Doondi

Doondi
పోతిన డూండేశ్వరరావు (డూండీ)
Born
Pothina Doondeswara Rao

(1932-06-09)9 June 1932
Vijayawada, British India
(now Andhra Pradesh, India)
Died1 January 2007(2007-01-01) (aged 74)
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
NationalityIndian
OccupationFilm producer
SpousePothina Lakshmi

Pothina Doondeswara Rao (9 June 1932 – 1 January 2007), popularly known as Doondi or Dhoondy , was an Indian film producer and director noted for his work in Telugu cinema. His career spanned from the 1950s to the mid-1970s, during which he produced over 60 films in Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, and Tamil languages.[1] In 2005, Doondi served as the Chairman of the Nandi Awards Committee.[2]

Doondi’s father, Pothina Srinivasa Rao, was the founder of Maruthi Talkies, the first cinema hall in Andhra Pradesh, which began operations in 1921. Doondi produced notable films such as Rakta Sambandham (1962), Bandipotu (1963), Veerabhimanyu (1965), Gudachari 116 (1966), Marapurani Katha (1967) and Chelleli Kosam (1968). Gudachari 116 was particularly influential, introducing the spy genre to Telugu cinema and elevating actor Krishna to stardom.[1]

In addition to his work in Telugu cinema, Doondi played a significant role in the careers of actors in other languages. He helped stabilize the careers of Hindi actors like Jeetendra and Amitabh Bachchan through successful remakes of southern films.[3]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Nandi awards for 2005 announced". The Hindu. 12 November 2006.
  3. ^ Kumar, K. Naresh (9 June 2020). "The man whose family owned the first cinema theatre of AP". The Hans India. Retrieved 4 September 2024.