Cherukuri Ramoji Rao, one of the most respectable figures of the entertainment industry has passed away at 87 in Hyderabad.
The man was the founder of the iconic production facility, Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad and also the head of Telugu news and entertainment network ETV.
It is being said that he was undergoing treatment in the hospital until he finally breathed his last this past night around 4:50 am, according to ETV Telangana, one of the Ramoji Group channels.
For the uninitiated, Rao was born on November 16, 1936. In 1974, he established Eenadu, which has since become a prominent Telugu language daily newspaper. Additionally, he has produced 50 films and telefilms, contributing significantly to the entertainment industry.
He was also awarded the Padma Vibhushan, where he founded the largely spread our production facility, Ramoji Film City in Telangana’s capital city.
Following the news of his death, President Droupadi Murmu expressed her condolences and called him a “titan of the media and entertainment sector”. In a post on X, she wrote: “An innovative entrepreneur, he pioneered a number of ventures, including the Eenadu newspaper, ETV news network and Ramoji Film City. Honoured with Padma Vibhushan, he succeeded as his vision was essentially rooted in society. His contributions to this industry will be long remembered. My condolences to his family and well-wishers.”
PM-designate, Narendra Modi, who is set to take the oath for a record third time on Sunday also acknowledged Rao’s contributions by calling him a visionary to the field of media and offered his condolences on his passing away.
May his soul rest in peace.