T. K. Rama Rao

Rao was born in a Madhwa family in Hosadurga, Karnataka. He was the second child of T. Krishnamurthy and Nagamma. His father was a railway stationmaster, who died of a heart attack when TK Ramarao was 18 years old. Rao left his education to take care of his mother and six brothers and sisters. He started his own tutorials in Channapatna, Karnataka, and ran a pharmacy to take care of his family while continuing to write. Several of his novels were adapted to movies and television.

He has several novels to his credit, including Bangarada Manushya, Maralu Sarapani, Varna Chakra, Payanada Kone, Paschinmada Betta, Kahale Bande, Manninadoni, Jagadevaraya, Kovi Kuncha, Trikonada Mane, Golada Melondu Suttu, and Kempu Mannu. He started with social novels but most of his novels are detective novels. He was the first novelist in Karnataka to write thrillers. His social novels had shades of suspense/ thriller & vice versa. He has won several awards from the Karnataka Sahitya Academy and Madras Sahitya Academy. Rao had a heart attack when he was returning from an award ceremony. He died at the age of 59 and was survived by his wife Shakuntala..

His 9 novels have been made into 9 Kannada movies. Out of this, 8 movies have even retained the titles of novels as they were also the official adaptations namely Bangaarada Manushya, Maralu Sarapani, Mannina Doni, Mooru Janma, Sedina Hakki, Seelu Nakshatra, Himapatha and Varna Chakra. Another Kannada movie Appa Nanjappa Maga Gunjappa was unofficially based on his story Haavillada Hutta.