B. Narsing Rao
Rao in 2015
Born
Bongu Narsing Rao

(1946-12-26) 26 December 1946 (age 77)
Pragnapur, Hyderabad State (present-day Telangana, India)
Alma materOsmania University
Occupation(s)Director, actor, producer, screenwriter
AwardsInternational honors
National Film Awards
Nandi Awards

Bongu Narsing Rao (born 1946) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, littérateur, composer, poet, producer, actor and painter known for his works in Telugu cinema, and Telugu theatre.[1][2] Rao has garnered five National Film Awards,[3] three Nandi Awards, various international honors, and has served as a jury in various Asian film festivals.[4][5][6] He directed, Daasi "(Bonded Woman)" and Matti Manushulu "(Mud People)" which won the Diploma of Merit awards at the 16th and 17th Moscow International Film Festivals in 1989 and 1991 respectively.[7]

Internationally, Daasi was screened at the 1989 Filmfest München, 1990 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Three Continents Festival, Cairo International Film Festival, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, 1991 Museum of Modern Art; 1994, Bergamo Film Meeting; 1994 Dublin International Film Festival; 1997 National Centre for the Performing Arts (India); and Filmotsav 90' Kolkata.[8][9]

1987 film Maa Ooru ("Our Village") directed by him won the "Main Prize - Media Wave Award" at the Hungary International festival of visual arts, as well as the National Film Award for Best Anthropological/Ethnographic Film.[10][11] Maa Ooru was premiered at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival - Mumbai in 1999. The Ekotopfilm - International Festival of Sustainable Development Films in 1995, Slovak Republic. The Brastislavia Mostra internazionale d'arte cinematografica in 1993, Viterbo, Italy. The first Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films in 1990 where the film won the Best Cinematography award.[12][13] The International premier at Filmfest München in 1989, Germany. The Indian panorama section of the IFFI.[12][14][15]

Early life

He was born in Pragnapur, Medak in the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad state in a well to do agricultural family.[16] Rao is married and has three sons and one daughter and seven grandchildren.[17]

Mainstream

In 1979, he scripted, and produced Maa Bhoomi, which was India's official entry in the "Opera Primo" section at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival of June–July 1980, and the Cork Film Festival, October 1980,[18] the Cairo and Sidney Film Festivals 1980.[19][20] The film was showcased at theIndian Panorama of the 1980 International Film Festival of India.[21] Maa Bhoomi won the state Nandi Award for Best Feature Film, and the Filmfare Best Film Award (Telugu). It is featured among CNN-IBN's list of hundred greatest Indian films of all time.[22] In 1984, he directed Rangula Kala, ("Colourful Dream") which had special mention at International Film Festival of India and panorama section.[23]

Non Feature Films

His documentaries in Telugu The Carnival (1984), The City (1985), Akruti- Rock formations (1989) have received special mention awards at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, and were screened at the Rice University. Akruti received the National Film Award – Special Jury Award (non-feature film) "For experimentation with forms of boulders of various shapes and textures, brilliantly visualized by Apurba Kishore Bir with the evocative music of Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia." as cited by the jury.[24] In 2003, he directed Hari Villu screened at the 56th Cannes.[14][15]

Honors

In 2015, he received the Life Time Achievement Award from Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University.[25] In 2016, he received Standing Ovation Award for lifetime achievement at the All Lights India International Film Festival.[16][17]

Filmography and awards

Feature films

Year Film Director Producer Screenwriter Actor Awards and Honors
1979 Maa Bhoomi Yes Yes India's official entry at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival
Nandi Award for Best Screenplay Writer
Nandi Award for Second Best Feature Film
Filmfare Award for Best Film – Telugu
1983 Rangula Kala Yes Yes Yes National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu
1988 Daasi Yes Yes Yes National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu
Diploma of Merit award at Moscow Film Festival
1990 Matti Manushulu Yes Yes National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu
Diploma of Merit award at Moscow Film Festival
2003 Hari Villu Yes Yes 2003 Cannes
Visva-Bharati University

Nandi Award for Best Children's Film Director[26]

Non-feature films

Year Film Director Producer Screenwriter Awards and Honors
1984 The Carnival Yes Yes Yes International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
1985 The City Yes Yes Yes International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
1987 Maa Ooru Yes Yes National Film Award for Best Anthropological/Ethnographic Film
"Main Prize - Media Wave Award" at the Hungary International festival of visual arts
Best Film International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
1989 Aakruti Yes Yes Yes International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
National Film Award – Special Jury Award (non-feature film)

References

  1. ^ "Passion For Possession". Channel6 Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Meet the cultural icons of Telangana, India's newest state - Mission Telangana". 16 June 2014.
  3. ^ "39th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  4. ^ "B.Narsing Rao - "The classic director"". reachouthyderabad.com. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  5. ^ "News Archives". The Hindu. 15 May 2011. Archived from the original on 19 August 2011.
  6. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Guftagoo with B Narsing Rao. YouTube.
  7. ^ "100 Years of Indian Cinema: The 100 greatest Indian films of all time". IBNLive. Archived from the original on 24 April 2013.
  8. ^ "Lamakaan". Admin.lamakaan.com. 5 May 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  9. ^ Windmiller, Marshall (2011). "Communism in India - Marshall Windmiller - Google Books". Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  10. ^ "Narsing Rao's films regale Delhi" (Press release). webindia123.com. 21 December 2008. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  11. ^ "Metro Plus Hyderabad / Travel : Unsung moments". The Hindu. 1 March 2005. Archived from the original on 5 March 2005.
  12. ^ a b "Lamakaan". Lamakaan. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  13. ^ "About | Mumbai International Film Festival". Miff.in. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  14. ^ a b "Touching tale". The Hindu. 7 April 2003. Archived from the original on 30 July 2003.
  15. ^ a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 September 2003. Retrieved 18 October 2014.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. ^ a b Metro India (28 September 2016). "Censorship curbing freedom of speech". Metroindia.com. Archived from the original on 7 September 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  17. ^ a b ABN Telugu (7 January 2018). "Director B Narsing Rao About his Films - Open Heart With RK - ABN Telugu". Archived from the original on 15 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ "Filmtsav' 80 Pg 17" (PDF). DFF.
  19. ^ "Awards". www.goutamghose.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  20. ^ "Telugu Cinema Nostalgia - Maa Bhoomi - Narsing Rao - Gautam Ghose". Archived from the original on 12 March 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  21. ^ "Indian Panorama 1979-80" (PDF). DFF.
  22. ^ "News18.com: CNN-News18 Breaking News India, Latest News Headlines, Live News Updates". News18. Archived from the original on 24 April 2013.
  23. ^ "Lamakaan". lamakaan.com. Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  24. ^ "Rao Trip - Express India". www.expressindia.com. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012.
  25. ^ "Award-winning B. Narasinga Rao brings quality to Telugu cinema : FILMS - India Today".
  26. ^ "Nandi Film Awards G.O and Results 2003". APSFTVTDC.
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