{{Short description|Indian film director and screenplay writer}} {{Use Indian English|date=February 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Saagar K. Chandra | image = Saagar K Chandraa.jpg | caption = Saagar K. Chandra | birth_name = Kala Sagar | birth_place = Nalgonda, India (Telangana) | alma_mater = Vasavi College of Engineering | occupation = {{hlist|Film director|screenwriter}} | years_active = 2009{{ndash}}present | spouse = {{marriage|Geetha Reddy|2017}} }}

'''Saagar K. Chandra''' (born '''Kala Sagar''') <ref>{{cite web |title=Happy Birthday Saagar K Chandra: Fans flood Twitter with warm wishes for PSPK Rana Movie director |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/happy-birthday-saagar-k-chandra-fans-flood-twitter-with-warm-wishes-for-pspk-rana-movie-director/articleshow/82705934.cms |access-date=17 May 2021 |website=The Times of India |quote=Saagar K Chandra has turned 41 today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=21 March 2022 |title=Success gave me a new high |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/tollywood/200322/success-gave-me-a-new-high.html |access-date=21 April 2022 |website=Deccan Chronicle |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Yalala |first=Sridhar |date=10 April 2022 |title=Dil se: Iragadeese Saagar |url=https://pynr.in/article/dil-se-iragadeese-saagar |access-date=21 April 2022 |website=The Pynr |language=en}}</ref> is an Indian film director and screenwriter who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. He made his directorial debut film in 2012 with ''Ayyare.'' He then directed ''Appatlo Okadundevadu'' (2016) and ''Bheemla Nayak'' (2022).

== Personal life ==

Chandra hails from Nalgonda district in present-day Telangana.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 February 2022 |title=The Film That Made Pawan Kalyan Trust Saagar K Chandra to Helm Bhimla Nayak |url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/the-film-that-made-pawan-kalyan-trust-saagar-k-chandra-to-helm-bhimla-nayak-4810145.html |access-date=27 February 2022 |website=News18 |language=en}}</ref> He was born to Rama Chandra and Sunitha Reddy. His birthname was Kala Sagar, but he changed it to Saagar K. Chandra to suffix his father's name.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=17 August 2020 |title=లోకల్‌ జీవితాన్ని గ్లోబల్‌గా చూపించాలి! |url=https://www.ntnews.com/sunday/2020-08-16-68957 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816152757/https://www.ntnews.com/sunday/2020-08-16-68957 |archive-date=16 August 2020 |access-date=27 February 2022 |website=Namasthe Telangana}}</ref> He also has a sister, Gauthami Reddy. He did his schooling in Nalgonda and graduated from Vasavi College of Engineering in Hyderabad,{{Efn|In an earlier interview, Chandra stated that he graduated from Osmania University in Electrical Engineering<ref name=":1" />}} and later moved to the United States to pursue his Masters. In 2017, he married Geetha Reddy.<ref name=":0" />

== Film career == He left his job in the US and moved back to Hyderabad in 2009 to pursue his career in films. He faced resistance from his family when he conveyed his interest in films, as he does not have a film background.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=27 February 2022 |title=పవన్‌తో సినిమా అనగానే.. షాకయ్యా.. |trans-title=Movie with Pawan.. I was shocked ..! |url=https://www.eenadu.net/telugu-article/sunday-magazine/life-journey-of-young-director-sagar-k-chandra/5/322000168 |access-date=27 February 2022 |website=Eenadu |language=te}}</ref> He worked as an assistant director to Ravi Babu in ''Amaravathi'' (2009). He also worked with Madhura Sreedhar in the direction department. His first film as a director was ''Ayyare'' (2012), which got critical acclaim.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2012-01-20|title=Review : Ayyare – A thought Provoking Movie|url=https://www.123telugu.com/reviews/review-ayyare-a-thought-provoking-movie.html|access-date=2022-02-20|website=123telugu.com|language=en}}</ref> Later, he directed ''Appatlo Okadundevadu'' (2016), which also critical acclaim and a commercial success as well.<ref>{{Cite web|last=kavirayani|first=suresh|date=2017-01-01|title=Movie review 'Appatllo Okadundevadu': An excellent film that starts poorly|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/010117/movie-review-appatllo-okadundevadu-an-excellent-film-that-starts-poorly.html|access-date=2022-02-20|website=Deccan Chronicle|language=en}}</ref>

In 2022, he directed the Telugu remake of ''Ayyappanum Koshiyum'', titled ''Bheemla Nayak'', starring Pawan Kalyan, Rana Daggubati and Nithya Menen, under Sithara Entertainments.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 February 2022 |title=Bheemla Nayak: Director Saagar K Chandra finishes filming Pawan Kalyan, Rana Daggubati-starrer |url=https://www.news9live.com/entertainment/telugu/bheemla-nayak-director-saagar-k-chandra-finishes-filming-pawan-kalyan-rana-daggubati-starrer-154330 |access-date=20 February 2022 |website=News9 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-27 |title=What makes Pawan Kalyan’s Bheemla Nayak work at the box office? |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/telugu/what-makes-pawan-kalyan-bheemla-nayak-work-at-the-box-office-7790947/ |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> Unlike the original, it received mixed reviews upon release, but it was a decent grosser at the box office, becoming Kalyan's highest-grosser of his career.

== Filmography == {| class="wikitable sortable" ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title ! colspan="2" | Credited as ! scope="col" rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Notes |- ! scope="col" | Director ! scope="col" | Writer |- | 2012 | ''Ayyare'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Directorial debut |- | 2016 | ''Appatlo Okadundevadu'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Nandi Special Jury Award<ref>{{cite web|last=Kulpreet |date=2017-11-15|title=Nandi Awards Winners List For 2014, 2015 and 2016|url=https://www.chitramala.in/nandi-awards-winners-list-2014-2015-2016-255062.html|access-date=2022-02-20|website=Chitramala}}</ref> |- | 2022 | ''Bheemla Nayak'' | {{yes}} | {{no}} | |- | 2026 | ''Tyson Naidu'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |- |}

== Notes == {{Notelist}}

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{IMDb name}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chandra, Saagar K}} Category:Indian film directors Category:Telugu film directors Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:Nandi Award winners Category:Film directors from Telangana Category:21st-century Indian screenwriters Category:People from Nalgonda district Category:Indian screenwriters Category:Telugu screenwriters Category:Screenwriters from Telangana