R. Narayana Murthy

Not to be confused with the businessman N. R. Narayana Murthy.

R. Narayana Murthy
Murthy in 2019
Born	Reddy Narayana Murthy (1954-12-31) 31 December 1954 Mallampeta, Andhra State, India (now in Andhra Pradesh, India)
Occupations	Actor film director screenwriter producer composer
Years active	1973–present
Children	1
Awards	Nandi Special Jury Award

Reddy Narayana Murthy (born 31 December 1954) is an Indian actor and filmmaker known for his work in Telugu cinema. He is recognized for creating socially conscious films that address issues such as social justice, class struggle, unemployment, crony capitalism, environmental concerns, land disputes, and political unrest. His films often portray the exploitation of marginalized communities and the challenges faced by the lower strata of society.

Murthy produces most of his films under the banner Sneha Chitra Pictures and is noted for his left-oriented approach to storytelling. He frequently explores themes of systemic oppression and social inequalities, particularly highlighting the atrocities committed by dominant classes.

Throughout his career, Murthy has acted in several notable films, including Ardharatri Swatantram (1986), Adavi Diviteelu (1990), Laal Salaam (1992), Dhandora (1993), Erra Sainyam (1994), Cheemala Dandu (1995), Dalam (1996), Cheekati Suryudu (1998), Vooru Manadiraa (2002), and Vegu Chukkalu (2004). His work in Dhandora (1993) earned him the Nandi Special Jury Award.

Early life

R. Narayana Murthy was born on 31 December 1954 in Mallampeta, a village in the Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh. He completed his schooling in Sankhavaram and later moved to Madras after finishing his intermediate studies, aspiring to pursue a career in the film industry. He initially worked as a junior artist in the Krishna-starrer Neramu Siksha (1973). However, on the advice of director Dasari Narayana Rao, he returned to his studies and completed a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Peddapuram.

Career

After completing his degree, Murthy returned to Madras to pursue acting. He played a supporting role in the film Needa (1979) and appeared in notable films such as Korikale Gurralaithe (1979), Sita Ramulu (1980), Agni Poolu (1981), and Viswaroopam (1981). His collaboration with Dasari Narayana Rao led to prominent roles in Sangeeta (1981) and Orey Rickshaw (1995), which established him as a lead actor.

Murthy launched his production house, Sneha Chitra Pictures, in Rampachodavaram on 10 June 1984. His debut production, Ardharatri Swatantram, was released in November 1986. The film was well-received, earning Murthy recognition as a filmmaker known for left-leaning and socially conscious themes.

From 1986 to 2018, Murthy produced and directed 29 films under the Sneha Chitra Pictures banner. His works addressed various social issues and resonated with audiences, achieving significant box office success. Many of his films enjoyed long theatrical runs, with several celebrating silver jubilees (25 weeks).

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1973	Neramu Siksha	Villager	Special appearance in the song "Ramuni Bantunura"
1978	Pranam Khareedu
1979	Needa
	Korikale Gurralaithe
	Anthuleni Vintha Katha	Nagabhushanam
1980	Sita Ramulu
1981	Agni Poolu	Raju
	Sangeeta
	Viswaroopam	Murthy
1982	Pratigna	Ramudu
1983	Iddaru Kiladilu
1983	M. L. A. Yedukondalu
1984	Sardar	Sivaprasad
1984	Kondaveeti Nagulu	Ramudu
1986	Ardharatri Swatantram		Also director and screenwriter
1988	Alochinchandi		Also director and screenwriter
	Nyayaniki Siksha	Reporter
1989	Bhooporatam
1990	Adavi Diviteelu		Also director and screenwriter
1991	Swatantra Bharatam
1992	Laal Salaam
1993	Dandora
1994	Erra Sainyam	Singanna	Also director and story writer
1995	Cheemala Dandu
	Orey Rikshaw	Suryam
	Errodu
1996	Aranyam
	Raitu Rajyam
1997	Dalam
	Singanna
1998	Cheekati Suryulu
	Telugodu
1999	Koolanna
2000	Chalo Assembly		Also director, producer, and screenwriter
2002	Vooru Manadiraa	Bheemudu	Also director, screenwriter, and producer
2003	Bheemudu	Bheemudu
	Vegu Chukkalu		Also director, screenwriter, producer, and composer
2004	Gangamma Jaatara
2005	Amma Meeda Ottu
2006	Adavi Biddalu
2008	Andamaina Manasulo		Special appearance
	Erra Samudram
	Devarakonda Veeraiah		As director, screenwriter, and producer
2010	Veera Telangana	Yadagiri	Also director, screenwriter, producer, and composer
2011	Poru Telangana	Jithender Reddy	Also director, screenwriter, producer, and composer
2012	People's War
2013	Nirbhaya Bharatham		Also director and screenwriter
2014	Rajyadhikaram
2016	Dandakaranyam	Koteswara Rao	Also director, screenwriter, producer, and composer
2017	Head Constable Venkataramayya
2018	Annadaatha Sukheebhava		Also director and screenwriter
2019	Marketlo Prajaswamyam		Also director and screenwriter
2020	Solo Brathuke So Better	Murthy
2025	University		Also director and screenwriter

External links

• R. Narayana Murthy at IMDb