Gollapudi Maruthi Rao

Gollapudi Maruthi Rao is a mathematical physicist turned editor, writer (of plays, stories, novels, film scripts and screenplays), dramatist, cine actor, TV anchor, and journalist who is well known for his many contributions to Telugu literature and culture. As former officer with the All India Radio (AIR) organized the programs of AIR for over two decades from the early 1960s until he moved into the Telugu film industry.
Maruthi Rao was born in a brahmin family on April 14, 1939, in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, India and graduated from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India in 1959 specializing in Mathematical Physics. However his strong interests from his schooldays were in writing. After a two year service on the editorial department of Andhra Prabha Daily Newspaper, he joined All India Radio, Government of India and held various positions as Transmission Executive, Program Executive, and Assistant Station Director for a total period of 19 years before entering into a prolific career of films and continues his writing which started since his school days: News, Features, Interviews, Essays, Editorials, Short Stories, Playlets, Plays, Audio Pictures, Cine Stories, Cine Screen Plays, Cine Dialogues, TV Serial Writing etc.



Career

Performing arts

Maruthi Rao wrote for 87 films (story, screenplay, dialogues). He acted in over 230 movies as character actor, comedian and villain took part in film direction apart from his writing, directing and acting in plays. He conducted TV shows as an anchor.

Awards and honors

Maruthi Rao has been felicitated and honored in hundreds of occasions in many countries including India. Five 'Nandi Awards' for Best Story, Screen Writing, Dialogues and performance for several movies and TV. Gold Medals, such as the Gurazada Apparao Memorial Medal and Felicitations such as Sarvaraya Memorial Puraskaram. He received many awards for Stage Acting, Stage Playwriting, and TV Features/Anchoring:

-Pulikanti Krishna Reddy Puraskaram(2007)
-Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Academy Award for the play ‘Kallu’ (The Eyes) as Best Playlet of the year 1975
(It had won the Best Script Award in the Raghava Memorial Competitions at Vizianagaram,The play was prescribed as Text book for M.A. (Telugu Literature) at Osmania University, Hyderabad,It was translated into all Indian Languages by the National Book Trust, under the Aadaan Pradaan Programme, It was made into a Telugu film, for which the Andhra Pradesh government presented Nandi Award for the Best Story� in 1989).
• Three more Nandi Awards for films from the Govt. of A.P.; ‘Atma Gowravam’
(Best Story – 1965); Mestari Kapuram (Dialogues-1991)
Prema Pustakam (Best Screenplay – 1994)
“Sarvaraya Dharmanidhi Puraskaram� for the best humorous writing in Telugu awarded by
Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Academy. (1983)
• "Paidi Lakshmayya Dharmanidhi Puraskaram from Telugu University (2002)
• “Gurazada Apparao Memorial Gold Medal� as the best playwright by Vamsee Art Theatres,
Hyderabad in 1985.
• The play “Anantam� was adjudged as the ‘Best Script’ in the Inter-University Radio
play contest conducted by All India Radio, Delhi in 1959.
• Telugu play ‘Prasna’ (The Question) was awarded the “Mahatma Gandhi Award for Creative
Literature� in an All India Contest.
• The play ‘Oka Chettu – Rende Puvvulu’ was purchased by Song and Drama Division, Ministry
of Information and Broadcasting for popular exhibition.
• Recipient of “Telugu Velugu Award" in 1987 and BEST ALL-ROUNDER AWARD in 1996 by the
Madras Telugu Academy, an association striving for National Integration.
• Best Script award for the play “Karuninchani Devatalu� and Best Script Award for the
Playlet “Kallu� both in the same spell of competitions conducted by Andhra Nataka Kala
Parishad at Vijayawada in 1970.
• Best Script Award for the playlet “Rendu Rellu Aaru� (“Two times Two is Six�) in
the Drama competitions conducted at Lalitha Kala Niketan, Rajahmundry.
• Best Script Award for the playlet ‘Patita’ in the play writing competitions conducted
by “Natya Kala�, a magazine run by Andhra Pradesh Sangeeta Nataka Academy in 1960.
• Silver Medal for “Karuninchani Devatalu� from Padma Bhushan Akkineni Nageswara Rao
in 1969.
• Best Script prize for the play “Mahanatudu� at Rayala Nataka Kala Parishad in 1970.
• Best Script prize for the playlet “Kaalam Venakku Tirigindi� at Railway Institute Competitions at
Rajahmundry and Hindustan Shipyard Competitions at Visakhapatnam in 1970.
• Best Script Award for “Patita" (playlet) at Mitra Brindam, Palakol (W.G. Dist, A.P). The play was presented at Asian Theatre Institute, New Delhi in 1959.
• Best Script Award for “Aasayaalaku Sankellu� (playlet) at Art Lovers Union Competitions, Chittoor in 1961 and at Mitra Samajam, Bhimavaram in 1962. It was presented by Pravasi Andhra Sangham at Poona in 1969.
• Best Script Award for “Rendu Rellu Aaru� (playlet) at Calcutta Pravasi Andhra Competitions in 1969, at Postal Inter-Dept. Competitions, Vijayawada, Nataraj Kala Samithi, Kharagpur and at Samskriti Sammelan, Gudur.
•Delhi Telugu Akademi Award (2001) at New Delhi.
•Madras Telugu Akademi Award (Telugu Velugu) 1987.
•Madras Telugu Akademi Award (Best All Rounder) 1996.
•Raja-Lakshmi Foundation Award (Visishta Puraskaram) 2002.
•1984: Vamsee-Berkeley Award (Hyderabad) for play writing and the Gurazada Apparao Memorial Gold Medal (Vizianagaram).
•Best Comedian Award for his role in Tarangini (1983).
•Best Character Actor Award from Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, Governor, Andhra Pradesh for his role in "Ramayanamlo Bhagavatham" (1985).
•Vamsee Award for Best Character Role in "Samsaram Oka Chadarangam"(1987).
•‘Gurazada Puraskaram' (2001) from Gurazada Samakhya, Vizianagaram.
•Felicitation from ‘Melu Kalayika’ (1994) of Bangalore.
•Felicitation from ‘Vijaya Bhawana’ (1996) of Vizianagaram.
•Felicitation (2004) by Pravasandhra Navya Kala(PNK) Parishat, Kharagpur.
•Felicitation (2005) by Vipanchi, Telugu Association, Sharjah, UAE.
•Felicitation (2005) by Rasamayi, Dubai, UAE.
•Kondamudi Sriramachandra Murthi Award, an award named after a renowned writer by Sahiti Samakhya, Guntur (2009).
•Sripada Subrahamanya Sastri Award, an award named after a renowned trend setter in Telugu writing by Buddhavarapu Charitable Trust, Polamuru (2009).
•Presented a paper on MYTHOLOGY IN FILMS at Film Institute of India, Pune in the seminar on Adoptation of stories to Films (2009).
•Presented a paper in the Screen writing -workshop conducted by Chennai International on AN UNPROFESSIONAL- PROFESSIONAL'S SCREEN WRITING (June,2009).