his career. He also authored two books, Kaitha Naa Daitha and Pattabhi Panchangam in Kannada and Telugu respectively, later in his career. Pattabhi was highly distressed about the plea of working children and co-founded an organization named Concerned for Working Children. He also was involved in the human rights movement and vehemently opposed the Emergency imposed on them. He was a founder and an active part of the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties.

He married Sneha Lata Reddy, a noted theater artist. His marriage was also an act of defiance against the societal taboos, as he and Sneha belonged to different religion and castes and had married against the will of both of their parents. Sneha Lata as also a social activist to whom Pattabhi dedicated a play In the Hour of God after her death in 1977. Pattabhi was awarded the Puttanna Kanagal Puttanna Kanagal was known as Chitra Brahma (God o >> Read More... award by the Government of Karnataka and an honorary doctorate from Andhra University. Rising above all sectarian and societal divisions, Pattabhi was in precise words a visionary and a gem for the Kannada and Telugu cinema. He met his demise on May 6, 2006, in Bangalore, Karnataka but he continues to live through his work.

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Pattabhirama Reddy Tikkavarapu was born on 19^th of February in the year 1919. He was a producer, screenwriter, director, poet, writer, and social activist worked in Indian film industry for many years. He mainly worked in Kannada and Telugu cinema. He has also won many National Awards for his contribution to the Indian film industry. He was born in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh in India. He has completed his education from the University of Calcutta. His well-known works include Samskara and Chandamarutha. These are the movies which are produced and directed by him. His wife name is Snehalata Reddy A theater actress, a Kannada film actress, and a s >> Read More... . T. Subbarami Reddy and Ramana Reddy Ramana Reddy was a comedy actor in the Telugu film >> Read More... are his relatives. Reddy married to Snehalata in the year 1977.

Reddy was the founder member of People’s Union for Civil Liberties, and participated in human rights movement, Indian Emergency opposition movement, Child Labor movement, etc. the film named “Chandamarutha” was directed by him in the year 1977, but was banned due to Emergency movement. It was released later on in English, and Kannada languages.

Apart from studying at Shantiniketan, Reddy also went to Columbia University for further studies. He also founded an organization named “Concerned for working children.” In the year 2003, he dedicated a play to his wife, Snehalata Reddy. The name of the play was “In the Hour of God.” He has produced and directed many films like Bhagya Chakram which was released in the year 1965, Devarakadu in Kannada language, Nimajjanam in the year 1979, Sringara Masa in the year 1984, Pellinati Pramanalu in the year 1958, and much more. When it comes to literature, his notable works are Fidelu Ragala Dozen in the year 1939, Kaitha Naa Daitha in the year 1978, etc.

Reddy has also won many Awards in his career. Under the category of Telugu Cinema, he has won National Film Award in the category of Best Feature Film for the movie named “Pellinati Pramanalu,” and for the movie named “Nimajjanam.” When it comes to Kannada cinema, he has won two National Awards. One in the category of the Best feature film for a movie named “Samskarra,” and other for “Devara Kadu” in the category of Best Film on Environment Preservation. Apart from these, he has also received Karnataka State Film Award for “Samskara” from the Government of Karnataka. At Locarno International Film Festival, he has won Bronze Leopard. Along with all these, from Andhra University, he has received Honorary Doctorate.

Pattabhirama Reddy Tikkavarapu died on 6^th of May in the year 2006 at the age of 87 in Bengaluru, India.