C. Narayana Reddy

Cingireddi Narayana Reddy (29 July 1931 – 12 June 2017), popularly known as CiNaRe, was an Indian Telugu-language poet, writer, and critic. He had produced over eighty literary works including poems, prose-plays, lyrical plays, translations, and ghazals. He was also a professor, film lyricist, actor, and Rajya Sabha politician. He also served as the Vice Chancellor of Telugu University. Narayana Reddy won several awards in his career including the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honour, for Viswambhara in 1988. He was conferred with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship in 2014, the highest honour of the Sahitya Academy, India's National Academy of Letters. The Government of India honored him with the fourth and third highest civilian awards, Padma Shri (1977) and Padma Bhushan (1992). Narayana Reddy also ventured into the film industry as a lyricist with the 1962 film Gulebakavali Katha. Subsequently, he penned the lyrics for more than 3,500 songs and won two state Nandi Awards for Best Lyricist.