Ramoji Rao Age, Death, Wife, Children, Family, Biography
Ramoji Rao Age, Death, Wife, Children, Family, Biography
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Quick Info→
Death Cause: Heart Disease
Age: 87 Years
Death Date: 08/06/2024
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Birth Name | Ramayya |
| Full Name | Cherukuri Ramoji Rao |
| Nickname(s) | • Rajaguru • Chairman |
| Profession(s) | • Media Baron • Industrialist • Filmmaker |
| Famous for | Being founder of Ramoji Film City and Telugu newspaper Eenadu |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Grey (semi-bald) |
| Business Career | |
| Business Ventures | • Integrated Film City: Ramoji Film City • Film Distribution: Mayuri Film Distributors • Film Production: Ushakiron Movies • Publishing: Ushodaya Enterprises Limited, Suman Advertising Private Limited • Printing: Ramoji Multimedia Private Limited • Radio and TV Broadcasting: Eenadu Television Private Limited • Arts and Crafts: Kalanjali Crafts & Weaves Private Limited • Construction and civil engineering: Om Spiritual City Infra Private Limited • Hospitality Industry: Dolphin Hotels Private Limited • Transport and Travel services: Ushodaya Shipping Private Limited, Ramoji Tourism Gateway Private Limited • Financial services: Margadarsi Housing Private Limited, Margadarsi Chits Private Limited • Accounting and auditing: Manpower Selection and Management Services Private Limited • Business activities: Balbharat Academy, Ramoji Krian Film Ventures Private Limited • Health and Wellness Industry: Ushakiron Wellness Centre Private Limited • Food Manufacturing industry: Priya Foods Private Limited • Chemical Industry: Colorama Printers Private Limited • Textile: Images Hoarding Private Limited • Metal works: L. Chimanlal Industries Private Limited |
| Film Career | |
| Debut | As an actor • Telugu Film: Marpu in 1978 (as a judge)  As a producer • Telugu Film: Srivariki Premalekha in 1984  • Malayalam Film: Pakarathinu Pakaram in 1986  • Hindi Film: Nache Mayuri in 1986  • Bengali Film: Dr. Munshir Diary in 2000  • Kannada Film: Chitra in 2001  • Tamil Film: Inidhu Inidhu Kadhal Inidhu in 2003  |
| Last Film | As a producer • Telugu Film: Dagudumootha Dandakor in 2015  • Kannada Film: Savaari in 2009  • Hindi Film: Thoda Tum Badlo Thoda Hum in 2004  • Bengali Film: Bombaiyer Bombete in 2003  |
| Awards, Honours, Achievements | • 1984: Best Feature Film in Silver category at Nandi Awards for Kanchana Ganga • 1985: Best Telugu Film Award at Filmfare Awards for Pratighatana • 1985: Best Feature Film in Gold category at Nandi Awards for Mayuri • 1989: Best Feature Film in Silver category at Nandi Awards for Mouna Poratam • 1991: Best Feature Film in Bronze category at Nandi Awards for Aswini • 1992: Best Children Film in Gold category at Nandi Awards for Teja • 1998: Filmfare Special Award for South for outstanding contributions towards Indian cinema • 2000: Best Telugu Film Award at Filmfare Awards for Nuvve Kavali • 2000: National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu (producer) for Nuvve Kavali • 2004: Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award of South Cinema • 2016: Padma Vibhushan by Government of India  • 10th Yudhvir Memorial Award  |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 16 November 1936 (Monday) |
| Birthplace | Pedaparupudi, Krishna, Andhra Pradesh, India (then-Madras Presidency, British India) |
| Date of Death | 8 June 2024 |
| Place of Death | Hyderabad, Telangana, India |
| Age (at the time of death) | 87 Years |
| Death Cause | Heart disease |
| Zodiac sign | Scorpio |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Krishna, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| School | Purapal Konnata School, Gudiwada |
| College/University | Gudivada College |
| Educational Qualification | Bachelor of Science (BSc) |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Kamma |
| Food Habit | Non-Vegetarian |
| Relationships & More ADVERTISEMENT |
|
| Marital Status | Married |
| Marriage Date | Year, 1961 |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | Tatineni Rama Devi  |
| Children | Son- 2 • Kiran Prabhakar (elder) • Suman Prabhakar (died on 7 September 2012 due to leukemia)  Daughter- None |
| Parents | Father- Venkata Subbarao Mother- Venkatasubbamma |
| Siblings | Brother- None Sister- 2 • Rajyalakshmi • Ranganayakamma |
| Other Relatives | Brother-in-law- Appa Rao Granddaughter- Keerthi Sohana (Kiran's elder daughter, married to Raches Veerendra Dev aka Raches Ella)  Granddaughter- Brihathi (Kiran's younger daughter; married to Venkat Akshay)  Nephew- Cherukuri Chandramouli Daughter-in-law(s)- 2 • Sailaja Kiran (Kiran Prabhakar's wife) • Vijayeswari (Suman Prabhakar's wife) |
| Favourites | |
| Sports | Cricket |
| Money Factor | |
| Net Worth (approx.) | Rs 40000 crores (at the time of death in 2024) |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Ramoji Rao
Ramoji Rai was born 13 days after his grandfather’s death who had migrated from Perishepalli to Pedaparupudi. He was named ‘Ramayya’ in his grandfather’s memory.
He did not like his name and changed it to ‘Ramoji Rao’ when he started going to school.
According to one source, he was born into a rich family, and according to another source, he belonged to a poor agricultural family.
In the 1950s, he moved to Delhi where he worked as an artist in an advertising firm.
In 1961, he moved to Hyderabad after his marriage.
In 1962, he started Margadarsi Chit Fund with his wedding money which later became one of the biggest chit fund companies in India.
Ramoji Rao during his 30s when he started his chit-fund company
In 1965, Rao started an advertising firm Kiran Ads.
He later started the Vasundhara Fertilisers company followed by a magazine for farmers known as Annadata.
In 1970, he started an an outdoor advertising agency known as Images which secured contracts with Coromandel Fertilisers and Dunlop.
In 1974, he started the Telugu newspaper Eenadu (meaning Today) with its first edition on 10 August 1974 from Visakhapatnam. Citizens of Visakhapatnam often had to wait till afternoon to receive newspapers that came from Vijayawada by post.
Interestingly, before starting his own newspaper, he once requested KLN Prasad, the owner of the then-biggest Telugu newspaper Andhra Jyothi to start a Visakhapatnam edition. Prasad laughed at his suggestion and told him to start his own newspaper.
He bought a second-hand printing machine for Rs 96,000 and also leased an abandoned cinema studio near Visakhapatnam for 33 years to start his publishing company. Eenadu later went on to become the largest Telugu newspaper with more than 30-40 lakh newspapers in circulation.
Ramoji Rao (extreme right) when he started his newspaper Eenadu
In the early 1980s, he got close to NTR by giving him good information and also publishing good news about NTR in his newspaper which helped him establish the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and become Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
In 1983, he ventured into filmmaking by starting his film production company named Usha Kiron Movies.
Ramoji Rao when he started his production company, Usha Kiron Movies
In 1984, he started a tourism company Ushodaya Shipping in Visakhapatnam.
In 1989, he did not support NTR which was one of the reasons he lost the elections.
In December 1994, he once made NT Rama Rao wait at the door of his home for 10 minutes. At that time, NTR wanted his support for elections but they were not on good terms, hence Rao rejected the deal. NTR’s wife later said that he wanted to humiliate NTR by making him wait.
He started his news channel ETV in 1995 when N. Chandrababu Naidu was trying to become TDP President by removing NTR. The channel broadcasted hourly bulletins in favour of Naidu.
Ramoji Rao during a meeting with N. Chandrababu Naidu (right)
Rao started Ramoji Film City in 1996 and named the project after himself by saying that it was his last project. The studio is spread over 2 thousand acres and is the world’s largest film studio complex.
Ramoji Rao at the Ramoji Film City
After opening his film city, he only gave interviews to promote it due to which BBC once named him ‘the reclusive Rupert Murdoch of India.’
Varavara Rao , a Maoist activist, once claimed that when Rao was searching for land for his studio, Naxals wanted to kidnap him to get some of the arrested people released but the letter was intercepted by police.
In 1997, he said in an interview that he hated the central government of India which ruled from Delhi. Instead, he liked the idea of the United States of India having autonomous power for each state.
He launched 6 more news channels in local languages in 2002 which extended to 12 languages in 2008 which made ETV the largest regional language news network in India.
He did not like Congress, and in 2004, after UPA (United Progressive Alliance) won the elections, he called the senior journalist Kuldip Nayar and requested him to do something so that an Italian (Sonia Gandhi ) would not become the Prime Minister of India.
In 2009, when his news publication and Margdarsi Chit Fund companies were in legal trouble, Nimesh Kampani, a Mumbai-based investment banker and owner of Equator Trading Enterprises Private Limited bought shares in Ushodaya Enterprises for Rs 6,780 crores.
It was later revealed that Kampani had bought the shares on behalf of Mukesh Ambani ‘s Reliance Industries Group (RIL) which also bought several channels of ETV network in 2015.
He had a very good relationship with Narendra Modi . When Modi started his election campaign in 2014, he gave his first Hindi interview to ETV and also visited Ramoji Film City.
Ramoji Rao with Narendra Modi
His employees at the news network ETV often called him a visionary. Three months before Telangana was created in 2014 by dividing Andhra Pradesh, he formed a team to start a new news channel that helped them increase their viewership.
It was later reported that he tried to avoid any fight with KCR and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to protect his business. He shifted the office of Eenadu publication to Ramoji Film City located in Greater Hyderabad to avoid taxes.
One of the retired employees of the packaging department of his pickle brand Priya once said that he (employee) sent around 10 tonnes of expired pickles for new packaging in the van of Eenadu newspaper which agents sold to the public.
He later formed a business group Ramoji Business Group which included his companies.
Most of his business associates said that he only did those businesses that needed very little investment. He often got his ideas turned into businesses by investment firms without investing his personal wealth.
He used to live in a 4-storey house in Ramoji Film City where he also had a helipad for the reputed people who often visited him.
He always wore a white safari suit.
Ramoji Rao in a white safari suit
On 5 June 2024, he complained of high blood pressure and breathlessness and was admitted to Star Hospitals in Nanakramguda, Hyderabad. He died around 3-4 am on 8 June 2024.
Several celebrities from Bollywood and other film industries, politicians, and people from various communities paid tribute to Ramoji Rao after his death.
His last rites were held on the morning of 9 June 2024 in the Ramoji Film City with state honours which was attended by many bureaucrats and celebrities.
Telangana government declared state mourning on 9 and 10 June 2024 in his honour.
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