Pingali is famous for his coining of new and funny words and phrases in Telugu such as Dhimbaka, Dingari, Gimbali.
He was born in a Telugu Brahmin family on 29 December 1901 to Gopalakrishnayya and Mahalaxmamma in Rajam, near Bobbili, Andhra Pradesh.
During this period, he translated Dwijendralal Ray's Mebar Patan (1922) as Mevadu Rajyapatanam and Pashani (1923) from Bengali into Telugu language.
He joined Indian National Congress and as pracharak toured the entire country and reached Sabarmati Ashram.
He came back to Machilipatnam and joined Indian Dramatic Company of Devarakonda Venkata Subbarao in 1924 as writer and secretary.