Kaikala Satyanarayana was a renowned Indian actor who predominantly worked in Telugu cinema. He was born on July 15, 1935, in a small village called Katuru in Andhra Pradesh, India. Satyanarayana made his debut in the film industry with the movie “Hamsa-Geethe” in 1975 and went on to act in over 200 films in a career spanning more than four decades.
Satyanarayana was known for his versatile acting skills and was often cast in character roles. He was highly respected in the Telugu film industry for his professionalism and dedication to his craft. Some of his notable films include “Brahma Rudrulu,” “Marana Mrudangam,” “Dharma Chakram,” and “Aapathbandhavudu.”
Satyanarayana received several awards and accolades throughout his career, including the prestigious Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the movie “Sutradharulu.” He also served as a member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council and was known for his philanthropic work in the fields of education and healthcare.
Kaikala Satyanarayana passed away on October 21, 2019, at the age of 84 due to age-related ailments. He will always be remembered as one of the most talented and respected actors in the history of Telugu cinema.
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Profession(s) | Actor, Film Producer, Politician |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 172 cm in meters– 1.72 m in feet & inches– 5’ 8” |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Salt & Pepper (dyed black) |
| Career | |
| Debut | Film (Telugu; as an actor): Supayi Koothuru (1959) Film (Hindi; as an actor): Shri Ram Vanvas (1977) Film (Kannada; as an actor): Swarna Gowri (1963) as Lord Parameshwara Film (Tamil; as an actor): Panchatanthiram (2002) as Reddy Film (Telugu; as a producer): Kodama Simham (1990) |
| Last Film | Maharshi (2019) as Pooja’s paternal grandfather
|
| Awards & Honours | • Nandi Award for Best Feature Film for the Telugu film Bangaru Kutumbam (1994) • Conferred an honorary doctorate by Telugu Viswa Vidyalyam (2005) • NTR Vignan Trust Award (2008) • Raghupathi Venkaiah Award (2011) • Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (2017) • Natasekhara, given by Non-Government Organization (NGO) in Anantapur and Gudivada Municipal Civic Center  • Kalaprapurna, given by Kavali Cultural Association |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 25 July 1935 (Thursday) |
| Birthplace | Kavutaram, Krishna district, Madras Presidency, British India (now Andhra Pradesh, India) |
| Date of Death | 23 December 2022 |
| Place of Death | His Jubilee Hills residence in Hyderabad, Telangana |
| Age (at the time of death) | 87 Years |
| Death Cause | Health-related Issues [1] |
| Zodiac sign | Leo |
| Nationality | • British Indian (25 July 1935- 15 August 1947) • Indian (15 August 1947- 23 December 2022) |
| Hometown | Kavutaram, Andhra Pradesh |
| School | He received his primary education at a school in Gudlavalleru and intermediate education at a school in Vijayawada. |
| College/University | Gudivada College, Andhra Pradesh |
| Educational Qualification | Graduation [2] |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status (at the time of death) | Married |
| Marriage Date | 10 April 1960 |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | Nageswaramma Satyanarayana
|
| Children | He had two sons one of whom is named KS Rama Rao. He also had two daughters one of whom is named Kaikala Rama Devi.
|
| Parents | Father– Kaikala Laxmi Narayana Mother– Name Not Known |
| Siblings | Brother– Kaikala Nageswara Rao (film producer) |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Kaikala Satyanarayana
- Kaikala Satyanarayana was a veteran Indian actor, film producer, and politician, who predominantly worked in Telugu cinema. Kaikala served as a Member of Parliament from the Machilipatnam constituency in the eleventh Lok Sabha. A prolific actor, Kaikala Satyanarayana performed in more than 750 films in his career spanning over 6 decades. He passed away at his residence in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana, due to health-related issues.
- He grew up in Kavutaram, Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh.
- Kaikala Satyanarayana developed an interest in acting at a very young age and he took part in various plays in his college days.
- In 1959, the film producer DL Narayana spotted him in one of the plays and offered him a role in the Telugu film Supayi Koothuru.
- Subsequently, he came to the notice of NT Rama Rao as he bore resemblance to Rao in terms of height and physique. NT Rama Rao offered him the role of a prince in the 1960 Telugu film Sahasra Siracheda Apoorva Chinthamani. Later Rao asked Satnarayana to play his dupe in various Telugu films.
- Thereafter, he appeared in the Telugu films Sri Krishnarjuna Yudham (1963), Pandava Vanavasam (1965), Paramanandayya Sishyula Katha (1967) and Bhale Rangadu (1969).
- Some of his Hindi films include Shri Ram Vanvas (1977), Karma (1986), and Ghayal Sherni (1988).
- He also appeared in the Tamil films Panchatanthiram (2002) and Periyar (2007).
- He was first offered a negative role in the Telugu film Kanaka Durga Pooja Mahima by B. Vittalacharya. He played the role with such grace that he started receiving offers to play negative roles in various films.
- Kaikala Satyanarayana acted in many popular Telugu films like Narthanasala (1963), Yamagola (1975), Adavi Ramudu (1977), Daana Veera Soora Karna (1977), Kondaveeti Simham (1981), Subhalekha (1982), Bobbili Brahmanna (1984), Nari Nari Naduma Murari (1990), Gang Leader (1991), President Gari Pellam (1992), and Murari (2001).
- He also produced several Telugu films like Kodama Simham (1990), Bangaru Kutumbam (1994), and Muddula Mogudu (1997) under his film production company Rama Films Productions.
- In the 1990s, he joined the Telugu Desam Party. However, he remained away from contesting any elections for a long time. In 1996, he was elected to the eleventh Lok Sabha from the Machilipatnam constituency.
- In 1998, he again contested the Lok Sabha elections but lost. Subsequently, he quit politics.
- Kaikala Satyanarayana is fondly called Navarasa Natana Sarvabhouma in the Telugu film industry for his varied acting and natural style.
- On 23 December 2022, he breathed his last at around 4 am at his Jubilee Hills residence in Hyderabad, Telangana. Many Telugu actors expressed their grief on his demise through social media. The South Indian actor, while calling Kaikala his favourite actor, tweeted,
Kaikala Satyanarayana gaaru…One of my favorite actors from the golden era of Telugu cinema. Mana intlo Manishi la anipistharu. Legendary body of work. Condolences to the family.”