Vennelakanti Rajeswara Prasad (30 November 1957 – 5 January 2021), known mononymously by his surname Vennelakanti, was an Indian lyricist and writer known for his work in Telugu cinema. He wrote over 2000 film songs, and was awarded Andhra Pradesh State Nandi Award for Best Lyricist in 2000.[1]
Career
Vennelakanti was inclined towards Harikathas, and began writing from a young age. Initially, he worked as a banker and wrote his first film song for Krishnam Raju-starrer Sriramachandrudu.[2]
He was also known for his works as dubbing script writer and contributing lyrics for Tamil films, dubbed into Telugu language.[3][4][5][6]
His elder son Shashank Vennelakanti works as dialogue writer for dubbed films. His younger son, Rakendu Mouli, also started his career as a lyricist and singer for several dubbing films.[17] His first 'direct' film was Andala Rakshasi, in which he wrote two songs and rendered his voice for one. He made his debut as a lead actor with Moodu Mukkallo Cheppalante.[18]