CSR Anjaneyulu

He was born on 11 July 1907 in a Telugu '6000 Niyogi' Brahmin family at Chilakalapudi near Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh. His father was also an actor. He later moved to Ponnur in Guntur district. After school final studies, he worked as co-operative supervisor for some time. Instead of pursuing further studies, he choose to enter Drama field. In a short time, he reached a position comparable to Sthanam Narasimha Rao, D. V. Subba Rao, Parupalli, Addanki and others.
He played as Sri Krishna in Sri Krishna Tulabaram and Radhakrishna, Ramadas in Bhakta Ramadasu and Tukaram in Bhakta Tukaram, which got him wide recognition. He used to do justice by hard-work and determination for any character he choose to play. He was also a natural singer, particularly in poems expressively chanting them meaningfully.
He was a National activist. He directed and produced Patita Pavana drama on Untouchability.

He contributed Rs.10,000 to Indian National Army of Subhash Chandra Bose collected through donations by playing his Tukaram drama.

Anjaneyulu was an established hero by the late 1930s, preceding the entrance of other Telugu acting legends with whom he acted, NTR and Nageswara Rao (ANR). His performance in the movie Bhaktha Ramadas in 1937 won him many accolades. In the 1950s, starting with Pathala Bhairavi he began acting in character roles. In Pathala Bhairavi, he plays a king worried about his daughter, a princess kidnapped by a wicked magician played by Ranga Rao.
He was famous for portraying mythological and historical roles such as that of Krishna, Ramadas, Sarangadhara, Bhavani Sankar, Tukaram and Satyavantha. He also acted as Lord Venkateswara in Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam one of Director P. Pulliah's first successful films.
In the 1953 film Devadasu, he portrayed an aged widower Zamindar, alongside Savitri who acts as his wife. His other acclaimed character roles include Sakuni (Mahabharatha character) in Mayabazar.
His other acclaimed acting credits include Rojulu Marayi, Gruhapravesam, Illarikam, Kanyasulkam and Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu.
His directorial credits include the 1939 allegorical melodrama, Jayapradha.
Malayalam Film industry remembers CSR i for his title role in BhakthaKuchela, a mythological film produced and directed by P Subramaniam in 1961
His brothers CS Nageshwara Rao and CV Rethnam are well known figures in the Telugu film industry.
(Credits : Wikipedia)

Prepared by: Sreedevi Pillai