Chilakalapudi Seeta Rama Anjaneyulu (11 July 1907 – 8 October 1963C.S.R. Anjaneyulu at Nataratnalu by Mikkilineni Radhakrishna Murthy, 2nd ed. 2002, pp:50–53.), popularly known as C. S. R., was an Indian method actor, and thespian best known for his work in Telugu cinema and theatre. He acted in many stage dramas and portrayed lead characters and mythological roles in over 175 movies. He was one of the lead actors of his time. Anjaneyulu was an established lead actor by the late 1930s, preceding the entrance of actors such as NTR and ANR. His performance in the super-hit Bhaktha Ramadasu in 1937 won him many accolades. In the 1950s, starting with Pathala Bhairavi screened at the first International Film Festival of India, he began acting in character roles. In Pathala Bhairavi, he plays a king whose daughter is kidnapped by a wicked magician played by Ranga Rao.
He was noted for portraying mythological and historical roles such as Krishna, Ramadasu, Sarangadhara, Bhavani Sankar, Tukaram and Satyavantha. In the 1953 film Devadasu, he portrayed an aged widower zamindar, alongside Savitri, who acts as his wife. His other acclaimed character roles include Sakuni (a character from Mahabharatha) in Mayabazar, as well as roles in Rojulu Marayi, Gruhapravesam, Illarikam, Kanyasulkam and Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu. His directorial credits include the 1939 allegorical melodrama, Jayapradha.
Early life He was born on 11 July 1907 in a Telugu family at Chilakalapudi near Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh. His father, Lakshmi Narasimha Murthy, used to work in Revenue department. He later moved to Ponnur in Guntur district. After school final studies, he worked as a co-operative supervisor for some time. Instead of pursuing further studies, he chose to enter the field of drama. In a short time, he reached a position comparable to Sthanam Narasimha Rao, D. V. Subba Rao, Parupalli, Addanki and others.
He played Sri Krishna in Sri Krishna Tulabaram and Radhakrishna, Ramadas in Bhakta Ramadasu and Tukaram in Bhakta Tukaram, which got him wide recognition. He was also a natural singer, particularly in poems. He was a national activist. He directed and produced Patita Pavana, a drama on Untouchability. He contributed to the Indian National Army of Subhas Chandra Bose collected through donations by playing his Tukaram drama.
Personal life He had two younger sisters and two younger brothers. One brother, C. S. Nageswara Rao, was the assistant director for movies including Suvarna Sundari, Gunasundari Katha and Mayabazar. Another brother, C. Venkata Rathnam (better known as C. V. Rathnam), was with Bharani Pictures & Studios and was the production manager for all the films produced by actress Bhanumathi Ramakrishna.
Filmography +List of films and roles Year Title Role Notes1932 Rama Paduka Pattabhishekam 1936 Draupadi Vastrapaharanam Krishna 1938 Thukkaram Tukaram (Thukkaram)1939 Jayaprada Also director Balaji Venkateswara1941 Talliprema Krishna Rao Choodamani Madhusudhan 1942 Sumati1945 Mayalokam Paduka Pattabhishekam Sri Rama 1947 Ratnamala 1949 Jeevitham 1950 Paramanandayya Shishyula Katha Paramanandayya 1951 Pathala Bhairavi Indumati's Father; King of Ujjaini Simultaneously shot in TamilSoudaminiVikramasena MaharajMantra Dandam1952 PremaSimultaneously shot in Tamil1953 Devadasu zamindar of DurgapuramVayyari Bhama1954 Kanyadanam Chakrapani Chakrapani1955 Kanyasulkam Ramappa Pantulu Rojulu Marayi Zamindar Sagarayya1956 Bhale Ramudu Gumasta at the Zamindar Chiranjeevulu Sonta Ooru1957 Bhagya Rekha Mayabazar Sakuni Suvarna SundariBhale AmmayiluSubrahmanyamVaddante PelliPurushottam 1958 Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu Rao Bahadur RamadasuDongalunnaru Jagratha1959 Illarikam GovindayyaVachina Kodalu Nachindi1960 Annapoorna Mahakavi Kalidasu1961 Jagadeka Veeruni Katha Badarayani Praggada Bhakta Kuchela Kuchelan Malayalam filmPendli PilupuLawyer Ranganadham 1962 Chitti Tammudu AnsariTiger RamuduChandraiahKalimilemuluSubbaiahBhishmaSalya1963Savati KodukuIrugu PoruguParandhamaiah 1964 Ramadasu Bobbili Yudham Lakshmanna
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