HYDERABAD: Ramoji Rao the founder of Ramoji Film City and the head of the ETV Network died at 87 while undergoing treatment in Hyderabad on Saturday. He was rushed to Star Hospital in Hyderabad on June 5 after he suffered from high blood pressure and breathlessness, but passed away in the early hours.

His remains were been shifted to his residence at Ramoji Film City and several prominent political leaders and film personalities arrived today to pay last respects. The funeral took place on Sunday in Hyderabad and was attended by thousands of fans, film celebrities and political leaders including Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu who participated in the funeral rituals.

President Droupadi Murmu offered her condolences on the death of Ramoji Rao and said that India has "lost a titan of the media and entertainment sector". PM Narendra Modi also condoled the demise of Rao and recalled his "rich contributions" to the country's media scene. In a tweet on X, PM Modi said, "The passing away of Shri Ramoji Rao Garu is extremely saddening.

Ramoji Rao was a producer of several dozen films and in 1996 he set up the world's largest film production facility Ramoji Film City on the outskirts of Hyderabad spread over 1,666 acres of land which is described as a "city within a city" for housing several film production facilities besides hosting a thematic holiday and recreation centre attracting over 1.5 million tourists every year.

The film city handles about 400-500 films per annum in various Indian languages which are produced in various locations in the vast studio On any given day, it can facilitate 15 shoots in sets such as forests, gardens, bungalows, streets with various setups, temples, hotels, a railway station, an airport, apartment blocks, mansions and workshops etc and has a central kitchen for the various film units shooting at any given point of time. 

The film city has been used in several hit films and currently also has the set used for the films Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) intact with all the statues and props used in the films which are displayed for the visitors. 

He also founded Eenadu the largest circulated Telugu-language daily newspaper of India sold mostly in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.