Not many Tollywood fans know that the first cinema scope movie in Telugu Film Industry (released in 1977) was an epic movie called “Devatalara Divinchandi” (Gods Bless Us) which had Ranganath as the lead hero. That movie broke all records in the year it released even though it was in Black & White. Directed by Kommineni Seshagiri Rao, it was an action adventure film that revolved around the legend of cobras which took vengeance on men who trampled them. The movie was inspired by a Hollywood original but it is still one of the best action films with huge sentiments – and it took more than a few years to make the first color cinema scope film afterwards.
That was not the only claim to fame for veteran actor Ranganath who took his own life today ending an eventful career in Telugu films starting with “Buddhimanthudu”. In over 300 films, Ranganath was the unassuming outsider who created a niche for himself as a family hero with huge female following. Heroines from Lakshmi, Vanishri, Deepa, Sangeeta, Jayasudha never hesitated to act alongside Ranganath. A number of golden era producers like Edida Nageswar Rao (Tayaramma Bangarayya) and Navata Krishnam Raju (Intinti Ramayanam) cast him as one of the lead heroes who can pull punches. A Rich baritone voice, tall personality and effortless acting put a stamp of Ranganath’s unique style of acting which created many jubilee hits and some of the most melodious songs in Tollywood with combination of music directors like Rajan Nagendra (Panthulamma, Intinti Ramayanam), GK Venkatesh (America Ammayi),Rama Chiluka (Chakravarti inspired by Ilaiyaraja) and so on.
What made Ranganath a recurring feature in Tollywood has been his improvisation as a character artist, then as a middle-class hero, later playing umpteen crucial roles in Chiranjeevi’s films (from Love in Singapore, Khaidi, Veta, Kodama Simham, Aalya Sikharam, Kondaveeti Donga, Donga Mogudu) through the eighties until he re-surfaced in the nineties with “Premante Idhe raa..” and “Kalisundaam Raa” as an impactful senior artiste in Victory Venkatesh films who has a pivotal characterisation in the main story. He ventured into TV Serials on ETV and even headed into direction with “Moguds Pellams” with mixed results. He topped it with advertisements for a few rural-based products also which is quite a rarity for a forgotten hero who has seen better days.
He never bothered for recommendations and roles came searching for him until a new generation of heroes like Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna and Venkatesh swept him and many others of his generation out of employment. But his career and vast filmography is full of some amazing performances and nuanced acting which ensured Ranganath is more than just a footnote in Tollywood. His life would have been exemplary for any aspiring actor who is looking for that break in films; it is still exemplary except that the end was self-directed by suicide – the second time he got that tendency since he was in Class Xth and this time it was too late. A sad ending for a wonderful artiste. May his soul R.I.P.
