T. K. Rama Rao

Infobox_Person
name = T K Rama Rao
birth_date = birth date|1930|10|5
birth_place = Kolar, India
death_date = Death date|1985|10|5
death_place = Bangalore, India
nationality = Indian
field = Literature
alma_mater = National College,Bangalore
work_institution = Tutorials
known_for = Detective Novels in Kannada
prizes =
religion = Hindu
footnotes =

T K Rama Rao (born 1930-10-05) was a novelist of Kannada literature. He became popular in early 1970s when his book "Bangarada manushya" was made into a movie, which was a hit in the Kannada film industry. It inspired many youths to leave the city and return back to their villages to look after their ancestral land. He won the "Kannada Sahitya Academy" award.

Biography

Rao was born in a Madhwa family in Kolar, Karnataka. He was the second child of Krishnamurthy and Indira. His father was a railway stationmaster, who died of a heart attack when Sreepad was 18 year old. Rao left his education to take care of his mother and six brothers and sisters. He started his own tutorials in Channapatna, Karnataka, and ran a pharmacy to take care of his family while continuing to write. Several of his novels were adapted to movies and television. He married Shakuntala.

He has several novels to his credit, including "Bangarada Manushya", "Manninadoni", "Shodha", "Golada Melondu Suttu". Most of his novels are detective novels; he was the first novelist in Karnataka to write thrillers. He has won several awards from the Kannada Sahitya Academy and Madras Sahitya Academy.

Rao had a heart attack when he was returning from an award ceremony. He died at the age of 67 and was survived by his wife.

References