Full name: Raghupati Surya Prakasha Rao Nayudu , South Indian pioneer director and cinematographer. Worked in Tamil and Telugu. Born in Madras, son of Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu, a wealthy Andhra businessman and photographer who started film exhibition in South India around 1910 and built the first cinema in Madras (1914). Educated by Christian missionaries in Vepery. Sent overseas to learn film-making, he went to London and joined Barkers Motion Photography in Ealing (1918), then went to Germany (where he saw Murnau at work) and to Hollywood. He travelled to various European countries, bringing a 35mm camera home to Madras (1920). The faulty camera ruined his first feature, Meenakshi Kalyanam. Set up Star of the East Studio, known as the Glass Studio, in Purasawalkam, Madras (1921), owned by his father R. Venkaiah, where he made Bhishma Pratigya.
A. Narayanan, C. Pullaiah and other pioneers worked with him there. The films were distributed throughout the subcontinent with intertitles in various languages. Probably directed the Catholic propaganda film, The Catechist of Kil-Arni, produced and written by the Irish priest Thomas Gavin Duffy together with Bruce Gordon as a fund-raiser for the Paris Foreign Mission Society in Pondicherry. Operated as distributor (1924-5) and founded Guarantee Pics (1926) with backing from the merchant-landlord Moti Narayana Rao, but it also went bankrupt. Helped Narayanan to set up the famous General Pics (for which he made the hit Leila the Star of Mingrelia) and Srinivasa Cinetone Studio (1928-39). Started a laboratory (1930). Separated from Narayanan in the mid-30s and joined Sundaram Sound Studio. Worked with Govardhan Film Distributors, owning 3 cinemas in Madras. Shot, developed and edited all his early films. Known as a brilliant technician: in Draupadi Vastrapaharanam he managed to make one actor appear in 5 places within one image, apparently without resorting to optical effects. Freelance director from mid-30s. Influenced Y.V. Rao who acted in his Gajendra Moksham. Associated mostly with mythologicals, often shot at the Gingee Fort near Madras. His Tamil reformist social, Anadhai Penn, is an early instance of nationalist propaganda just before WW2. There is contradictory evidence about some of Prakash's early Tamil sound films, which some sources ascribe to Prakash and others to his collaborator Narayanan; e.g. Draupadi Vastrapabaranam, Krishna Arjuna, Indrasabha and Rajasekharan. We have credited them to both film-makers. Also, the Telugu film Bondam Pelli (1940), made at the Madras United Artists and officially credited to H.M. Reddy, is at times credited to Prakash.
FILMOGRAPHY
1921: Bhishma Pratigya;
1923: The Catechist of Kil-Arni; Gajendra Moksham; Bhakta Nandan; Samudra Madanam;
1926: Mohini Avatar, 1929: Dashavtar, Stage Girl;
1930: Gajendra Moksham, Lanka Dabana; Gandhariyin Pulambal;
1931: Pavalakkodi, Leila the Star of Mingrelia, Rose of Rajasthan;
1932: Vishnu Leela (all St);
1934: Draupadi Vastrapabaranam;
1935: Lanka Dahanam; Thooku Thooki, Krishna Arjuna;
1936: Krishna Naradi; Nalayini; Indrasabba;
1937: Andal Thirukalyanam; Soldier's Wife, Rajasekharan;
1938: Anadhai Penn; Porveeran Manaivi;
1939: Sirikathe,
1940: Chandika;
1941: Tara Sasankam;
1942: Babruvahana,
1951: Mayapilla;
1956: Moondru Penngal.