Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu (15 October 1869 – 15 March 1941) was an Indian filmmaker and entrepreneur widely regarded as the father of Telugu cinema.

[6] Despite facing intense competition from European firms, Naidu persisted, producing and exhibiting short films across South India and Burma.

He and his London-educated son, Raghupathi Surya Prakash Naidu, produced several films over the years, including Bhishma Pratigna, Gajendra Moksham, Mathsyavatharam and Nandanaar.

[5] Venkaiah Naidu's family had a long history of military service, with his ancestors serving as commanders in the East India Company and Madras Army's Hyderabad Regiments.

In Madras, Naidu rented a small house on Mount Road and established an art centre where he honed his skills in painting and sculpture.

Around the same time, silent films were gaining popularity, and Naidu started studying the filmmaking process, marking the beginning of his exploration into cinema.

[8] During this time, Naidu came across an advertisement for a new device called the Chrono Megaphone, which projected sound waves during silent film screenings, enhancing the viewer's experience.

[8] In 1910, he conducted the first experiment with the Chrono Megaphone at the Victoria Public Hall in Madras, where the audience was thrilled by the added sound during the silent film.

His experiment's success led to wider screenings across towns and villages in the Madras Presidency, as well as in places like Bangalore, Vijayawada, Sri Lanka, Rangoon and Pegu in Burma.

While Venkaiah Naidu returned to his photography business, his son, Surya Prakash, continued in the film industry, although without much financial success.

[1] In 1981, the Andhra Pradesh government instituted the prestigious Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, honouring individuals for their lifetime contributions to Telugu cinema.

[8] In 2012, a biographical film on Ragupathi Venkaiah Naidu was produced by Satish Babu, directed by Babji, and starred actors such as Naresh, Tanikella Bharani, and Maharshi Raghava.