Hyderabad :Â Media baron Ramoji Rao, the founder of Ramoji Film City and ETV Network, passed away on the morning of July 8 in Hyderabad, Telangana. Rao, who was also the chairman of the Eenadu Group, was being treated at Star Hospital and passed away at 3:45 am.
Ramoji Rao is survived by his wife, Rama Devi, and his son Cherukuri Kiran. His younger son, Cherukuri Suman, passed away a decade ago. His eldest son, Cherukuri Kiran, is the managing director of the Eenadu Group of Companies. His daughter-in-law, Sailaja Kiron, is the managing director of Margadarsi Chit Fund, while his other daughter-in-law, Vijayeshwari, is the managing director of Ramoji Film City.
Ramoji Rao led the Ramoji Group, a conglomerate encompassing a wide range of businesses from entertainment to retail and education. These include the Eenadu Newspaper, ETV Network, Ushakiran Movies, and ETV Bharat. His business ventures also included the Margadarsi Chit Fund, Dolphin Group of Hotels, Kalanjali Shopping Mall, Priya Pickles, and Mayuri Film Distributors. In 2016, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award, by then-President Pranab Mukherjee for his contributions to literature, journalism, and media.
The ETV Network, under his leadership, received several awards, including four Filmfare Awards South, five Nandi Awards, and a National Film Award for contributions to Telugu cinema. Ramoji Rao produced about 50 films and telefilms during his lifetime. He was also known for his close relationships with former Andhra Pradesh Chief Ministers NT Rama Rao and Chandrababu Naidu, among other political and film personalities.
