NEW DELHI: D Ramanaidu, the veteran film producer from Andhra Pradesh, is set to receive the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for the year 2009 for outstanding contribution in the field of Indian Cinema.
Dr Ramanaidu is the 41st recipient of the award instituted in 1969 - the birth centenary of D G Phalke, who is generally regarded as the father of Indian cinema as he produced the country’s first indigenous award ‘Raja Harishchandra’ in 1913.
Dr Ramanidu is the 10th producer to have received the award.
The award consists of a Swarn Kamal, a cash prize of Rs 1 million and a shawl. The award is given on the basis of recommendations of a Committee of eminent persons. The award will be given at the National Films Awards Function scheduled to be held next month.
Born in Karamchedu in Prakasam District of Andhra Pradesh in 1936, Dr Ramanaidu entered the film world in 1963 with his first film Anuragam, followed by the superhit Ramudu-Bheemudu starring N T Rama Rao (NTR) in 1964. Over the last 47 years, he has produced over 130 films in several Indian languages and finds mention in the Guinness Book of Records.
Apart from Telugu films, he has produced films in Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Gujarati, Marathi and Bhojpuri.
His film Surigadu was selected for the Indian Panorama in 1993. Asukh, a Bengali film, won the National Award for the Best Film in that language in 1999. Apart from this, his films have won several state awards.
The galaxy of artistes who have worked in his films include N T Rama Rao, A Nageswara Rao, Sivaji Ganesan, Pandari Bai, Jamuna, Padmini, Sobhan Babu, Kamal Haasan, Jayaprada, Chiranjeevi, Rajnikanth, Rajesh Khanna, Hema Malini, Rekha, Jeetendra and Sreedevi.
Dr Ramanaidu has built an envious track record in the film world for having introduced numerous film directors as well as artistes and technicians. A few well known artistes introduced by him include his son Venkatesh, Harish, Vanisri, Aryan Rajesh, Tabu, Khushboo, Allari Naresh and Malasree.
His Hindi films include Premanagar, Dildar, and Bandish while the Bengali films are Asukh and Sudhu Ekbar Bolo. The Telugu films include Premanagar, Srikrishna Tulabharam, Preminchu, Ramudu Bheemudu, Bobbili Raja, Ahana Pellanta, Andhra Vaibhavam and Kathanayakudu. The Kannada films include Maduve Agona Baa and Thavarumane Udugore; the Tamil films include Vasantha Maligai, Thiru Mangalam, and Thannikattu Raja. He also made films in Oriya (Dharma Devatha); Assamese (Maina Mor Dhuniya); Malayalam (Ashwaroodhan); Marathi (Mazi Aai); and Bhojpuri (Shiva).
His Hindi film Hamari Beti focused on how handicapped people can lead a normal life and achieve their goals. The protagonist in the film is a girl who is severely handicapped in real life. This film has been screened in International Film Festivals like Chicago and Venice.
Dr Ramanaidu has set up studios, recording, preview and dubbing theatres and laboratories in Hyderabad and Vishakapatnam. During his entire career span, Dr Ramanaidu has been associated with every aspect of film making, thereby delivering a bouquet of entertaining films to the people.
