Puttanna Kanagal

Puttanna Kanagal Biography

Puttanna Kanagal was one of the prominent Kannada film directors during the decades - 1960s and 1970s. He has directed in all south Indian languages and Hindi. Majority of his films were on offbeat or taboo subjects and have always won critics’ appreciation. Most of his movies can be grouped under parallel cinema, a new wave created in Indian cinema during early 1970’s. He has won 3 National awards, 3 Filmfare and numerous Karnataka state awards. He won his first National award for the movie, Gejje Pooje in 1969 where the movie was awarded with best screenplay. This movie also won best regional movie. In 1971, Sharapanjara won best regional movie. His last two movies, Masanada Hoovu (1984) was incomplete. Another unfinished project, Savira Mettilu got released in the year 2006. He is often credited as a movie-maker, much ahead of his times.

Subraveti Ramaswamiah Seetharama Sharma, popularly known as S. R. Puttanna Kanagal was born in a poor family in Kanagal village in Mysore district. So he had hardships to get a decent job. He has done numerous odd jobs like cleaning and sales to earn a living. But these jobs brought him closer to theatre and thus relationship to entertainment world was born. He worked as assistant director and even as a driver to director B.R. Pantulu, with whom he started working with.

His first break as director was Bellimoda with Kalpana and Kalyan Kumar in the mail lead. This movie was both a critical and commercial success. His debut Malayalam movie is Poocha Kanni based on the Kannada novel Bekkina Kannu. He has given acting platform for leading actors like Kalpana, Aarathi, Leelavathi, Jayanthi, Padma Vasanthi, Srinath, Rajinikanth, Vishnuvardhan and Ambarish. Gejje Pooje, Sharapanjara and Naagarahaavu are regarded as his top movies.

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Updated: March 14, 2014