Media mogul Ramoji Rao passes away

Ramoji Rao, a pioneer in the movie and media industries, passed away on Saturday at 4.50 a.m. in a hospital in Hyderabad. He was admitted to a private hospital on June 5 due to breathing complications, and he died today while being treated there.

He was 88.

Ramoji Rao founded the Telugu newspaper “Eenadu” in 1974, forever changing the media industry and Telugu journalism. “Eenadu” is still the most widely circulated Telugu newspaper. He also launched ETV, an entertainment channel, followed by ETV news channels in many languages across India, which revolutionized Indian television journalism.

In the 1980s, he became a producer and produced many blockbusters under the Usha Kiran Movies banner, including “Prathighatana”, “Nuvve Kaavali”, and so on. He introduced many big talents, including Jr. NTR, Tarun, and Uday Kiran.

The biggest media enterprise he created is Ramoji Film City, a massive film studio in Hyderabad, which is home to all film shootings in India.

Ramoji Rao was also honoured with the Padma Vibhushan in 2016, for his work and contribution to literature, journalism and education

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed shock at Ramoji Rao’s death and paid a rich tribute on social media, describing him as a pioneer in Indian media.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has declared full state honours for Ramoji Rao’s funeral.