Y. V. Rao then returned to Detective magazine, where he revitalized its operations and significantly increased its subscriber base in a short period.
[4][5] This period allowed Rao to gain substantial experience in filmmaking, which paved the way for his transition to independent film production.
[3] Y. V. Rao debuted as an independent producer with Takkari Donga Chakkani Chukka (1969), starring Krishna and Vijaya Nirmala.
[3] Y. V. Rao's next production, Monagadostunnadu Jagratha (1972), featured an extensive set in Chengalpattu, which became a notable talking point within the industry.
While the majority of the film was shot in black-and-white, the climax was presented in both colour and CinemaScope, offering a distinctive experience for audiences at the time.
[3] In the late 1970s, Y. V. Rao shifted focus to low-budget productions and collaborated with the emerging actor Chiranjeevi in Sri Rama Bantu (1979), which became successful.
He continued his collaboration with Chiranjeevi on Nakili Manishi (1980), based on the novel Nenu Chavanu by Kommuri Sambasiva Rao.
Y. V. Rao also worked with other popular stars, producing films like Pataalam Paandu (1981) with Mohan Babu and Nipputho Chelagaatam (1982) with Krishnam Raju.
His final production was Punyam Koddi Purushudu (1984), starring Sobhan Babu and Jayasudha, after which he gradually distanced himself from the film industry.