Photo: Shraddha m 1410376 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Bapu, born on December 15, 1933 in Narasapuram, West Godavari district, India, was a film director, illustrator and screenwriter. Bapu died on August 31, 2014, aged 80. Education on record includes University of Madras. Listed accolades include National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu (1975), Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu (1980), Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South (2012) and 2 more.
My Take
Bapu, born Sattiraju Lakshminarayana, is the rare artist who refused to be confined to a single craft. Director, painter, illustrator, cartoonist, screenwriter, composer, he poured a draftsman's eye into everything he touched, and you can feel that grace in the very framing of his Telugu films. Honored with National Film Awards, Filmfare recognition, and the Padma Shri in 2013, he earned acclaim across decades. What moves me most is the elegance of his line work, a signature that bridged fine art and cinema. He passed in 2014, but his imprint on Indian visual culture feels permanent and quietly luminous.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Bapu
- Name (Japanese)
- バープ
- Reading
- ばーぷ
- Born
- December 15, 1933 – August 31, 2014
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Rooster
- Origin
- Narasapuram, West Godavari district, India
- Occupation
- film director / illustrator / screenwriter / songwriter / cartoonist
2. Background
- University
- University of Madras
Awards & achievements
- 1975 National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu
- 1980 Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu
- 2012 Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South
- 1986 Raghupathi Venkaiah Award
- 2013 Padma Shri in arts
3. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bapu%20(director)
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4857745
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-23
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Bapu born?
Born December 15, 1933.
When did Bapu die?
Died August 31, 2014, aged 80.
Where was Bapu from?
Bapu was from Narasapuram, West Godavari district, India.
What did Bapu do?
Bapu worked as film director, illustrator, screenwriter, songwriter, cartoonist.
Film director — see all → · Illustrator — see all → · More people from India →