"I have discovered that it is comparatively cheaper to make a film in Kannada, Tamil or Malayalam, than Hindi", says D. Rama Naidu. had a penchant for big names way back 42 years

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By Team Bollyy
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"I have discovered that it is comparatively cheaper to make a film in Kannada, Tamil or Malayalam, than Hindi", says D. Rama Naidu. had a penchant for big names way back 42 years

The name D.Rama Naidu is as much of an institution down South and commands as much respect as names like B.R. Chopra of Prakash Mehra in Bombay - Jyothi Venkatesh

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To the rest of the country he is known only as the maker of Hindi films like PREM NAGAR, DIL AUR DEEWAR and BANDISH. It may surprise many to know that apart from these, Rama has as many as 26 films in Telugu and 5 in Tamil to his credit.

People who go to meet Rama Naidu with preconceived notions about seeing a rotund, middle aged graying producer type are in for quite a surprise and a pleasant one at that. Rama is both slim and trimly built.

He does not look a year older than say Shashi Kapoor and sports a head full of skillfully dyed hair. Moreover, he possesses an enormously appealing winsome smile.

I met him at his suite at the Sea Rock just before his BANDISH was due for release. He was striding up and down, full of nervous energy. The room seemed packed up with people among whom I recognized Roopesh Kumar.

Which goes to show that Naidu hasn't taken long to acquire one of the most distinctive easily recognizable traits possessed by every Bombay filmmaker: a contingent of satellites hanging around to feed his ego.

Once Daggupati Rama Naidu garu begins talking, there is no stopping him. Today there is absolutely no harm in being a producer, he starts off. "Every aspiring producer can simply walk in, sign on a saleable director and make a film.

All he needs is a lot of money. Earlier on, things were different. There was a lot more discipline and a film was made after 50 or 60 shooting shifts were done with the artists in the film. Nowadays who cares?

A producer manages to complete his film somehow or the other after shooting for mere 20 shifts. To hell with quality seems to be the general motto. Who cares about it when the only motive is to make money?"

Rama Naidu admits that although he himself is a thorough businessman,he wouldn't dream of compromising on quality with the intention of saving a couple of lakhs. "I have always taken the topmost highest paid stars for my films (PREM NAGAR, DIL AUR DEEWAR etc) irrespective of the cost.

At the same time, I respect talent. I like working with new promising directors. Let's face facts. To interest the audiences you have to pack your film with marquee names-stars who can draw the audiences to the theaters".

According to Naidu, it was his own Suresh Productions which was responsible for giving breaks to now well known Telugu directors like Bappaiya, Seshagiri Rao, and even comedian Nagesh.

"Although Bapaiyya had given several earlier flops and most of the producers down South had already written him off as hopeless and jinxed, I signed him onto direct my DILDAAR, DIL AUR DEEWAR and BANDISH".

After BANDISH, Rama Naidu decided to sign on Roopesh Kumar to direct his next film TUJKO AANA PADEGA, with Raj Kiran in the lead. And in spite of the fact that Lakshmikant and Pyarelal have been associated with him right from the PREM NAGAR days, Rama Naidu signed on Usha Khanna this time to compose the music for his film. "I will definitely release TUJKO AANA PADEGA by May next year",he announces confidently, thumping the table excitedly.

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Naidu is reputed to be a strict disciplinarian who brooks no nonsense from either his artistes or fellow producers.

While he was shooting for BANDISH at Madras, producer B.S. Glaad wanted him to spare Rajesh Khanna and Hema Malini every day for two hours for his film HUM DONO.

In spite of the fact that they had allotted their dates to my film earlier, (BANDISH and HUM DONO have the same star cast), I refused to let them for HUM DONO", Rama Naidu chuckles reminiscently. Glaad had no alternative but to bow to his wishes.

Rama Naidu agrees that he has acquired the reputation of being a top star producer. "People ask me why I keep making films with real big stars instead of giving breaks to newer faces.

Well, it�s because that's exactly what I did in films like DROHI and NANNA FARISHTA. After having burnt my fingers severely on both occasions, I have no desire to risk experimenting with new faces and risk precious raw stock.

A lot of my films are based on already successful novels. And since the audience finds it easier to identify the characters in best selling novels with known stars, there's all the more reason for me to cast established stars in my movies".

"I don't want to be typed as a producer. I'd like to make a wide variety of films. I have already made mythological films and dabbled in vendetta motivated movies.

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At present, I have with me the purchased rights of as many as12 novels. I have spent lakhs on acquiring them and have the scripts ready with me".

Rama Naidu says that had decided not to make more than a single film a year because it would be uneconomical for him to do so. He has decided to shoot his films in Madras itself instead of going through the enormous trouble and expense of transporting his entire unit to Bombay.

According to him, film production today has plummeted to an all time low. "As many as two hundred films' first prints are lying in laboratories in Madras, today for lack of takers, now that there are so many films flooding the market."

"Previously only the hero and the heroine of a film were the privileged ones entitled to have their own make-up men, hairdressers, costume designers etc. Today unfortunately for the poor producers, times have changed.

Almost every artist today has a make up man, errand boy and the rest of the retinue. For my next film AGNIPHOOL, I will be signing 14 artists and so automatically I will have to recruit 42 additional staff for them".

According to Naidu, making a Telugu film today doesn't cost less than 40 lakhs. "I have discovered that it is comparatively cheaper to make a film in Kannada, Tamil or Malayalam. Times have changed. I now employ 100 unit members while making a Telugu film. Earlier, the maximum needed was only around 40."

Shrewd producer that he is, Rama Naidu has decided to lay his eggs in two different baskets. "From now on, I have decided to make only one Telugu and one Hindi film every year.

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Now that BANDISH is behind me, I can concentrate on AGNIPHOOL (a remake of my earlier Telugu hit AGNIPHOOLU) of which Star &Style's Devi will be writing the dialogues.

Then there's TUJKO AANA PADEGA and a Telugu film called PREM MANDIR starring Nageshwara Rao, Jaya Prada and Sridevi,with Dasari Narayana Rao as the director".

Rama Naidu's film career began 20 years ago, when he made the Telugu hit RAMUDU BHEEMUDU, which was remade in Hindi as RAM AUR SHYAM. South circles still chuckle about the fact that , although Rama Naidu made RAMUDU BHEEMUDU,Salim Javed walked away with the credit for SEETA AUR GEETHA, which was reportedly rehashed from RAM AUR SHYAM, the Hindi remake of RAMUDU BHEEMUDU.

If Nagi Reddy, who incidentally is a close relative of Rama Naidu had not been so keen on making the Hindi version of RAMUDU BHEEMUDU, Rama Naidu would have made RAM AUR SHYAM himself.

"How could I say no to Reddigaru when he himself came and told me how much he wanted to make the Hindi version?" Rama Naidu asks modestly.

A very involved and participatory producer, Rama Naidu makes it a point to be present on the sets of every film that he is making.

"Once when a film of mine was held up at Hyderabad, my unit couldn't proceed with the shooting,when I wasn't around. Yes. I'd like to take up direction, but not right now. I've too much on my plate to cope up with the additional responsibility of direction".

Rama Naidu has come a long way from tending cows in a remote Southern village to being the ruler of a respected film empire. And to have made 35 films in three different languages within 17 years is no mean achievement.

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