Gowtham Raju, a prolific and well-known editor who worked extensively in Telugu cinema, breathed his last in the early hours of July 7 in Hyderabad. He was 68 and reportedly ailing from age-related issues. Telugu film personalities including actors Chiranjeevi, Sai Dharam Tej, Manoj and Lakshmi Manchu and music composer M M Keeravani and several directors and production houses mourned his passing. Raju has edited more than 800 films in Telugu, Hindi, Kannada and Tamil.
Some of his memorable work includes Mani Ratnam’s Thalapathi (Tamil), Telugu films such as the science fiction Aditya 369 starring Balakrishna and directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, Chiranjeevi-starrers Tagore and Khaidi No. 150, Allu Arjun-starrers Bunny and Race Gurram, Pawan Kalyan and Venkatesh-starrer Gopala Gopala, Pawan Kalyan’s Gabbar Singh and Katamarayudu. Some of Raju’s recent films include the Vishnu Manchu-starrer Mosagallu and Mohan Babu-starrer Son of India.
Born in 1954 in Tamil Nadu, Raju’s earliest works in Telugu cinema are Chiranjeevi’s Chattaniki Kallu Levu and director Jandhyala’s Nalugu Stambalata in the early 1980s. He went on to work with leading directors and production houses for four decades. He received the Nandi award for the NTR-starrer Aadi.
Superstar Chiranjeevi took to Twitter and stated, “It is unfortunate to lose an editor like Gowtham Raju. He was a gentle person but his editing was sharp. A man of few words, his skill in editing was limitless. A soft-spoken man, his work always contained speed. From Chattaniki Kallu Levu to Khaidi no. 150, he has worked for many of my films as an editor. His passing is a personal loss for me and the film industry. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family.”
Chiranjeevi’s nephew and actor Sai Dharam Tej paid his respects, remembering Gowtham Raju as “a man of great work and character”, with whom he has worked closely during the initial phase of his career and added that Raju will always be remembered through his work.
Actor-producer Manchu Vishnu said that he had learnt a lot from Gowtham Raju since childhood: “He was crucial for many blockbusters in Telugu.”
