Chota K. Naidu

Chota K. Naidu (born 3 July 1962) is an Indian cinematographer known for his work primarily in Telugu cinema. Naidu has received two state Nandi Awards for his work in Anji and Kotha Bangaru Lokam (2008), along with two Filmfare Awards South for Kotha Bangaru Lokam and Damarukam (2012).

His contributions as a Director of Photography (DOP) in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi films, as well as in television, have been widely appreciated over the past 30 years. He is a member of the Indian Society of Cinematographers, the South Indian Cinematographers Association, and the Telugu Cinematographers Association.

Early life Chota K. Naidu was born in Ramachandrapuram, East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh. His father, Chitti Babu Naidu, was a writer and director of stage plays, while his mother, Ananthalakshmi, was a housewife. He has a younger brother, Shyam K. Naidu, who is also a cinematographer in Telugu cinema.

Despite being born into a family of engineers, Naidu spent much of his time watching films rather than focusing on his studies, which resulted in his failure in the 10th standard exams. To gain more exposure to films, he worked as a gatekeeper at a nearby theatre and ultimately failed his supplementary exams due to his continued interest in cinema. Recognizing his passion, his father challenged him to pass his 10th standard exams, promising to assist him in entering the film industry if he succeeded. Naidu accepted the challenge, passed with good marks, and as promised, his father secured him a position as a camera apprentice at Devar Films' outdoor unit in Chennai in 1979.

Later, Naidu joined the Taraka Prabhu outdoor unit under Dasari Narayana Rao, where he worked with prominent cinematographers throughout India during the 1980s as a focus puller. He was particularly inspired by Director of Photography V. S. R. Swamy, whom he admired for his discipline, dedication, and craft, considering Swamy his role model.

Career Naidu's first opportunity as a DOP was for the telefilm Kristhu Jananam (1987), directed by Bharath Parepalli and produced by P. Seetha Devi, who later became his wife.

Following this, he continuously worked on various regional and national television projects and TV commercials, evolving his craftsmanship in the process.

Naidu's first film as a cinematographer was Dasari Narayana Rao's Amma Rajinama (1991). He collaborated with Dasari Narayana Rao on several other films, including Venkanna Babu, Surigadu, and Santaan. Other notable directors he worked with include E.V.V. Satyanarayana on Varasudu, Maga Rayudu, Veedevadandi Babu, and Maavidaakulu; Kranthi Kumar on Bhale Pellam; K. Raghavendra Rao on Allari Premikudu, Bombay Priyudu, and Gangotri; Ramgopal Varma on Deyyam; Suresh Krissna on Master, Daddy, and Baba (Tamil); Satish Kaushik for Prem (Hindi); Gunasekhar on Choodalani Vundi; David Dhawan for Kunwara (Hindi); A.R. Murugadoss on Stalin; Trivikram Srinivas for Julai; and V.V. Vinayak on Tagore, Bunny, Lakshmi, Krishna, Adhurs, Naayak, and Alludu Seenu.

Style Naidu received critical acclaim for his debut telefilm Kristhu Jananam, which featured rich, painting-like cinematography depicting the times of Jesus Christ.

For Matru Devo Bhava, he employed chiaroscuro and silhouette techniques to convey a predominantly tragic narrative.

Varasudu marked his first significant commercial success, where he utilized a commercial style of lighting and a carefully selected color palette to portray grandeur.

Personal life Chota K. Naidu is married to Seetha Devi.

Filmography

Awards Filmfare Awards South Best Cinematographer (2008) – Kotha Bangaru Lokam Best Cinematographer (2012) - Damarukam

Nandi Awards

Best Cinematographer for Anji – 2004 Best Cinematographer for Kotha Bangaru Lokam – 2008