K M Dayashankar
My tributes to legend Sri Ramoji Rao garu
I learnt the principles of integrity and discipline from Newstime
I am continuing my spirit of ‘Journalism with the mission of telling truth’ with the inspiration of Ramoji Rao
HYDERABAD, JUNE 08, 2024: Media Tycoon, founder of Eenadu Group and Padma Vibhushan awardee Sri Ch Ramoji Rao passed away due to age-related ailment at a private hospital in Hyderabad on Saturday.
Mr Ramoji Rao was admitted to the hospital following the breathing problem on Friday night and put on ventilator support, but he passed away on Saturday morning at around 4.50 am. He was 87 years old. His body was shifted to Ramoji film city on the outskirts of Hyderabad. His last rites would be performed with full state honours on Sunday.
Eenadu newspaper established in the year 1974 in Visakapatnam has changed the Telugu media with innovative news coverage and page design. Mr Ramoji Rao was the first person to launch the district editions in the integrated Andhra Pradesh state for more local news coverage. He also ensured that the Eenadu newspaper was delivered at the door step of the readers before the early hours.
He launched the ‘Newstime’ English daily which was a launch-pad several journalists in the 1990s which was later wound up. Actually, Mr Ramoji Rao was having a dream to relaunch ‘Newstime’ and make it successful. But during the period, the advent of ETV and shelved the relaunch of Newstime as he focused on converting the ETV into 24-hours news channel and launching the TV in several other languages in the country. Besides, he founded world’s biggest film cities ‘Ramoji film city’ in Hyderabad which continues to be a major tourist attraction and also for the film-makers in the country.
He launched a film magazine ‘Sitara’, farmers magazine ‘Annadhata’, ‘Vipula’ and ‘Chathura’, Margadarsi Chit funds, Priya foods, hoarding advertisements and more. He also started Usha Kiran Movies and produced several award winning film such as ‘Srivariki Premalekha’ ‘Mayuri’, ‘Prathigatana’, which was remade in Hindi as ‘Prathigat’, ‘Aswini’, ‘Mouna Poratam’ ‘Chitram’, ‘People’s Encounter’ , Nuvve Kavali, Anandam, Istam, Nachavule and many other blockbusters in Telugu, Hindu, Tamil, Kannada languages. His Telugu TV serial ‘Antharangalu’ is still memorable for the people of the state.
He has introduced several persons into film industry including Shankar Melkote, Sudha Chandran, Vinod Kumar, Yamuna, MM Keeravani, Tarun Kumar, Ashwini Nachappa, Srikanth, Teja, Uday Kumar, Rema Sen, Chitram Seenu and several others.
Eenadu newspaper made a turnaround in the early 1980s when film thespian NT Rama Rao launched the Telugu Desam Party by giving wide coverage of the film-star during his electioneering campaign. Eenadu had even published full-page picture of NTR after his victory in the elections by shifting the masthead of the newspaper. He was also instrumental in launching campaign against consumption of liquor and made then TDP government led by NT Rama Rao to sign the first file of introducing prohibition.
My Association with Eenadu Group
“I am proud to say that I am the product of Eenadu’. I joined the profession as sub-editor in Newstime in the year 1994. Later, I was made as a reporter in the year 1995 as I was writing news stories even after being a sub-editor because of my passion to become a reporter. I had won several accolades from Mr Ramoji Rao for my breaking news stories.
Mr Ramoji Rao used to read the Newstime and mark ‘Good’ and ‘RRG’ and other comments on the particular news published in the newspaper. Likewise, I had broken several stories and secured ‘Good’ markings from Ramoji Rao such as encroachment of Government Comprehensive college lands in Masab tank in Hyderabad, Union government shelving Inchampalli project by not giving environment clearance, ‘Tourism going back in Telangana due to Naxalite presence’, ‘Synthetic milk playing with the lives of people in Hyderabad’ and several others.
I still remember in August 1999 when Eenadu was celebrating its silver jubilee, I happened to meet the chairman Ramoji Rao and informed him about joining ‘The Hindu’ as a reporter in Karimnagar. He congratulated me and said that “I want me ‘products’ to be in the top newspapers of the country and not to local dailies”.
I won accolades and recognition as a reporter with integrity in the erstwhile Karimnagar district because of the discipline I learnt from the Eenadu group of publications. I am always indebted to Sri Ramoji Rao garu for transforming my career. He had converted me into a diamond from an ordinary stone. Kudos to you Sir.
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