Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao was an actor and director of Telugu theatre. He was also famous as an educationist. He became interested in theatre as a university student, and eventually founded a college for dramatics at Eluru in 1939. In the early 1930s, this great Telugu theatre personality started running his professional company, Prabhat Theatres. Under its banner, Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao directed and took the main role in many plays that he commissioned, such as J. Chandrasekhara Rao`s Sri Venkateswam mahatwam or "Sri Venkateswara`s Greatness" in 1932 and U. Satyanarayana Rao`s Chhatrapati Shivaji in 1948.

Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao promoted the Indian classical dance form - Kuchipudi, and, in 1957, along with Vedantam Parvateesam, helped the government of Andhra Pradesh in setting up of Siddhendra Kalakshetra in Kuchipudi village. This institution was later merged with the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University in 1989. He wrote many articles to take this art form to the public.

Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao joined All India Radio in 1956 and broadcast many drama and plays. He founded Shiva temple and Vedic School in his native village.

This famous Telugu theatre personality, Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao died in 1968.

Honours Received by Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao
He was member of Kendriya Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1952 and Andhra Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1957. He was recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1963.

Filmography by Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao
* Paduka Pattabhishekam (1945) Bharatha
* Bala Nagamma (1942) Kaaryavardhi Raju
* Sarangadhara (1937) Sarangadhara
* Draupadi Manasamrakshanam (1936)

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