Meet IAS officer, worked for UN, left job to enter Bollywood, won National Award but…, he is…

We all have grown up listening to the success stories of individuals who managed to crack the UPSC exam while working full-time jobs or running their own businesses. But in this article, we bring you the story of an individual who, after years of relentless hard work and dedication, became an IAS officer, but soon left the post to follow his true passion. Notably, this IAS officer has even worked as a UN official, but then decided to leave his civil servant job to pursue his goal. His name is…

A law graduate from Osmania University, Papa Rao Biyyala is an IAS officer of the 1982 batch. He was on track to complete his Ph.D., but set that goal aside after successfully clearing the civil services examination. He held key positions across various regions of the country over the course of his distinguished three-decade administrative career.

Meet IAS officer, worked for UN, left job to enter Bollywood, won National Award but…, he is…

Speaking of his work experience, Papa Rao Biyyala served and took important responsibilities as the Home Secretary of Assam between 1994 and 1997. Later, in 1999, he was appointed as a Civil Affairs Officer in Kosovo under the United Nations Mission. From 2014 to 2019, he worked as a Policy Advisor to the government of Telangana, a position which was equal to the rank of a cabinet minister.

Despite spending decades in the administrative corridors of power, Papa Rao Biyyala always carried the soul of an artist within him, quietly waiting for the right moment to emerge. That moment arrived in the late 1990s, when a close friend, the celebrated actor and theatre icon Tom Alter, introduced him to renowned filmmaker Jahnu Barua, whose work had already earned both national and international acclaim.

That meeting would mark the beginning of Papa Rao’s cinematic journey. Fueled by his passion, he went on to pursue a diploma in filmmaking from the New York Film Academy in 1996. His debut short documentary, Willing to Sacrifice, not only reflected his deep concern for the environment but also earned him the National Award for Best Non-Feature Film on Environmental Conservation.

Though Papa Rao Biyyala returned to the administrative services after his early foray into filmmaking, the creative fire within him never truly faded. It continued to grow quietly, waiting for the right time to take center stage. That moment came in 2020, when he took a bold step—resigning from the Sports Authority of India and bidding farewell to his long and illustrious career in governance. He chose, instead, to fully immerse himself in the world of cinema.

In 2023, Biyyala’s first feature film, Music School, was released, which starred Sharman Joshi and Shriya Saran in the lead roles. The movie explored the intense pressure of the academic system and celebrated the creative spirit of children, beautifully woven together through music and heartfelt emotions. While the film was appreciated by critics for its meaningful message and artistic expression, it didn’t perform well commercially.

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