Bhargavi Rao was born to Santhy and Narahari Rao Tagat in Bellary, Karnataka into a Kannadiga family. She was the eldest of 5 siblings, two brothers and two sisters - Venkatesh and Prasad, Gayathri and Padmaja. She also appeared as a child actress in two regional films, and lent her voice to radio as well. She then married Prabhanjan Rao, and continued with her studies in the field of English Literature, before achieving a master's degree from Osmania University. She went on to do her PhD in Osmania University, thus earning the title of Dr. Bhargavi P. Rao. She then taught English at Osmania University, till her retirement in 2004. After retiring, she was appointed Honorary Professor in the Pottiramulu Telugu University in Hyderabad.
Personal life
She married Prabhanjan Rao in June, 1960 at Tirupati. She has 3 daughters, Mithravinda, Sharvani, and Sushmitha. She has 6 grandchildren - Vaishnavi, Pradyumna, Maya, Mukund, Vaikunt and Saaketh. She has been living at Santoshnagar, Hyderabad since 1977.
Literary works
Her publications in Telugu include Album and Needala Godalu, Gundelo thadi, Chukka Navvindi and NaaPeru, Abhisarika, Thoorpu Gaali, Pranava Ganga, and Saugandhika ;she also co-authored Urvasi, a Kuchipudi dance ballet, with Varanasi Nagalakshmi. Her translations of Girish Karnad's Kannada plays are: Naagamandala, Hayavadana, Taladandam, Tughluq and Agni Varsham. Her other translations are Siri Sampenga and Kathaga Maarina Ammayi. Among her anthologies, other than Noorella Panta, are Mudra, Nooru Varahalu, Inkaanaa! Ikapai Saagadu, Aaha!Oho!. Various of her translated plays, have gone on to become famous within the State of Andhra Pradesh. Collaborating with Dr. Bhargavi Rao was P Jayalakshmi, they translated and published Seela Subhadra Devi's full-length poem Yudham Oka Gunde Kotha into English as War a Heart's Ravage in March 2003 She is a prolific writer. Her publications in English include Pebbles on the Sea Shore, Hiccups, and Meru Kanchana, Colours and Cadences: Poems from the Romantic Age. She has translated several works into English and also has academic works to her credit. She was also actively involved in contributing to a one-of-a-kind Literary e-journal, Muse India. Her last piece of work was "Putra Kameshti" which won the runner-up prize in a contest conducted by Swathi Magazine
