T. K. Rama Rao

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T. K. Rama Rao
Born	(1929-10-07)7 October 1929 Hosadurga, India
Died	(1988-11-10)10 November 1988 (aged 59) Bangalore, India
Nationality	Indian
Alma mater	National College, Bangalore
Known for	Detective novels in Kannada and also popular as "Suspense Ramrao"

T. K. Rama Rao (7 October 1929 – 10 November 1988) was an Indian novelist of Kannada literature. He became popular in the early 1970s when his book Bangaaradha Manushya was made into a hit movie in the Kannada film industry. It inspired many youths to leave the city and return to their villages to look after their ancestral land.^{[citation needed]} He won the Karnataka Sahitya Academy. award. Many of his works are detective novels, which sold millions of copies.

Rao was born in a Madhwa family in Hosadurga, Karnataka. He was the second child of T. Krishnamurthy and Nagamma. His father was a railway stationmaster, who died of a heart attack when TK Ramarao was 18 years old.^{[citation needed]} Rao left his education to take care of his mother and six brothers and sisters. He started his own tutorials in Channapatna, Karnataka, and ran a pharmacy to take care of his family while continuing to write.^{[citation needed]} Several of his novels were adapted to movies and television.

He has several novels to his credit, including Bangarada Manushya, Maralu Sarapani, Varna Chakra, Payanada Kone, Paschinmada Betta, Kahale Bande, Manninadoni, Jagadevaraya, Kovi Kuncha, Trikonada Mane, Golada Melondu Suttu, and Kempu Mannu. He started with social novels but most of his novels are detective novels. He was the first novelist in Karnataka to write thrillers. His social novels had shades of suspense/ thriller & vice versa.^{[citation needed]} He has won several awards from the Karnataka Sahitya Academy and Madras Sahitya Academy. Rao had a heart attack when he was returning from an award ceremony. He died at the age of 59 and was survived by his wife Shakuntala.^{[citation needed]}.

His 9 novels have been made into 10 Kannada movies. Out of this, 8 movies have even retained the titles of novels as they were also the official adaptations namely Bangaarada Manushya, Maralu Sarapani, Mannina Doni, Mooru Janma, Sedina Hakki, Seelu Nakshatra, Himapatha and Varna Chakra. Another story Haavillada Hutta was unoficially adapted as Appa Nanjappa Maga Gunjappa and was also the source of inspiration for the 2024 movie Shakhahaari.

1. Golada Melondu Suttu/ಗೇೂಳದ ಮೇಲೊಂದು ಸುತ್ತು