# B. S. Ranga

Bindiganavile Srinivas Iyengar Ranga (11 November 1917 – 12 December 2010) was an Indian photographer, actor, producer and director who has made many landmark movies in Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil. He was also the owner of Vikram Studios. He has directed and produced about 87 films in these three languages with a maximum of 18 films in Kannada alone starring matinee idol Rajkumar.

## Biography

He was born in Magadi Village (near Bare, India) Mysore (now part of Karnataka State). After an art-enriched childhood wherein he interacted with many stage personalities, B.S. Ranga entered the field of photography. At the age of 17, the self-trained Ranga sent some of his work to be exhibited at the Royal Salon in London, and was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.
Subsequently, he moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) and apprenticed himself to the cameraman and laboratory technician, Krishna Gopal. B.S. Ranga then embarked on a film career lasting more than five decades, during which he played the roles of cinematographer, director, producer, laboratory owner, studio owner, exhibitor and script-writer, sometimes all at once for one of his productions. His production company, Vikram Productions, gained prominence in the 1960s and 1970s, and won B.S. Ranga many awards, including two President's Awards. The first was for Tenali Ramakrishna in Telugu (starring N.T. Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao), and the second was for Amarshilpi Jakkanachari, the first colour movie produced in Kannada.

## Filmography
### As director

| Year | Film | Language |
| 1940 | Pardesi | Hindi |
| 1940 | Pyaas | Hindi |
| 1940 | Prakash | Hindi |
| 1941 | Bhakta Tulsidas | Hindi |
| 1942 | Mehman | Hindi |
| 1942 | Fox Movietone News | Hindi |
| 1943 | Bakta Naradar | Hindi |
| 1945 | Dassi Aparanji | Tamil |
| 1947 | Baktha Thulasidas | Tamil |
| 1952 | Shanthi | Telugu |
| 1954 | Maa Gopi | Telugu |
| 1954 | Jaya Gopi | Tamil |
| 1955 | Kannavane Kankanda Deivam | Tamil |
| 1955 | Baktha Markandeya | Telugu |
| 1956 | Tenali Ramakrishna | Telugu |
| 1956 | Tenali Raman | Tamil |
| 1957 | Kutumba Gauravam | Telugu |
| 1957 | Kudumba Gauravam | Tamil |
| 1959 | Mahishasura Mardini | Kannada |
| 1959 | Raja Malaiya Simman | Tamil |
| 1959 | Raja Malaya Simha | Telugu |
| 1960 | Mohabbat Ki Jeet | Hindi |
| 1960 | Chandrahasa (Gunavathi) | Tamil |
| 1961 | Pelli Thambulam | Telugu |
| 1962 | Nichaya Thaamboolam | Tamil |
| 1962 | Ashajeevulu | Telugu |
| 1962 | Thendral Veesum | Tamil |
| 1963 | Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya | Hindi |
| 1964 | Amarashilpi Jakanachari | Kannada |
| 1964 | Amara Silpi Jakkanna | Telugu |
| 1964 | Prathigne | Kannada |
| 1965 | Chandrahasa | Kannada |
| 1965 | Chandrahasa | Telugu |
| 1965 | Mahasati Anusuya | |
| 1967 | Parvathi Kalyana | Kannada |
| 1967 | Vasantha Sena | Telugu |
| 1969 | Shiva Bhakta | Kannada |
| 1969 | Bhale Basava | Kannada |
| 1970 | Mr. Rajkumar | Kannada |
| 1971 | Sidila Mari | Kannada |
| 1972 | Bhai Behen | Hindi |
| 1973 | Mannina Magalu | Kannada |
| 1973 | Pattikaattu Ponnaiya | Tamil |
| 1975 | Ganga Ki Kasam | Hindi |
| 1978 | Suli | Kannada |
| 1981 | Bhagyavantha | Kannada |
| 1982 | Hasyaratna Ramakrishna | Kannada |
| 1984 | Huliyada Kala | Kannada |

### As Cinematographer

| Year | Film | Language |
| 1944 | Bala Nagamma | Telugu |
| 1951 | Stree Sahasam | Telugu |
| 1951 | Sthree Sahasam | Tamil |
| 1953 | Devadasu | Telugu |
| 1956 | Tenali Ramakrishna | Telugu |
| 1959 | Mahishasura Mardini | Kannada |
| 1962 | Nichaya Thaamboolam | Tamil |
| 1964 | Prathigne | Kannada |

### As producer

| Year | Film | Language |
| 1955 | Baktha Markandeya | Telugu |
| 1956 | Tenali Ramakrishna | Telugu |
| 1959 | Mahishasura Mardini | Kannada |
| 1960 | Dashavathara | Kannada |
| 1962 | Nichaya Thaamboolam | Tamil |
| 1964 | Amara Silpi Jakkanna | Telugu |
| 1964 | Prathigne | Kannada |
| 1965 | Chandrahasa | Kannada |
| 1965 | Mahasati Anusuya | |
| 1966 | Kiladi Ranga | Kannada |
| 1967 | Parvathi Kalyana | Kannada |
| 1967 | Rajashekara | Kannada |
| 1969 | Odahuttidavaru | Kannada |
| 1969 | Bhale Basava | Kannada |
| 1970 | Mr. Rajkumar | Kannada |
| 1971 | Sidila Mari | Kannada |
| 1973 | Mannina Magalu | Kannada |
| 1973 | Pattikaattu Ponnaiya | Tamil |
| 1978 | Suli | Kannada |

### As Screenwriter

| Year | Film | Language |
| 1959 | Mahishasura Mardini | Kannada |
| 1967 | Rajashekara | Kannada |
| 1981 | Bhagyavantha | Kannada |

## Awards

National Film Awards:
* All India Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film in 1957.
* 1956 – President's silver medal for Best Feature Film in Telugu – Tenali Ramakrishna