Bommireddy Nagi Reddy

Bommireddy Nagi Reddy Biography

Bommireddy Nagi Reddy was a leading producer of Telugu movies. He is also known for producing landmark Hindi movie, Julie, which itself is a remake of south Indian flicks. Bommireddy Narasimha Reddy, another producer and director of Telugu movies is his elder brother. They are among those rare siblings who are fortunate enough to get highest prestigious award in Indian cinema – Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the other being Mangeshkar sisters, Lata and Asha. Bommireddy Nagi Reddy was awarded Dadasaheb Phalke Award in the year 1986, while his elder brother received it in the year 1974.

Bommireddy Nagi Reddy, shortly known as B. Nagi Reddy set up Vijaya Vauhini Studios in Chennai, which was then Asia's biggest film studio. Major movies produced by B. Nagi Reddy are Patala Bhairavi (1951), Missamma (1955), Maya Bazaar (1957), Gundamma Katha (1962), Maduve Madinodu (1965-Kannada), Ram Aur Shyam, Shriman Shrimati, Julie (1975), and Swarg Narak (1978). He concentrated in Telugu during early 50’s and 60’s while later on concentrated in Hindi movies as well.

B. Nagi Reddy was born in Mudigubba mandal, Ananthapuram, AP. His association with his friend and partner Alur Chakrapani has given more than 50 films in 5 Indian languages – Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi in 4 decades and they have given mythological films as well as historic and romantic. Screen writer Chakrapani has also associated with him in numerous projects. When Tamil film industry moved out of studios in the 1970s, he closed his production company and moved on to hospitals. Vijaya Hospital and Vijaya Health Centre were started by him during 1970’s. Not only that, with the death of his favourite screenwriter Chakrapani, he lost interest in films and stopped film making.

Similar to his elder brother, Bommireddy Nagi Reddy has received numerous awards and achievements. He received National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada for Maduve Madinodu (1965). Andhra Pradesh Government awarded him Raghupathy Venkaiah award in 1987. Government of Tamil Nadu awarded him the Kalaimamani Award in 1972. He has also received many honorary doctorates.

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Updated: October 24, 2013