Biography

Satyanarayana was born on July 25th, 1935 to Kaikala Laxmi Narayana couple at Kautaram village in Krishna district. Having completed his primary and intermediate education in Gudivada and Vijayawada, Satyanarayana graduated from Gudivada College.

His love towards stage led him to act in scores of stage dramas, which fetched him many an accolade. Blessed with a handsome personality and metallic voice Satyanarayana, encouraged by his friends, reached Madras.

In those days eminent producer DL Narayana was producing the film ‘Sepoy Kooturu’ with Jamuna. DL Narayana was highly impressed with Satyanarayana’s personality and offered him to play the lead role in his film.

However, the film did not do well at box office, forcing Satyanarayana to leave Madras with distress. The only saving grace for him was that he managed to attract spectators’ attention for his resemblance with NTR followed by film opportunities playing as ‘dupe’ to NTR.

During the same period, NT Rama Rao offered Satyanarayana to play one of the princes’ characters in the film ‘ Apoorva Sahasra Siraccheda Chintamani’. Though the prince is handsome he had bleak career opportunities. Jaanapada Brahma- Vittalaa Charya gave a good advice ‘You have to face tough competition in becoming a hero, better try for villainous roles’.

Added to this, he even offered Satyanarayana to play the villain character in his film ‘Kanaka Durga Pooja Mahima’. And Lo! Another villain added to the Telugu Film industry the same day. Despite facing tough competition from stalwarts like Rajanala, R Nageswar Rao, Nagabhushanam and the like, Satyanarayana managed to create a separate trend for himself.

In those days, NT Rama Rao and SV Ranga Rao have carved a separate niche for themselves. One was the hero and the other a villain. None else could imitate their trend. Satyanarayana managed in imbibing the characteristics of both the roles.


After the unfortunate demise of SV Ranga Rao, only Satyanarayana was considered worth enough in filling his absence by the film industry and the spectators alike.

Branded as a best-suit for villainous roles, the true actor in Satyanarayana was excavated by director K Vishwanath. His performance in the heroine’s brother’s role, obsessed with grief in revealing the death news of his brother-in-law in the film ‘Sarada’, made the spectators liquefy with misty eyes for their sympathy towards his character more than that of the heroine’s.

Though registered in the hearts of Telugu audience as a soft, kind and affectionate man, Satyanarayana was constantly shadowed by villainous characters as is evident with his characters of a dastardly son neglecting his parents in the film ‘Thatha- Manavadu’, as a middle-class father in the sympathetic condition, unable to satisfy the basic requirements of his children in the film ‘Samsaram-Saagaram’, as a hotel owner in ‘Devudu Digivasthe’, as a unkind father in ‘Manushyulantha Okkate’ and many more. He carved out a separate niche of himself with his versatile action and expressions.

Only Satayanarayana could play the character of ‘Lord Yama’ be it the earlier ‘Yamagola’ or its present counterpart ‘Yama Leela’. He holds the credit of playing and impressing the spectators in any character right from that of a hard-core criminal to a soft innocent character.

Satyanarayana, along with his brother Nageswar Rao established the ‘Rama Films’ banner and produced hit films like ‘Kodama Simham’, 'Bangaru Kutumbam’, ‘ Muddula Mogudu’ etc.

A clear conscious farmer, a family head bearing its responsibility, romantic hero, an innocent henpecked husband, macho-moustached villain, Ravana, Ghatotkacha, Duryodhan, Bheema, Yama etc. Satyanarayana easily and efficiently played all these characters and that’s what for he is called as ‘Navarasa Natanaa Saarvabhouma Satyanarayana’.

Satyanarayana won in the Lok Sabha elections in 1996 from Machilipatnam constituency and was later defeated in the bye-elections. He is married to Nageswaramma on April 10th, 1960 and is blessed with two daughters and two sons.

my thanks to infovani.com for letting me use this article.