Veterans of the film industry, politicians and other personalities paid a glowing tribute to producer D Ramanaidu, who succumbed to cancer recently, at a condolence meeting organised by industrialist and member of parliament T Subbarami Reddy, in the city on Sunday.
Ramanaidu, who died of prostate cancer earlier this month, left a huge void in the industry thanks to his immeasurable contribution to Indian cinema.
Several veterans of the film industry shared their experiences with Ramanaidu and explained why we have lost not just a great producer, but a wonderful human being.
“D Ramanaidu was my friend for 40 years and till the very last moment, he was lively and interacted well with everyone. Throughout his life, he worked extremely diligently and with utmost passion and his contribution to Indian cinema will remain eternally in the hearts of the people,” expressed T Subbarami Reddy, who was the host of the evening of tribute.
While many of us are aware of his phenomenal contribution to the film industry, those who knew him shared precious memories of the man and gave us a better insight into Ramanaidu as a person. Veteran comedian Brahmanandam heaped praise on the movie mogul and said he was privileged to have known a person as wonderful as him.
“The reason for Brahmanandam being there, here in front of all of you -- is Ramanaidugaru. Because of his love, generosity and guidance, I’m standing here in front of you. The most remarkable thing about him was that he always used to greet everybody, no matter who they are, with utmost zeal and kindness,” he expressed.
Dr Rajasekhar, who treated Ramanaidu using alternative therapies, revealed valuable memories on his final stages of life. “I got the opportunity to spend a lot of time with him in the last three months of his life as I was practising palliative treatment.
He was not just a movie mogul but a wonderful family man. His sons and daughters-in-law took care of him with utmost love and respect and he was happy right till the very end,” an emotional Rajasekhar said.
Veteran actor and president of the Telugu Movie Artists’ Association Murali Mohan also showered praise on Ramanaidu, expressing that his dedication towards cinema was unparalleled. “There are many people who are jack of all trades but master of none, but Ramanaidu was not like that. He was singularly focused on cinema and every second of everyday, he thought of cinema. No matter what the film was, till the day it released, he would be completely dedicated to the movie,” Mohan explained.
Speaking about his generous side, he said, “In the film industry, if anybody had any trouble, Ramanaidugaru would help them. Even as an MP, he has done great service to the people.”
Veteran actress Jayasudha shared similar thoughts and heaped praises on his invaluable contribution to cinema.
“In my career of 43 years, I have not seen such a producer. His kindness, dedication and excellence left me awestruck whenever I worked with him. If anyone came late, he would make all the arrangements for them himself. He would know the entire script beforehand so he would try to put actors at ease,” shared Jayasudha, adding that he an was extremely humble person, without even a shred of arrogance.
Echoing her views, veteran director Dasari Narayana Rao said that Ramanaidu was a pillar of Telugu cinema and that his passion and decision-making when it came to movies was outstanding.
Yesteryear actress Jamuna also praised the movie mogul and said that he provided employment to a lot of people and took care of every aspect in each department of filmmaking.
Union minister for urban development M Venkaiah Naidu also graced the occasion, along with HRD minister Ganta Srinivas Rao, apart from family members D Suresh Babu, Venkatesh, Rana Daggubati and Naga Chaitanya.