Karaganahalli Subbaraya Ashwathanarayana

Kaikala Satyanarayana was a veteran Indian actor, producer, director, and politician, who mainly worked in the Telugu film industry. He was born on 25 July 1935 in Kavutaram, Krishna district, in the Kingdom of Mysore of British India as Karaganahalli Subbaraya Ashwathanarayana. He completed his primary education from Dalvoy School, Mysore and then attained the Bachelor of Commerce degree from Maharaja's College, Mysore. He joined the Indian freedom struggle in 1942 and later worked as a food inspector, a typewriter salesman, and a hotel manager. His passion for acting and singing led him to participate in radio plays produced by Mysore All India Radio and perform in various theatre groups. He was introduced to the film industry by classical musician and music director Harishchandra Bali, who brought him to Calcutta and introduced him to R. C. Boral. He was hired by B. N. Sircar's film studio New Theatres on a contract of Rs. 200 per month. He made his film debut in 1932 with Mohabbat Ke Ansu, followed by Subah Ka Sitara and Zinda Laash, all produced by East India Film Company. He became a star after playing the role of a Swami in Kittur Chennamma (1960) and Narada in Bhakta Prahlada (1960). He worked with many renowned directors like Bimal Roy, Vijay Anand, and Guru Dutt, who gave him the name of Johnny Walker, a reference to the brand of Scotch whisky. He appeared in over 750 films in various languages, such as Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, and Urdu. Some of his most famous films are Naagarahaavu (1972), where he played the role of Chamayya meshtru, a role that is still remembered and emulated by many, Tansen (1943), where he played the legendary musician, Shahjehan (1946), where he played the Mughal emperor, and President (1937), where he played the role of a freedom fighter. He also sang many songs in his films, such as "Babul Mora Naihar Chhooto Hi Jaaye", "Dukh Ke Ab Din Beetat Nahi", "Diya Jalao Jagmag Jagmag", and "Jab Dil Hi Toot Gaya". He was known for his versatility and his ability to play different types of characters, from comic to tragic, from historical to contemporary. He was also known for his humble and generous personality and his respect for his co-stars and fans. He was honoured with a stamp by the Indian government in 1972 and a doctorate from the Tumkur University in 2008. He was also the recipient of the Dr. Rajkumar Lifetime Achievement Award by the Karnataka Government in 1993-94. In 1996, he stepped into politics with TDP winning Lok Sabha elections from Machilipatnam constituency. He died of multiple organ failure on 23 December 2022, at his home in Hyderabad, Telangana, India, at the age of 87. He was survived by his wife Nageswaramma and four children, one of whom is also an actor, Shankar Ashwath. He is still regarded as one of the greatest actors of Telugu cinema and an inspiration for many.