This Article is From Nov 13, 2010

Veteran Telugu producer Raju passes away

Highlights

  • Noted Telugu film producer D V S Raju passed away in a private hospital here in the wee hours today following a brief illness after the sudden death of his son recently. He was 82.
  • Hailing from East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, Raju landed in Madras (now Chennai) in 1950 following his passion of working in the film industry.
  • He produced several blockbuster movies like 'Mangamma Sapadham', 'Dhanama-Daivama','Tikka Sankaraiah' and 'Gandikota Rahasyam' with the then leading hero and legend N T Rama Rao.
  • Raju went on to produce many other hit films with top heroes like Sobhanbabu and Chiranjeevi. In all, he produced 25 films in Telugu, some of which like 'Jeevana Jyothi' won the best feature film award from the state government and also the coveted Filmfare.
  • A father-figure to many in the Telugu film industry, DVS Raju also served as Chairman of National Film Development Corporation and Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce.
  • He was conferred with the Padma Sri, making him the only Telugu film producer to receive the honour.
  • Raju also received the prestigious Raghupathi Venkaiah award from the AP government. NT Rama Rao, who acted in six of Raju's films, presented the award to him as Chief Minister in
  • 1988.
  • Telugu Desam Party President N Chandrababu Naidu, Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi, former Union Minister
  • Dasari Narayana Rao, hero Nandamuri Balakrishna, producer Allu Aravind, writer C Narayana Reddy and many other film and political personalities visited Raju's residence at Film Nagar
  • here and paid homage to the departed soul.
  • "I owe my place in the film industry to D V S Raju as he was the one who helped me get a footing here. I am what I am today only because of him," Chiranjeevi said, recalling how Raju recognised his talent and helped him join the film training institute in Madras in the late 1970s.
  • Raju's death is a deep loss to the Telugu film industry, the mourners said.
Hyderabad: Noted Telugu film producer D V S Raju passed away in a private hospital here in the wee hours today following a brief illness after the sudden death of his son recently.  He was 82.

Hailing from East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, Raju landed in Madras (now Chennai) in 1950 following his passion of working in the film industry.

He produced several blockbuster movies like 'Mangamma Sapadham', 'Dhanama-Daivama','Tikka Sankaraiah' and 'Gandikota Rahasyam' with the then leading hero and legend N T Rama Rao.

Raju went on to produce many other hit films with top heroes like Sobhanbabu and Chiranjeevi. In all, he produced 25 films in Telugu, some of which like 'Jeevana Jyothi' won the best feature film award from the state government and also the coveted Filmfare.

A father-figure to many in the Telugu film industry, DVS Raju also served as Chairman of National Film Development Corporation and Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce.

He was conferred with the Padma Sri, making him the only Telugu film producer to receive the honour.

Raju also received the prestigious Raghupathi Venkaiah award from the AP government. NT Rama Rao, who acted in six of Raju's films, presented the award to him as Chief Minister in
1988.

Telugu Desam Party President N Chandrababu Naidu, Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi, former Union Minister
Dasari Narayana Rao, hero Nandamuri Balakrishna, producer Allu Aravind, writer C Narayana Reddy and many other film and political personalities visited Raju's residence at Film Nagar
here and paid homage to the departed soul.

"I owe my place in the film industry to D V S Raju as he was the one who helped me get a footing here. I am what I am today only because of him," Chiranjeevi said, recalling how Raju recognised his talent and helped him join the film training institute in Madras in the late 1970s.

Raju's death is a deep loss to the Telugu film industry, the mourners said.

.