B.S. Ranga, veteran film director, passes away

Won accolades in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil film industries

Veteran Kannada film director B.S. Ranga passed away at his residence here on Sunday following multiple-organ failure. He was 93.

The director-producer began his career as a cinematographer and had a brief stint at Gemini Studios before starting his own studio and production company, Vikram Productions.

In Tamil, Mr. Ranga directed

Nichaya Thamboolam with Sivaji Ganesan in the lead, and

Tenali Ramakrishna starring Sivaji in Tamil and N.T. Rama Rao in Telugu. His cinematography in

Devadas (starring A. Nageswara Rao and Savithri) won accolades from film critics.

He has done numerous films in Telugu and Kannada, the notable ones being

Mahishasura Mardhini , Bala Nagamma , Bhagyanvantha , and Bhaktha Markandeya .

“He had been a pioneer in making an entry into various departments of cinema and made a mark through his innovations,” president of the Film Federation of South India, V.C. Guhanathan, said.

“An inspiring personality, the multilingual technician had been very active in union activities.

He was among the very few ace cinematographer-directors who contributed remarkably to south Indian cinema,” Mr. Guhanathan said.

Multilingual personality

Bangalore Staff Reporter writes:

Bindinganavile Srinivasa Iyengar Ranga, who was born in Nagamangala taluk, worked as a cinematographer, laboratory technician, exhibitor and scriptwriter for more than 100 films in the Kannada, Hindi, Telugu and Tamil film industries.

Mr. Ranga independently directed 45 films in Kannada, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu and produced three films.

“Mr. Ranga died at 8.45 a.m. Some of our relatives are settled in America. We are waiting for them and so the funeral will be held here on Wednesday morning,” his son Vasanth told TheHindu .

Mr. Ranga was born on November 11, 1917. He came in contact with theatre personalities and entered the field of photography while pursuing his education, sources in the Kannada film industry told TheHindu .

At 17, his photographs were exhibited at the Royal Salon of London, and he was elected Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.

Mr. Ranga toured a few countries, and settled for some time in Mumbai and worked as a cinematographer, scriptwriter and lab technician in production units.

He later started his own studio, film laboratory, distributing agency and a film production company.

Mr. Ranga won the President's Award for Tenali Ramakrishna and for Amarshilpi Jakanachari , the first complete colour film in Kannada.

He directed three films — Pardesi , Pyaas and Prakash — in 1940. The later films were: Bhakta Tulsidas (1941), Mehman and Fox Movietone News (1942), Bakta Naradar (1943), Bala Nagamma (1944), Daasi Aparanji (1945), Devdas (1950), Sthri Sahasam (1951), Shanthi (1952), Maa Gopi (Jaya Gopi) (1954), Kannavane Kankanda Deivam and Baktha Markandeya (1955), Tenali Ramakrishna and Tenali Raman (1956), Kutumba Gauravam (1957), Mahishasura Mardini (Durga Mata) and Raja Malaya Simhan (Mohabbat Ki Jeet) (1959), Chandrahasa (Gunavathi) (1960), Nichaya Thambulam and Pelli Thambulam (1961), Ashajeevalu and Thendral Veesum (1962), Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1963), Amarshilpi Jakanachari , Amarshilpi Jakanna and Pratigne (1964), Chandrahasa Mahasati Anusuya (1965), Parvathi Kalyanam and Vasantsena (1967), Bhale Basava (1969), Mr. Rajkumar (1970), Sidila Mari (1971), Bhai Behen (1972), Mannina Magalu and Pattikatu Ponnaiah (1973), Ganga Ki Kasam (1975), Suli (1978), Bhagyavantha (1981), Hasyarathna Ramakrishna (1982) and Huliyada Kala (1984).

Mr. Ranga is survived by three sons and a daughter.