Allu Studios inaugural in Hyderabad
The prominent Allu family in Tollywood on Thursday announced that they were opening up a new studio in Hyderabad, in memory of Allu Ramalingaiah, one of the most renowned actors of his time in the Telugu film industry.
"October 1 marks the 99th birth anniversary of our beloved Sri Allu Ramalingaiah. To commemorate the occasion and honour his memory, the Allu family has inaugurated the construction work of Allu Studios. Our entire family has loved cinema and it makes us very happy to celebrate the legacy of our grandfather. We proudly dedicate Allu Studios to his loving memory," the family said in a statement.
The family includes Ramalingaiah's son and producer Allu Aravind, whose sons Allu Arjun and Allu Sirish are actors. With this, the Allu family joins other families in Tollywood which also operate their own production houses and studios.
Ramanaidu Studios, founded by Daggubati Ramanaidu in 1964, is one of the largest ones in the city. Annapurna Studios was founded by Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR) in 1975. It was named after Nageswara Rao's wife Annapurna. The 22-acre studio sees several films being shot there and is also the current location for the sets of Bigg Boss Telugu season 4.
Ramoji Film City at the outskirts of Hyderabad was established by media baron Ramoji Rao in the year 1996 and is a popular tourist attraction in Hyderabad. The shooting for
Baahubali was done there.
A Padma Shri recipient, Dr Allu Rama Lingaiah was born in 1921 and starred in over a thousand films, mostly doing comic roles. His performances in films like the cult hit Maya Bazaar are still recalled fondly by fans.
His son, Allu Aravind, founded a production company, Geetha Arts, in 1972. Ramalingaiah's daughter, Surekha, is married to Chiranjeevi, one of Telugu cinema's biggest stars.
Watch : Allu Rama Lingaiah in Maya Bazaar movie