Dasari Narayana Rao (4 May 1942 – 30 May 2017) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, lyricist and politician, best known for his prolific work in Telugu cinema. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he directed over 150 feature films, a record that earned him recognition in Indian cinema. He also served as the Union Minister of State for Coal in the Government of India during the first term of the United Progressive Alliance.
| Full name | Dasari Narayana Rao |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 May 1942, Palakollu, West Godavari district, Madras Presidency (present-day Andhra Pradesh) |
| Died | 30 May 2017, Hyderabad, Telangana |
| Occupation | Film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, lyricist, politician |
| Primary industry | Telugu cinema |
| Notable epithet | Darsaka Ratna ("jewel among directors") |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Public office | Union Minister of State for Coal (2006–2009); Member of the Rajya Sabha |
| Spouse | Padma |
Dasari was born in Palakollu, a town in the West Godavari district of coastal Andhra. He grew up in modest circumstances and developed an interest in theatre and writing while still a student. He entered the Telugu film industry in the late 1960s as a writer and assistant before turning to direction in the early 1970s.
His directorial debut came with Tata Manavadu (1972), a family drama on the neglect of the elderly that became a critical and commercial success and was later remade in several Indian languages. Through the 1970s and 1980s, Dasari directed a remarkably wide range of subjects—social dramas, family stories, devotional and mythological films, and political films—working with leading stars of Telugu, Tamil and Hindi cinema, including N. T. Rama Rao, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Krishna, Sobhan Babu, Krishnam Raju, Chiranjeevi, Rajinikanth, Jeetendra and Rekha.
Notable Telugu films he directed include Swargam Narakam, Sardar Paparayudu, Bobbili Puli, Premabhishekam, Meghasandesam, Tandra Paparayudu, Osey Ramulamma and Kante Koothurne Kanu. In Hindi cinema he directed films such as Swarag Narak, Pyaasa Sawan, Prem Tapasya, Jyoti Bane Jwala and Asha Jyoti.
Dasari wrote dialogues and screenplays for most of his own films and also penned lyrics for many songs, often credited under his own name. He was known for sharply political and socially conscious dialogue, particularly in films that engaged with caste, rural distress and political corruption.
He founded Taraka Prabhu Films, a production banner under which he produced several Telugu films. He also mentored a number of directors, technicians and actors who began their careers as his assistants.
From the 1990s onwards, Dasari took up character roles in Telugu films, frequently playing patriarchs, politicians or moral authority figures. His acting credits include performances in Osey Ramulamma, Aapadbandhavudu and several films of younger directors.
Dasari founded and edited the Telugu daily newspaper Udayam, which was launched in the 1980s and was for a time among the prominent Telugu newspapers of coastal Andhra. The paper was known for its populist tone and political coverage.
A long-time supporter of the Indian National Congress, Dasari was elected to the Rajya Sabha and served as Union Minister of State for Coal in the Manmohan Singh government from 2006 to 2009. During his tenure, he handled portfolios relating to coal allocations and the functioning of public sector coal companies. He remained politically active in Andhra Pradesh affairs after leaving ministerial office.
Dasari Narayana Rao is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Telugu cinema of the post-1970 period. His films often combined commercial entertainment with social commentary, and he played a central role in shaping the careers of many leading actors and technicians. His simultaneous presence in cinema, journalism and parliamentary politics made him a notable public figure in Andhra Pradesh and at the national level.