Bapu (film director)


Sattiraju Lakshmi Narayana, known professionally as Bapu, was an Indian film director, painter, illustrator, cartoonist, screenwriter, music artist, and designer known for his works in Telugu cinema, and bollywood.
In 2013, he was awarded the Padma Shri, for his contribution to Indian art and cinema.
Bapu's directorial venture Saakshi was showcased at Tashkent International film festival in 1968. Seeta Kalyanam was screened at the BFI London Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, San Reno and Denver International Film Festivals in 1978, and is part of the course at the British Film Institute.
Tyagayya and Pelli Pustakam were premiered at the Indian Panorama of the International Film Festival of India. Bapu's 2011 film, Sri Rama Rajyam, had a special screening at International Film Festival of India on 28 November 2011.
He has garnered two National Honors, two National Film Awards, seven state Nandi Awards, two Filmfare Awards South best Telugu director, and a Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South for the year 2012. In 1996, he appeared in the Doordarshan Documentary Eminent Cartoonists of India,
and was awarded Life Time Achievement from Indian Institute of Cartoonists in 2001. He gained international recognition through his art works viz., Bapu Bomma, The Navarasas, and the Indian Dances etc., which were held at the National Film Theatre, London, in 1978 and at the innumerable Telugu Conferences in the United States. He has worked as a graphic artist for J Walter Thomson, Efficient Publicities and F. D. Stewarts, Chennai.
In 1964, he was a delegate at the UNESCO sponsored seminar in Bangalore on Children's Books. The same year, he gave demonstrations for the training course programme on book illustrations and cover designs sponsored by UNESCO in Chennai. In the 1960s he has served as art Consultant for Ford Foundation sponsored The Southern Language Book Trust. He has designed and illustrated several books for leading publishers in South India out of which, five received Government Awards. He has also done the same for innumerable works drawn from the puranas and folklore.

Early life and background

Bapu was born on 15 December 1933, in Narsapur, in present-day West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, India to Sattiraju Venugopala Rao and Suryakantam. He has worked as a political cartoonist for the newspaper Andhra Patrika in 1945. He holds B.Com and BL from University of Madras.

Painting

Bapu's paintings focus on Hindu mythological characters, and he has painted the Hindu epic Ramayana as a pictorial story. His character portrayals, such as Shiva, Bhima, Duryodhana, look distinctly male with wide chests, large jaws and large biceps; while Krishna and Rama are more feminine in build.
His paintings have decorated the cover pages of many magazines in India and Abroad. Telugu Naadi Magazine published from USA for Telugu audience have published Bapu's great paintings. Bapu also later served on their advisory board to guide and have an outstanding content for the magazine that catered to Telugu people.

Association with Ramana

Bapu's family was staying in Madras and in 1942, when the Japanese bombed Madras, there was a panic exodus and Bapu's family moved to Narasapuram and stayed there till 1945, when the Second World War ended. Bapu studied in Taylor High School, Narasapuram during these years.
Mullapudi Venkataramana's father, who was working as a Sub-Registrar was posted at Narasapuram during the years 1942-45 and so, Venkataramana also studied in Taylor high School, Narasapram, during those years. They were classmates during those three years and that is how their association started. They continued schooling at Kesari High School, Madras. Ramana's first short story 'Amma Maata Vinakapote' was published in 1945 in 'Bala', a children's magazine published by Radio Annayya, he was 14 then. Bapu illustrated the story. That was the beginning of their career as a writer-producer -illustrator- filmmaker duo".
Started as an illustrator-story writer team and then turning into a film-director-writer duo, they have contributed immensely to the enrichment of Telugu cultural ethos through literature and cinema. When one mentions Bapu, then one is bound to mention Ramana's name too and vice versa. The most notable achievement in his movie making is his success in capturing the nativity of Telugu people and translating it great on-screen visuals.
Ventures like Sampoorna Ramayanam, Ramanjaneya Yuddham and Seeta Kalyanam have been the milestones of Telugu cinema, while historical films like Thyagayya, Bhakta Kannappa and Shreenatha kavisarvabhouma have been hugely successful. Bapu-Ramana combination has created movie magic on the large screen with some of the path breaking films in Telugu cinema and are ever remembered for films like Radha kalyanam, Velugu needalu, Bharyabhartalu, Bhogimanta, Mutyala Muggu, 'Sakshi, Mr. Pellam', Pelli Pustakam. The duo directed Mana Voori Pandavulu which won the Filmfare Award for Best Film - Telugu.

Hindi cinema

Known for introducing Anil Kapoor to Indian cinema, Bapu has directed Hindi films such as Hum Paanch, Prem Pratigyaa,Seeta Swayamvar, Anokhi Bhakt, Bezubaan, Woh Saat Din, Pyari Behna, Mohobbat, Mera Dharam, and Diljala. He has also directed a Tamil film Neeti Devan Mayagugiran.

Death

Bapu had suffered heart attacks many times throughout his career. He was admitted into a hospital at Chennai in mid August 2014. He suffered from a cardiac arrest on 31 August 2014, and died later on the same day.
He was given a state funeral by the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Awards and honours

;Civilian honours
;National honours
;National Film Awards
;Filmfare Awards South
;Nandi Awards
;;Nandi Award for Best Feature Film :
;Other Honours
  1. Sakshi, 1967
  2. Bangaaru Pichika, 1968
  3. Buddhimantudu, 1969
  4. Inti Gowravam, 1970
  5. Balaraju Katha, 1970
  6. Sampoorna Ramayanamu, 1971
  7. Andala Ramudu, 1973
  8. Sri Ramanjaneya Yuddham, 1974
  9. Mutyala Muggu, 1975
  10. Sita Kalyanam, 1976
  11. Shri Rajeshwari Vilas Coffee Club, 1976
  12. Bhakta Kannappa, 1976
  13. Sneham, 1977
  14. Mana Voori Pandavulu, 1978
  15. Gorantha Deepam, 1978
  16. Toorpu Velle Railu, 1979
  17. Vamsa Vruksham, 1980
  18. Rajadhi Raju, 1980
  19. Pandanti Jeevitam, 1980
  20. Kaliyuga Ravanaasurudu, 1980
  21. Hum Paanch, 1980
  22. Tyagayya, 1981
  23. Radha Kalyanam, 1981
  24. Bezubaan, 1982
  25. Krishnaavataram, 1982
  26. Pelleedu Pillalu, 1982
  27. Neethi Devan Mayakkam, 1982
  28. Edi Dharmam Edi Nyayam?, 1982
  29. Mantri Gari Viyyankudu, 1983
  30. Woh Saat Din, 1983
  31. Sitamma Pelli, 1984
  32. Mohabbat, 1985
  33. Pyari Behna, 1985
  34. Bullet, 1985
  35. Jackie, 1985
  36. Mera Dharam, 1986
  37. Kalyana Tamboolam, 1986
  38. Diljalaa, 1987
  39. Prem Pratigyaa, 1989
  40. Pelli Pustakam, 1991
  41. Mr. Pellam, 1993
  42. Srinatha Kavi Sarvabhowmudu, 1993
  43. Pelli Koduku, 1994
  44. Paramaatma, 1994
  45. Rambantu, 1996
  46. Radha Gopalam, 2005.
  47. Sundarakanda, 2008
  48. Sri Rama Rajyam'', 2011
  49. along with Ramana garu. This book was published in Telugu, English and French languages.
  50. Maha Bharatam along with Ramana garu.
  51. Bapu Ramaneeyam along with Ramana garu
  52. Koti Kommachi along with Ramana garu
  53. Koti Kommachi along with Ramana garu
  54. Kosaru Kommachi -Bapu Ramaneeyam along with Ramana garu
  55. Bapu Cartoonulu -1
  56. Bapu Cartoonulu -2
  57. Bommalu Geeyandi
  58. Budugu along with Ramana garu