Remembering Most Celebrated Producer And Film Journalist BA Raju On His 65th Birth Anniversary
BA Raju, was the numero uno in the Telugu film industry for 40 years as a film journalist, PRO, magazine..website head, producer.
BA Raju started his film career as a PRO looking after the publicity affairs of Superstar Krishna and later proved his mettle as a film journalist with his encouragement. Having worked in various capacities in daily magazines like Andhra Jyoti, Jyoti Chitra, Samabha, Shivaranjani, Pimmata established Super Hit Weekly in 1994 with the help of his wife B Jaya and created a stir among Telugu film newspapers. He ran the magazine for 27 years without missing a single issue till his death. Not just a film journalist, he acted as a guide to top directors, heroes and heroines through their film careers. BA Raju, who worked as publicity in-charge of more than 1500 films, immensely contributed to the success of those films. BA Raju was everyone’s well wisher who formed close bonds with all in the film industry, irrespective of seniority.
As the Telugu film industry shifted to Hyderabad, the Super Hit Administration Office was also shifted to Hyderabad in 2001. The same year he ventured into film production along with his wife Jaya B by establishing the RJ Cinemas banner and produced the film ‘Premalo Pavani Kalyan’ with his wife B Jaya as the director. He then bankrolled successful films like Chantigadu, Premikulu, Gundamma Gari Manavadu, Sawaal, Lovely, Vaisakham. He established the IndustryHit.com web portal.
His well trained team, BA Raju’s Team is now effectively working and providing timely updates in the website and his popular X (Twitter) Twitter account which has close to seven lakhs followers. BA Raju’s son Sivakumar B is revamping the RJ Cinemas banner and is expected to announce films with popular star heroes very soon.
Although he had very close relations with all the celebrities of the film industry… he shared special bonds especially with Evergreen Superstar Krishna and Superstar Mahesh Babu. He served as the president of the Film Critics Association.
He was always there for film journalists through thick and thin and provided financial and emotional assurance. He was a knowledge Bank and always had information about the number of films a director made with a hero, the banner, the release date and how many days the movie played in how many centers, etc.. at his finger tips.
It is an irreplaceable loss that BA Raju, who would think about movies 24 hours a day, is no longer amongst us. We pay a heartfelt tribute to his soul on the occasion of his 65th birth anniversary.
