Bommireddy Nagi Reddy

Bommireddy Nagi Reddy (Telugu: బొమ్మిరెడ్డి నాగిరెడ్డి) (2 December 1912 - 25 February 2004^[1]) was a Telugu movie producer from Pottipadu Village in the Kadapa District of Andhra Pradesh. He set up Vijaya Vauhini Studios in Chennai, which was then Asia's biggest film studio.^[1] As his elder brother (who was also a director) had the same initials and was known as B. N. Reddy, Nagi Reddy was popularly known as B. Nagi Reddy. Some of the movies produced by Nagi Reddy include Patala Bhairavi (1951), Missamma (1955), Maya Bazaar (1957), Gundamma Katha (1962), Ram Aur Shyam, Shriman Shrimati, Julie (1975), and Swarg Narak (1978), the latter two of which were in Hindi. His heir is Venkatramana Reddy.

Film career

Nagi Reddy along with his friend and partner Alur Chakrapani produced over fifty films in four decades in the four South Indian languages and Hindi.^[1] He made mythological, devotional, and historical Telugu movies. Some of his more notable films include Pathala Bhairavi, Maya Bazaar, and Missamma. He made most of his films in association with screen writer Chakrapani. Nagi Reddy closed down Vijaya-Vahini after the Tamil film industry moved out of studios in the 1970s, and started the Vijaya Hospital and Vijaya Health Centre. He stopped producing movies after the death of his friend and partner Chakrapani.

Awards

For his contributions to Indian, Telugu, and Tamil cinema, Nagi Reddy received various awards:

• The Government of India awarded him the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1986.
• The Government of Andhra Pradesh awarded him the Raghupathy Venkaiah award in 1987.
• The Government of Tamil Nadu awarded him the Kalaimamani Award in 1972.^[2]
• He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Srikrishnadevaraya University and Sri Venkateswara University.^[3]

Other Businesses and Philanthropy

Nagi Reddy served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams between 1980 and 1983, and is credited for building the Vaikuntam Queue Complex that now serves to regulate pilgrims for darshan in the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple.^[1] Nagi Reddy founded the Vijaya Medical & Educational Trust in 1972.^[4] The trust runs the Vijaya Hospital (1972), Vijaya Health Center (1987) and Vijaya Heart Foundation (1996). Nagi Reddy headed the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce four times and the All-India Film Sammelan for two terms.

Nagi Reddy started the Andhra Jyothi newspaper in 1945.^[1] He also established the children's magazine Chandamama in July 1947.^[5] The magazine was eventually printed in nearly a dozen different languages.

Filmography

As Producer

• Film With "Ajith Kumar"
• Shriman Shrimati (1982) (producer) (as B. Nagi Reddi)
• Swayamvar (1980) (producer) (as B. Nagi Reddi)
• Swarg Narak (1978) (producer) (as B. Nagi Reddi)
• Yehi Hai Zindagi (1977) (producer) (as B. Nagi Bedi)

... aka Yehi Hai Zindagi (India: Hindi title: video box title)

• Shri Rajeshwari Vilas Coffee Club (1976) (producer)
• Julie (1975) (producer) (as B. Nagi Reddi-Chakrapani)
• Ganga Manga (1973) (producer)
• Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani (1970) (producer) (as B. Nagi Reddy)
• Ram Aur Shyam (1967) (producer) (as B. Nagi Reddi)
• Gundamma Katha (1962) (producer)
• Manithan Maravillai (1962) (producer)
• Rechukka Pragatichukka (1959) (producer)
• Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu (1958) (producer)
• Maya Bazaar (1957/I) (producer)
• Maya Bazaar (1957/II) (producer)
• Missamma (1955) (producer)
• Missiamma (1955) (producer)
• Chandraharam (1954) (producer)
• Pelli Chesi Choodu (1952) (producer)

... aka Get Married and See! (India: English title)

• Patala Bhairavi (1951) (producer)

... aka The Goddess from Below the Earth

• Shavukaru (1950) (producer)
• Showkar (1950) (producer)

As Presenter

• Shriman Shrimati (1982) (presenter) (as B. Nagi Reddi)
• Swayamvar (1980) (presenter) (as B. Nagi Reddi)
• Swarg Narak (1978) (presenter) (as B. Nagi Reddi)
• Yehi Hai Zindagi (1977) (presenter) (as B. Nagi Reddi)

... aka Yehi Hai Zindagi (India: Hindi title: video box title)

• Julie (1975) (presenter) (as B. Nagi Reddi)
• Prem Nagar (1974) (presenter) (as B. Nagi Reddi)
• Ram Aur Shyam (1967) (presenter) (as B. Nagi Reddi)

In Editorial Department

• Hai Hai Nayaka (1989) (assistant editor)

As Director

• Enga Veetu Penn (1966)

Thankful

• Ram Tere Kitne Nam (1985) (sincere thanks) (as Shri Nagi Reddy)

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} "TTD condoles B. Nagi Reddy". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 2004-02-27. http://www.hindu.com/2004/02/27/stories/2004022709540300.htm. Retrieved 2007-04-17. 
2. ^ "‘Vijaya’ NagiReddy passes away". 2004-02-25. http://movies.indiainfo.com/tamil/movienews/morenews134.html. Retrieved 2007-04-17. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0714769/bio
4. ^ "VIJAYA MEDICAL AND EDUCATIONAL TRUST - Overview". Archived from the original on 2007-01-29. http://web.archive.org/web/20070129034342/http://www.vijayahospital.org/overview.HTM. Retrieved 2007-04-17. 
5. ^ "Investors revive Chandamama". 1999-09-22. http://www.rediff.com/business/1999/sep/22chand1.htm. Retrieved 2007-04-17. 

External links

• B Nagi Reddy at IMDB

Persondata
Name	Reddy, B. Nagi
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1912-12-02
Place of birth
Date of death	2004-02-25
Place of death