P Adinarayana Rao

Adinarayana Rao was born in 1915 at Kakinada of East Godavari in Andhra Pradesh to Penupatruni Krishnayya Goud and Penupatruni Anasuya. He did his matriculation from Kakinada.

He started his film career as a child artist at the age of six under Rajarajeswari Naatya Mandali's baton to play the roles of mythological characters like "Narada" and "Savitri". Later, he studied classical music under Patrayani Sitaramsastry in Saluru. By age of 12, he started playing many musical instruments and showing his talent in both music as a composer and on stage as a play writer.

He was well known in Kakinada theatre, and was affectionately called Abbayigaru.

He along with S.V.Ranga Rao made their debut into film industry with film Varudhini in 1946. Adinarayana Rao wrote lyrics and composed music for two songs in that film. Later, wrote lyrics and composed music for couple of films. Huge break arrived with film Gollabhama directed by C. Pullaiah, in which his wife Anjali Devi made her debut. With film Palletoori Pilla in 1950, he established himself into a well-known and full-fledged music director in the Telugu film industry. He married Anjali Devi in 1948, and they had two sons. His granddaughter Saila Rao is also an actress.

He was versatile in composing music, writing lyrics and story for films, and producing movies in Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, and Hindi under Anjali Pictures. During 80's, he mostly composed music and wrote lyrics under Padmalaya Studios for actor Krishna till he died in 1991.

He founded "Aswini Pictures" along with Akkineni Nageswara Rao and makeup artist K. Gopala Rao to produce movies like "Maayalamaari" in 1951 in Telugu, "Mayakkaari" in Tamil, and "Annadhata" in 1954 for which he wrote lyrics and composed music.

He started a production house Anjali Pictures in 1951 by the name of his wife after parting ways with Aswini Pictures. He produced some of the blockbusters in film industry like Paradesi in 1952 in Telegu which was directed by L. V. Prasad in Telugu, Poongottai in Tamil, Anarkali in 1955, Suvarna Sundari in 1957 and Bhakta Tukaram in 1973. In all these movies, his wife Anjali Devi acted as the lead heroine. Most of the movies he produced had Akkineni Nageswara Rao as a lead actor.

He also produced movies in Hindi like Phoolon Ki Sej in 1964 and Suvarna Sundari in 1957.

He passed away in 1991.

Source:Old Telugusongs.com & Wiki

Prepared by: Sreedevi Pillai