Meet IAS officer who once worked in UN, quit high paying job, and became…, won a National Award for…, he is…

In India, the job of the Indian Administrative Service ( IAS ) is seen with great respect. The prestige comes to the person who achieves this position. Lakhs of youth dream of joining this service by passing the UPSC exam, where they get a chance to build the nation. In such a situation, if an established and senior IAS officer leaves this service and steps into some other field, then it is natural to be surprised and when that field is film production, then the surprise increases manifold.

Today we will talk about one such IAS officer, who decided to leave his job for his passion for films, this decision was shocking to everyone, but what is more noteworthy is that the film maker decided to take a new direction, but also achieved success in it, which was not easily possible. Let us tell you about this IAS officer.

An extraordinary professional journey

This IAS officer is none other than Paparao Biyyala, formerly known as BVP Rao. He took this seemingly impossible step with confidence and that too when his administrative career was at its peak. Paparao Biyyala, a 1982 batch IAS officer, studied law from Osmania University. In his three-decade-long administrative career, he worked in important positions in different parts of the country. From 1994 to 1997, he held important responsibilities as the Home Secretary of Assam. After this, in 1999, he served as a civil affairs officer in Kosovo under the United Nations Mission. From 2014 to 2019, he was a policy advisor in the Telangana government, a post which was equal to the rank of a cabinet minister.

The beginning of a passion for art

Paparao Biyyala had an artist hidden inside him, waiting for his chance. In the late 90s, his close friend and character artist and theatre veteran Tom Alter introduced him to filmmaker Jahnu Barua, who had gained national and international fame. This is where Paparao Biyyala’s film journey began. He also obtained a diploma in filmmaking from the New York Film Academy in 1996. His first short documentary, ‘Willing to Sacrifice’ won the National Award for the Best Non-Feature Film on environmental conservation, indicating that Paparao had a strong artistic vision.

Although he returned to the administrative services after his initial film endeavor, the creative urge within him did not subside. Finally, in the year 2020, he resigned from the Sports Authority of India and said goodbye to administrative life and fully embraced the world of cinema. His first feature film, ‘Music School’ was released in the year 2023, starring Shriya Saran and Sharman Joshi in the lead roles. The film depicts the story of the pressure of the education system and the creativity of children through music and emotions. Although the film was praised by critics, it did not do much business at the box office, perhaps due to the absence of big stars and a lack of promotion.

Biala’s view on filmmaking

In an interview to DNA, Paparao Biyyala said, “Planning a Prime Minister’s visit or any emergency crisis is administratively very complex. Making a film seems less challenging in comparison.” Now that he has fully moved on to filmmaking, Paparao Biyyala is set to return to the big screen with his next film soon. He has not yet announced his next film.

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