People of United Warangal, the old undivided Warangal district, who made their name in music, film, writing, the arts, sport and public life. Each card says how they are tied to the region and links to its source.
Music director and singer
1974β2014
Born hereπ Kambalapalli, Mahabubabad district
Scored about 85 Telugu films in 14 years, many with director Puri Jagannadh.
Film lyricist
b. 1970
Born hereπ Challagariga, Chityal mandal, Jayashankar Bhupalpally district
About 3,600 songs in more than 850 films, including Rangasthalam, Pushpa and RRR.
Playback and folk singer
b. 1960
Born hereπ Old Warangal district
Folk-style singer in Telugu films since 1994.
Poet and songwriter
1961β2025
Born hereπ Rebarthi, Maddur mandal (then Warangal district, now Siddipet district)
Born Ande Yellaiah, a shepherd and self-taught poet. Wrote "Jaya Jaya He Telangana", adopted as the state song in 2024.
Film director, writer and actor
b. 1988
Family roots hereπ Warangal family
Born in Chennai and raised in Hyderabad; his father is from Warangal.
Directed Pelli Choopulu (2016) and Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi (2018).
Former IAS officer and film-maker
Born hereπ Warangal
IAS 1982, Home Secretary of Assam and later with the UN in Kosovo. Directed the film Music School, and campaigned for decades for Ramappa Temple's UNESCO listing.
Poet and film lyricist
1925β1987
Born hereπ Chinnaguduru, Maripeda mandal, Mahabubabad district
Poetry collections Agnidhara and Rudraveena, about 2,000 film songs, and Asthana Kavi of Andhra Pradesh. The state's Dasarathi Award is named after him.
People's poet and freedom fighter
1914β2002
Lived & worked hereπ Warangal
Most biographies give his birthplace as Rattihalli, Karnataka; he was schooled at Madikonda and lived, worked and died in Warangal.
Wrote Naa Godava. His birthday, 9 September, is Telangana Language Day, and the health university in Warangal carries his name.
Novelist
b. 1941
Born hereπ Vavilala, Palakurthi mandal; lives in Hanumakonda
Wrote the novel Ampashayya, which gave him his pen name.
Mimicry artist
1932β2018
Born hereπ Mattewada, Warangal
Widely called a pioneer of mimicry in India and the first mimicry artist to perform at the United Nations in New York. Nominated MLC 1972β78. An auditorium in Warangal is named after him.
Chindu Yakshaganam folk theatre artist
Born hereπ Jangaon district
More than 19,000 shows over five decades, many on literacy and health awareness.
Para-athlete (400 m T20)
b. 2003
Born hereπ Kalleda, Warangal district
Won the 2024 World Para Athletics title in a world-record 55.06 seconds.
Ball badminton player
1918β2021
Lived & worked hereπ Warangal
Born in Krishna district; worked at Azam Jahi Mills and lived in Warangal until his death at 104.
First Arjuna awardee in ball badminton; captained Andhra Pradesh to nine national titles.
9th Prime Minister of India, writer
1921β2004
Born hereπ Laknepalli, Narsampet mandal, Warangal district; raised at Vangara, Hanumakonda district
Prime Minister 1991β96. Translated Veyipadagalu into Hindi and wrote the novel The Insider.
Social activist
b. 1965
Born hereπ Kotha Shayampeta, Hanumakonda
Founded the Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) in 1994.
Cooperative movement leader
d. 2025
Lived & worked hereπ Mulukanoor, Hanumakonda district
Born in Shamshabad; his cooperative work began at Mulukanoor.
Founded the Co-operative Development Foundation; credited with India's first all-women dairy cooperative at Mulukanoor.
We list people only when a reliable source places them in the region. Still checking: athletics coach Nagapuri Ramesh (Dronacharya Award 2016), poet Potlapally Rama Rao, freedom fighter Akkinepalli Thirupathi, lyricists Kasarla Shyam and Mittapalli Surender, and older Padma awardees. Someone missing? Tell us with a source and we'll add them.
For the freedom struggle and the Telangana movement, see history.
