Veteran film producer, Dada Saheb Phalke winner Daggubati Ramanaidu passes away

Hyderabad: He was the true movie moghul – a man who lived cinema so intensely that his passion produced over 100 films in all official languages of India.

And that is a record in the book of the Guinness World Records.

Eminent Producer Daggubati Ramanaidu lost Wednesday a long battle with prostrate cancer and breathed his last at home. He was 78.

Born on June 6, 1936 at Karamchedu in Prakasham district, Ramanaidu stepped into the world of films at a very young age.

He came from a well-to-do farming family, which had business in rice mills and transport. Ramanaidu’s interests did not lie in academics. He was more into extra-curricular activities like drama. When someone from his area started Shambu Films, a production agency, he requested his father to become a partner. His journey into films had already started.

Read: Daggubati Ramanaidu, the first Telugu filmmaker to win Dadasaheb Phalke award

The man met the legendary Akkineni Nageswara Rao on the sets of ‘Nammina Bantu’ in 1959 and there was no looking back. ANR was the first to invite him to be a part of the world of dreams.

Ramanaidu produced his first film ‘Anuragam’ in 1963. His second film, the lavish ‘Ramudu Bheemudu’ starred N T Rama Rao in the male lead, accompanied by the very talented Jamuna and L Vijayalakshmi. This film was a huge hit and Ramanaidu was in the top league.

He later said of this first success that many producers had rejected the script of this film, written DV Narasa Raju.

“When he came to me, I took him to NTR to narrate it. That’s how this film started,” Ramanaidu had said several times while recounting the love’s labour behind his first success. This film released in 1964.

After this, Ramanaidu produced the mythological drama ‘Sri Krishna Tulabharam’ in 1966, which too did very well. Ramanaidu’s Midas touch changed the fortunes of this film’s director Tapi Chanakya. People were skeptical of his choice of Chanakya as he had delivered nine flops by then. But ‘Sri Krishna Tulabharam’ was a blockbuster hit.

Ramanaidu has touched many lives, those of directors, writers, technicians, senior and junior artistes. He introduced his son Venkatesh with ‘Kaliyuga Pandavulu’ in 1987.

Ramanaidu's son Venkatesh addresses the media (Photo: DC)

Ramanaidu believed in the power of the story. The glamour came second. To him the story was the hero. He often said: “The producer should know each and everything about the film. He should involve himself in all departments and must have full control over the film. The actors and technicians must have a good understanding of each other’s needs. As producer, I know the shooting schedules of all my films… When a trolley boy didn’t come on time, I did his work. I never waited. That’s how I reached this position.”

His last film as producer was ‘Nenem Chinna Pillana’ in 2013. He started his production house and named it Suresh Productions after his eldest elder son Suresh Babu. This production house turned 50 years last year.

Read: Even on deathbed, Ramanaidu said let’s start a film: Anil Kapoor

Ramanaidu received the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, from the Government of India in 2012 for his contribution to Telugu cinema. In 2009, Ramanaidu was conferred the Dada Saheb Phalke award for lifetime achievement in the film industry.

Besides films, the producer also had a successful political career. He was a member of the Telugu Desam Party, and had represented Baptala constituency in Guntur District in the 13th Lok Sabha from 1999–2004.

The producer also owned a charitable trust and contributed a substantial part of his earnings to philanthropic activities. He had opened the Ramanaidu Charitable Trust in 1991, for the upliftment of the economically weak.

Ramanaidu is survived by wife Rajeswari, sons Suresh and Venkatesh and daughter Lakshmi.