Krishna (born Ghattamaneni Siva Rama Krishna Murthy; 31 May 1943 – 15 November 2022) was an Indian actor, producer, director and politician who worked predominantly in Telugu cinema. Across a career spanning more than five decades, he acted in over 350 films and was widely known by the epithet Superstar Krishna. He was credited with introducing several technical innovations to Telugu cinema, including its first Cinemascope, 70mm and DTS films.
| Full name | Ghattamaneni Siva Rama Krishna Murthy |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 May 1943, Burripalem, Guntur district, Madras Presidency (present-day Andhra Pradesh) |
| Died | 15 November 2022, Hyderabad, Telangana |
| Occupation | Actor, film producer, director, politician |
| Years active | 1965–2014 |
| Production house | Padmalaya Studios |
| Spouses | Indira Devi; Vijaya Nirmala (actress) |
| Children | Ramesh Babu, Mahesh Babu, Padmavathi, Manjula, Priyadarshini |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Eluru (1989–1991) |
| Notable honours | Padma Bhushan (2009), NTR National Award (2008), Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South (1997) |
Krishna was born in Burripalem village in Tenali taluk of Guntur district to Ghattamaneni Raghavayya Chowdary and Nagaratnamma. He completed his schooling in Tenali and his college education at Andhra Christian College, Guntur. From an early stage he expressed an interest in cinema and theatre, and moved to Madras (now Chennai) in pursuit of a film career.
Krishna made his debut in a small role in Padandi Munduku (1962) and had another minor appearance in Kula Gothralu (1962). His breakthrough came with Adurthi Subba Rao's Tene Manasulu (1965), produced by Babu Movies, in which he played one of the leads. The film's success established him as a new face in Telugu cinema during a period dominated by N. T. Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao.
He gained wider recognition with Gudachari 116 (1966), a James Bond–style spy thriller that started a long-running series of secret agent films featuring him, including James Bond 777, Gudachari 117 and Rahasya Gudachari. He also became closely associated with the cowboy western genre in Telugu through Mosagallaku Mosagadu (1971), considered the first Telugu western, and its successor Kadali Mosagadu.
In 1971, Krishna established Padmalaya Studios in Hyderabad along with his brothers G. Hanumantha Rao and G. Adiseshagiri Rao. Through the banner he produced and starred in films that brought several technical firsts to Telugu cinema:
He also produced and acted in patriotic and biographical subjects such as Kurukshetram (1977), where he portrayed Arjuna in an adaptation of the Mahabharata battle.
Krishna worked frequently with directors V. Madhusudhan Rao, K. Raghavendra Rao, K. S. R. Das, Dasari Narayana Rao and A. Kodandarami Reddy. His pairing with actress and later wife Vijaya Nirmala extended across more than 40 films; she also directed several of them, including Meena (1973). He shared a long screen association with actresses Jayapradha, Sridevi, Jayasudha and Vijayashanti.
Krishna continued to play lead roles into the 1990s with films such as Number One (1994) and Telugu Veera Levara (1995). He gradually reduced his on-screen appearances as his son Mahesh Babu emerged as a leading actor. His final on-screen appearance was in Sri Sri (2014), directed by his wife Vijaya Nirmala.
Krishna joined the Indian National Congress and was elected to the 9th Lok Sabha from the Eluru constituency in Andhra Pradesh in 1989. He served as a Member of Parliament until 1991. He was associated with the Congress through subsequent decades and campaigned for the party in Andhra Pradesh elections.
Krishna married Indira Devi in 1969; the couple had five children, including actor Mahesh Babu and producer Ramesh Babu. He later married actress Vijaya Nirmala. His grandchildren include actor Gautham Krishna and the children of Mahesh Babu. The family is among the most prominent in the Telugu film industry, often referred to as the Ghattamaneni family.
Krishna died on 15 November 2022 at a hospital in Hyderabad following a cardiac arrest, at the age of 79. His death was widely mourned across the Telugu film industry and political establishment, and he was accorded state honours by the Government of Telangana.
Krishna is regarded as a transformative figure in Telugu cinema for diversifying its genre vocabulary and adopting new technologies ahead of contemporaries. By introducing Cinemascope, 70mm and stereo sound to Telugu films, and by championing spy and western genres, he expanded the commercial and stylistic range of the industry. Padmalaya Studios remained an influential production banner for decades, and his family continues to be a leading presence in Telugu cinema.