The mortal remains of ‘Movie Moghul’ Daggubati Rama Naidu were consigned to flames inside the D. Rama Naidu Studios here with full police honours on Thursday afternoon.
The who’s who of the Telugu film industry was present, as was Telangana’s Minister for Cinematography, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, on behalf of the State government. A while earlier, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao paid floral tributes, as did his Cabinet colleague Naini Narsimha Reddy, MLA Teegala Krishna Reddy and former MLA Payyavula Keshav, apart from balladeer Gaddar.
Among those who paid their last respects on Thursday at the first level of the Studios where the body was kept for about four and a half hours were actors Anil Kapoor and Sridevi, with her husband Boney Kapoor and director Satish Kaushik from Bollywood and actor Karthi (actor Suriya’s brother) from Kollywood, the Tamil film industry, actor-turned-MP K. Chiranjeevi, actor Krishna, his director-wife Vijaya Nirmala and Jaya Prada, to name a few.
Several directors from the Telugu industry, including Boyapati Srinu, V.V. Vinayak, Y.V.S. Chowdhary and S.V. Krishna Reddy, Rajasekhar and his actor-director wife Jeevitha and other stars including Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Sharwanand, Harshavardhan Rane, Madhushalini, Kavitha and Ranganath of yesteryears. Producers present included Atchi Reddy, Bandla Ganesh, Boorugupalli Sivaramakrishna, ‘Dil’ Raju, K.C. Sekhar Babu, K.L. Narayana, Shyamprasad Reddy and Sunitha of Guru Films.
Earlier in the day, the body was brought from Naidu’s residence in Jubilee Hills to the Studios. Naidu’s son Venkatesh, grandsons Rana, Abhinav, Nagachaitanya and their best friend Ramcharan Tej were present near the air-conditioned container throughout.
Around 1.30 p.m., the body was shifted to an enclosure nearby for preparations before the last rites. Photographers were politely asked not to take pictures during this process and once it was over, at about 3 p.m., the body was carried by Rama Naidu’s son Venkatesh, grandsons and a few other close relatives and associates lifted it and placed it on a decorated vehicle.
It took about an hour for the body to be taken up to the third level of the Studios to the place opposite the Film School that was the designated spot for the last rites.
The Padma Bhushan awardee’s son and producer D. Suresh Babu lit the pyre and as the flames leapt into the air, the waiting policemen fired their gun salute, signalling the end of the last journey.
It was an incredible, three-decade-long journey ‘Naidu garu’
Producer Boney Kapoor
I went to have a ‘darshan’ of the ‘Movie Moghul’ and he gave me a role in ‘Bobbili Raja’. He was the one who created the Babu Mohan-Kota Srinivasa Rao combination in the movies.
Babu Mohan
I went to have a ‘darshan’ of the ‘Movie Moghul’ and he gave me a role in ‘Bobbili Raja’.
Babu Mohan
The who’s who of the Telugu film industry was present, as was Telangana’s Minister for Cinematography, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, on behalf of the State government. A while earlier, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao paid floral tributes, as did his Cabinet colleague Naini Narsimha Reddy, MLA Teegala Krishna Reddy and former MLA Payyavula Keshav, apart from balladeer Gaddar.
Among those who paid their last respects on Thursday at the first level of the Studios where the body was kept for about four and a half hours were actors Anil Kapoor and Sridevi, with her husband Boney Kapoor and director Satish Kaushik from Bollywood and actor Karthi (actor Suriya’s brother) from Kollywood, the Tamil film industry, actor-turned-MP K. Chiranjeevi, actor Krishna, his director-wife Vijaya Nirmala and Jaya Prada, to name a few.
Several directors from the Telugu industry, including Boyapati Srinu, V.V. Vinayak, Y.V.S. Chowdhary and S.V. Krishna Reddy, Rajasekhar and his actor-director wife Jeevitha and other stars including Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Sharwanand, Harshavardhan Rane, Madhushalini, Kavitha and Ranganath of yesteryears. Producers present included Atchi Reddy, Bandla Ganesh, Boorugupalli Sivaramakrishna, ‘Dil’ Raju, K.C. Sekhar Babu, K.L. Narayana, Shyamprasad Reddy and Sunitha of Guru Films.
Earlier in the day, the body was brought from Naidu’s residence in Jubilee Hills to the Studios. Naidu’s son Venkatesh, grandsons Rana, Abhinav, Nagachaitanya and their best friend Ramcharan Tej were present near the air-conditioned container throughout.
Around 1.30 p.m., the body was shifted to an enclosure nearby for preparations before the last rites. Photographers were politely asked not to take pictures during this process and once it was over, at about 3 p.m., the body was carried by Rama Naidu’s son Venkatesh, grandsons and a few other close relatives and associates lifted it and placed it on a decorated vehicle.
It took about an hour for the body to be taken up to the third level of the Studios to the place opposite the Film School that was the designated spot for the last rites.
The Padma Bhushan awardee’s son and producer D. Suresh Babu lit the pyre and as the flames leapt into the air, the waiting policemen fired their gun salute, signalling the end of the last journey.
It was an incredible, three-decade-long journey ‘Naidu garu’
Producer Boney Kapoor
I went to have a ‘darshan’ of the ‘Movie Moghul’ and he gave me a role in ‘Bobbili Raja’. He was the one who created the Babu Mohan-Kota Srinivasa Rao combination in the movies.
Babu Mohan
I went to have a ‘darshan’ of the ‘Movie Moghul’ and he gave me a role in ‘Bobbili Raja’.
Babu Mohan
