Hindi
Legendary filmmaker D Ramanaidu is no more, mourned by film industry
NEW DELHI: Popular multilingual film producer D Ramanaidu died this morning of prostate cancer, aged 79.
He had been suffering for the few days and is survived by his sons Suresh Babu who took over the Ramanaidu Studios in Hyderabad and younger son Venkatesh Daggubati who is a prominent actor, daughter Daggubati Lakshmi and grandsons Rana, Abhiram, Arjun, Naga Chaitanya, granddaughters Malavika, Hayavahini, Ashritha and Bhavana.
Ramanaidu made his production debut with Ramudu Bheemudu in 1964 with NTR in the lead role. The movie was a blockbuster. He founded Ramanaidu Studio in Hyderabad in 1989. He also donned grease paint and did few roles, guest appearances in several films.
He also forayed into politics and joined the Telugu Desam Party. He represented Bapatla Lok Sabha constituency (1999-2004) and lost the seat in the subsequent elections and then stayed away from politics.
Winner of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for lifetime achievement in 2009, he produced more than 150 films in 13 Indian languages. Ramanaidu was the 41st recipient of the award instituted in 1969 (the birth centenary of D. G. Phalke, who is generally regarded as the father of Indian cinema) and the 10th producer to have received the award.
Born in June 1936, Ramanaidu was founder of Suresh Productions and holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the most films produced by an individual.
In 2012, Ramanaidu was conferred with the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, the Padma Bhushan in recognition for his contribution to Telugu cinema.
Ramanaidu had contributed a substantial part of his earnings to numerous philanthropic purposes including the Ramanaidu Charitable Trust that was founded in 1991.
Suresh Productions was started with his childhood friends including G Rajendra Prasad (Madhavi Combines).
In 1968, B Nagireddy’s sons and Ramanaidu combined to form a company called Vijaya Suresh Combines and Suresh Movies. They did 4 movies together and in 1970, when they suffered a few losses, they decided to break up the partnership and go their separate ways.
While producing the movie Secretary, he visited Hyderabad for shooting. He had never before considered moving to Hyderabad but during the shoot, he thought of building a studio in Hyderabad. Back then, Hyderabad was an underdeveloped and hilly area and many criticised him for risking his fortune on building a studio there.
Premnagar by him in 1971 was a huge success under the Suresh Productions banner and then he produced up to 74 films from 1993 to 2005 in several languages.
Brahmaputrudu was a big commercial hit and ended up helping him pay off the debts for his studio launched in 1989. In 1990, Ramanaidu Colour Lab was launched, and in 1994 he launched Cine Village in Nanakramguda, which was used by the entire industry for outdoor shoots.
During his career as a producer, he introduced 24 directors and several actors and music directors who have since become very famous and owe their success to him. The Andhra Pradesh Government nominated him and director Bapu in November 2012.
Ramanaidu has received an honorary doctorate from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati.
Preminchu movie won 5 Nandi Awards during the year 2001 – 2002,
He played different roles in various films under his own banner. For the first time he played a full-length role in a film named Hope which dealt with teenage suicides, educational stress in South India. This film also won the National Film Award on other social causes in the year 2007.
He won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali – Asukh – 1999; the Filmfare Best Film Award (Telugu) – Jeevana Tarangalu (1973); Filmfare Best Film Award (Telugu) –Soggadu (1976) and Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South (2000).
His 17 Hindi films include Kuch tum kaho kuch hum kahein, Aghaaz, Hum aapke dil me rehte hain, Santaan, Pem Quaidi, Tohfa, Dildaar and Prem Nagar.
Hindi
Dhurandhar returns to theatres worldwide on March 13 ahead of Dhurandhar The Revenge release
Jio Studios re-releases blockbuster across 500 screens globally before sequel
MUMBAI: The spy saga of Dhurandhar is gearing up for a big-screen encore before its next chapter arrives.
Ahead of the release of Dhurandhar The Revenge on March 19, Jio Studios and B62 Studios are bringing the original Dhurandhar back to cinemas worldwide in a rare international theatrical re-release.
The global blockbuster is returning across nearly 500 screens, including around 250 in India from March 12 and another 250 overseas beginning March 13.
For fans of the franchise, the move offers a chance to revisit the film that ignited the high-octane spy-action universe just days before the sequel lands in theatres. It also sets up a rare back-to-back big-screen experience, allowing audiences to relive the original before diving straight into the next chapter.
While re-releases of popular films are occasionally seen in India, international re-runs of Hindi films remain uncommon. The scale of the rollout reflects the growing global appetite for the franchise.
In North America alone, Dhurandhar will return to theatres across nearly 185 screens, highlighting the strong anticipation surrounding the upcoming sequel.
The excitement is set to build further with special Wednesday premiere shows of Dhurandhar The Revenge scheduled across the US and Canada on March 18, a day ahead of its global release. Many of these premieres will be hosted on premium large format screens, featuring wall-to-wall displays, immersive sound systems such as Dolby Atmos, enhanced projection and luxury seating.
These formats are typically reserved for major Hollywood event films, and early bookings suggest strong demand with several shows already sold out.
The recently released trailer of Dhurandhar The Revenge has also sparked buzz among exhibitors and trade circles, with expectations running high for the film’s international performance.
Dhurandhar The Revenge is written, directed and produced by Aditya Dhar. The film is produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Lokesh Dhar.
Jio Studios presents a B62 Studios production, an Aditya Dhar film.
The spy-action thriller will release worldwide on March 19, 2026, in five languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.
The film arrives in theatres globally on the occasion of Gudi Padwa and Ugadi, just ahead of Eid, setting the stage for a festive box office run.
