NE ENTERTAINMENT BUREAU
83-year old veteran director-producer T Rama Rao, who had helmed 70 films in Telugu and Hindi besides bankrolling blockbusters in Tamil, passed away in Chennai in the early hours on Wednesday (April 20).
Residing at the 1st Street, Balaji Avenue, T Nagar breathed his last around 12.30 am due to age related illness. His last rites will be held at Kannammapet crematorium at 4 pm today. He is survived by wife Tatineni Jayashree and children Chamundeswari, Naga Suuseela and Ajay.
Rama Rao had worked with many top stars like NTR, ANR, Shoban Babu, Krishna, Balakrishna, Sridevi, Jayapradha, Jayasudha etc. and directed films like Navarathri, Jeevana Tarangalu, Bramachari, Aalumagalu, Yamagola, Presidenti Gari Abbayi, Illalu, Pandani Jeevitham, Pachani Kaapuram, etc., in Telugu
He entered the Hindi film industry in 1979 and worked with top actors like Amitabh Bachan, Jeetendra, Dharmendra, Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor, Govinda, Mithun Chakraborty.
He has the distinction of introducing Superstar Rajinikanth in Hindi with movie Andhaa Kanoon. He made super hit movies in Hindi like Judai, Jeevan Dhara, Ek Hi Book, Andhaa Kanoon, Inqulaab, Insaf Ki Pukar, Watan Ke Rakhwale, Dosti Dushmani, Nache Mayuri, John Jani Janardhan, Raavan Raj, Muqabla, Hathkadi, Jung etc.,
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, Rama Rao was “the man who established the ‘Madras movie’, or Hindi films funded primarily by Southern capital, as a viable commercial option in the all-India market. He has received many awards and recognitions for his outstanding contribution to the Indian Film Industry.
He made Tamil films under the banner Sri Lakshmi Productions and produced movies with leading actors like Vikram, Vijay, Jayam Ravi, Vishal. He made super hit movies like Dhil, Youth, Arul, Something Something Unakum Enakum and Malaikotai.
He was also the Chairman of Madras Hydraulic Hose Pvt Ltd., a leading manufacturer of Stainless Steel Flexible Corrugated Hoses in India with worldwide exports.
