D. Ramanaidu

Daggubati Ramanaidu (6 June 1936 – 18 February 2015) was an Indian film producer known for his work in Telugu cinema. He founded Suresh Productions in 1964 which became of one of the largest film production companies in India. He was one of the most influential movie moguls in Indian cinema. He was placed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most films produced by an individual, with more than 150 films in all official Indian languages. He also served as a Member of Parliament for the Bapatla constituency in Andhra Pradesh in the 13th Lok Sabha from 1999 to 2004.

In 2012, Ramanaidu was conferred with the third-highest civilian award of India, the Padma Bhushan, in recognition for his contribution to Indian cinema. In 2009, he was conferred with the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, the highest award for films in Indian cinema. He has also received the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South for his work in Telugu cinema. Ramanaidu contributed a substantial part of his earnings to numerous philanthropic purposes under the "Ramanaidu Charitable Trust" that was founded in 1991.

Early life Daggubati Ramanaidu was born on 6 June 1936 in a Telugu Kamma family in Karamchedu, a village in Prakasam district in the present day Andhra Pradesh. He completed his schooling in the village and had his college education in Chirala and later graduated from Presidency College, Chennai.

He started his career as a rice-mill owner and later got into the transport business. During this time, his father joined with a relative and co-produced the Telugu film Nammina Bantu (1958), starring Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Savitri. He performed the dupe of Nageswara Rao in the film. Nageswara Rao advised him to go to Madras (now Chennai) and work with film-makers. While frequently making films in Telugu and Tamil, he branched out into the Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Oriya film, Gujarati, Bhojpuri, Assamese and Punjabi industries. His Hindi films include Dildaar, Tohfa, Anari, Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain and Aaghaaz. Ramanaidu also acted in a few films, mostly his own productions. He played a full-length role for the first time in the 2007 Telugu film Hope. The film, which dealt with teenage suicides arising out of educational stress among students, won the award for Best Film on Other Social Issues at the 54th National Film Awards.

Family and personal life

Ramanaidu got married in 1958 and had three children, two sons and a daughter. His elder son D. Suresh Babu is a producer and his younger son Venkatesh is an actor in Telugu cinema.

Awards and honors

Civilian Honors Padma Bhushan - 2012

National Film Awards National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali – Asukh (1999) Raghupathi Venkaiah Award - 2006

Tamil Nadu State Film Awards Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film (Third prize) – Namma Kuzhanthaigal (1970) Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film (Second prize) – Madhurageetham (1977) Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Film – Soggadu (1976) Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South (2000)

Other Honors Honorary doctorate from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati

Death In January 2014, it was reported that Ramanaidu had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He died on 18 February 2015, at the age of 78, in Hyderabad, Telangana. All of the big Telugu contemporaries like Chiranjeevi, Balakrishna, Nagarjuna, Rajasekhar, Ravi Teja, K. Raghavendra Rao, Mahesh Babu, Pawan Kalyan, Ram Charan, Allu Arjun, and NTR Jr. paid their last respects to him.

Partial filmography

Telugu

Ramudu Bheemudu Pratiganapalana Prema Nagar Jeevana Tarangalu Chakravakam Soggadu Agni Poolu Devata Mundadugu Sangharshana Kathanayakudu Kaliyuga Pandavulu Ramu Aha Naa Pellanta Chinababu Brahma Puthrudu Prema Indrudu Chandrudu Bobbili Raja Coolie No. 1 Super Police Dharma Chakram Oho Naa Pellanta Preminchukundam Raa Ganesh Preyasi Rave Kalisundam Raa Jayam Manadera Preminchu Nee Premakai Nuvvu Leka Nenu Lenu Hari Villu Vijayam Neeku Nenu Naaku Nuvvu Malliswari Soggadu Nireekshana Sri Krishna 2006 Hope Madhumasam Tulasi Kousalya Supraja Rama Baladoor Bendu Apparao R.M.P Aalasyam Amrutam Mugguru Masala Nenem…Chinna Pillana? Bhimavaram Bullodu Drushyam Gopala Gopala

Tamil

Vasantha Maligai Thanikattu Raja Kuzhanthaikkaga Deivapiravi

Hindi Prem Nagar Dildaar Bandish Tohfa Maqsad Insaaf Ki Awaaz Dilwaala Anari Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain