Mallikarjuna Rao was an Indian comedian who primarily worked in the Telugu film industry. He was best known for his comic role as Battala Satti from the movie Ladies Tailor (1986). In a career spanning 25 years, Rao appeared in more than 375 Telugu films that include Hello Brother (1994), Gokulamlo Seeta (1997), Badri (2000), and Tammudu (1999), for which he won the Nandi Award for Best Character Actor. He also served as the general secretary of the Telugu Movie Artists Association (MAA). Rao last appeared in the 2011 drama film Mayagaadu.