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The renowned media entrepreneur Cherukuri Ramoji Rao, who founded Ramoji Film City, passed away early on Saturday at the age of 87. At 3:45 AM, Rao, who was receiving treatment at Hyderabad's Star Hospital, passed away.
The globally recognized Ramoji Film City, the Eenadu daily, the ETV Network of television networks, and Usha Kiran Movies are all part of the Ramoji Group, which was led by Ramoji Rao. His varied business interests included Priya Pickles, Mayuri Film Distributors, the Dolphin Group of hotels, the Kalanjali shopping complex, and the Margadarsi Chit Fund. In addition, he was the Editors Guild of India's chairperson.
Media Pioneer and Founder of Ramoji Film City, Ramoji Rao, Passes Away at 87
— HitFlik (@HitFlik_) June 8, 2024
Cherukuri Ramoji Rao, the visionary founder of Ramoji Film City and Eenadu newspaper, passed away peacefully at 87 on Saturday in Hyderabad. Rao's remarkable contributions to media and entertainment… pic.twitter.com/RQGwMjGHqu
Thousands of film productions have used Ramoji Film metropolis, which is home to the largest film metropolis in the world according to Guinness World Records. Notable works include the critically acclaimed "Bahubali" series by SS Rajamouli. The venue has played host to numerous big Hindi blockbusters as well as productions in almost every Indian language. Ramoji Rao gained international recognition for his distinctive low-budget social-theme movie approach.
In 1974, Rao started the Eenadu newspaper in Visakhapatnam, which revolutionized the newspaper business in Andhra Pradesh's unbroken state. The Telugu daily that is still most extensively distributed is Eenadu. The newspaper gained a reputation for being on time under Rao's direction, regularly reaching readers before dawn. The campaign that resulted in the removal of TDP founder N T Rama Rao from office in 1984 was made possible in large part by Eenadu.
Ramoji Rao, Founder of Ramoji Film City and Head of ETV Network, Passes Away at 87#RamojiRao #RamojiFilmCity #ETV #RIPRamojiRao
— TheNarinder.in (@thenarinder_) June 8, 2024
Read:-https://t.co/9zv39PVVty pic.twitter.com/iJTAtJgHb4
Breaking Doordarshan's exclusivity, ETV debuted as a pioneering satellite entertainment station in Telugu. It soon gained widespread recognition as a household name and expanded to offer ETV news in Hindi, Bengali, and Kannada, among other languages. For nearly two decades, the music program "Padutha Teeyaga," hosted by the late S P Balasubrahmanyam, served as a platform for thousands of aspiring vocalists.
In expressing his sorrow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Ramoji Rao a visionary who transformed Indian media. "The film industry and journalism have been profoundly impacted by Rao's many contributions. He raised the bar for creativity and quality in the media and entertainment industries with his extraordinary efforts, according to Modi.
Along with expressing her sympathies, President Droupadi Murmu said that India had lost a titan of the media and entertainment industry. "A creative businessman, he founded a number of businesses, such as the Eenadu newspaper, the ETV news network, and Ramoji Film City. We shall always remember his contributions to our sector," she remarked.
Ramoji Rao, the Founder of Eenadu newspaper, ETV network of TV channels & Ramoji Film City, passes away at the age of 87. PM-elect Narendra Modi condoles his demise.#RamojiRao #Eenadu #RamojiFilmCity #Telugu #cnbctv18digital #ETV pic.twitter.com/TJtGD0bfEg
— CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18News) June 8, 2024
A wide range of political figures expressed their sorrow at Ramoji Rao's passing, including former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh Jagan Mohan Reddy, chief minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin, and chief minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar. N Chandrababu Naidu, the leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), also conveyed his sadness.
The Telangana government has chosen to honor Ramoji Rao with state honors during his final rites as a way of recognizing his efforts. Cyberabad Commissioner and Rangareddy Collector will oversee the arrangements, per a directive from Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
Ramoji Rao has previously fought colon cancer and come out on top. Then-President Pranab Mukherjee gave him the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honor in India, in 2016.
