Skip to the content
Person

Dasari Narayana Rao

Dasari Narayana Rao (4 May 1942 – 30 May 2017) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, lyricist, and politician, primarily known for his work in Telugu cinema.[1] Over his four decade career, he directed more than 150 feature films, earning a Limca World Record for directing the most films in the world.[2] He was known by the epithet "Darsaka Ratna" ("Jewel among directors") and was recognized for addressing social issues such as gender discrimination, casteism, corruption and injustice through his films. Narayana Rao received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awards, 16 Nandi Awards including the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, and five Filmfare Awards South including the Lifetime Achievement. In addition to his work in Telugu cinema, Narayana Rao directed notable Hindi films like Swarag Narak (1978), Jyoti Bane Jwala (1980), Aaj Kaa M.L.A. Ram Avtar (1984), Asha Jyoti (1984) and others.[3][4] He directed works such as Tandra Paparayudu (1986), and Surigaadu (1992) which were screened at International Film Festival of India in the Panorama section,[5][6] and Kante Koothurne Kanu (1998) which received the National Film Award Special Mention Feature Film in addition to a Kannada films.

Dasari Narayana Rao

Raj Madiraju assisting Dasari Narayana Rao for Osey Ramulamma in 1995

Pallekarthik · CC BY-SA 4.0

Name
Dasari Narayana Rao
Born
4 May 1942
Birthplace
Palakollu, Madras Presidency, British India
Died
30 May 2017
Place of death
Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Occupation
* Film director
Spouse
Dasari Padma
Awards
National Film Awards
Nationality
British Raj, India and Dominion of India.
Education
Sri Y N College.
Honours
Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention and Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South.
Languages
Telugu.

VALÉORINE Encyclopedia

VALÉORINE documentary reading

Documentary summary

Dasari Narayana Rao (4 May 1942 – 30 May 2017) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, lyricist, and politician, primarily known for his work in Telugu cinema.[1] Over his four decade career, he directed more than 150 feature films, earning a Limca World Record for directing the most films in the world.[2] He was known by the epithet "Darsaka Ratna" ("Jewel among directors") and was recognized for addressing social issues such as gender discrimination, casteism, corruption and injustice through his films. Narayana Rao received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awards, 16 Nandi Awards including the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, and five Filmfare Awards South including the Lifetime Achievement. In addition to his work in Telugu cinema, Narayana Rao directed notable Hindi films like Swarag Narak (1978), Jyoti Bane Jwala (1980), Aaj Kaa M.L.A. Ram Avtar (1984), Asha Jyoti (1984) and others.[3][4] He directed works such as Tandra Paparayudu (1986), and Surigaadu (1992) which were screened at International Film Festival of India in the Panorama section,[5][6] and Kante Koothurne Kanu (1998) which received the National Film Award Special Mention Feature Film in addition to a Kannada films.

Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE

Note VALÉORINE

Dasari Narayana Rao (died 2017) was an actor, choreographer and film director, among other activities, a national of the British Raj and the Dominion of India. The actor was born in Palakollu and died in Hyderabad.

Dasari Narayana Rao was educated at Sri Y N College. The actor held the position of member of Rajya Sabha.

Languages used include Telugu. Honours include Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South and Raghupathi Venkaiah Award.

Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 29 September 2026

VALÉORINE

Reference Check

Propose documentary evidence for Dasari Narayana Rao. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.

Sign in to contribute

World of VALÉORINE

Documentary connections

Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.

Documentary evidence

Documentary basis

Authority files

wikidata · Q3595535 · wikipedia · Dasari Narayana Rao

In this article

  1. 01Biography
  2. 02Writing and publications
  3. 03Honours and memberships
  4. 04Notes, references and evidence

The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.

Elsewhere in Film memorabilia

For owners

Own a work by Dasari Narayana Rao?

A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.