Popular director Yoganand passes away

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Popular director of yester years Dasari Yoganand died of chest pain in Chennai on November 23. He is 84 and is survived by his wife Hanumayamma, two sons and three daughters. Hanumayamma is the daughter of the then artiste Srivatsa (The one who played Sri Krishnadevarayalu in 'Malleeswari'). Yoganand hailing from Ponnuru of Guntur district, he was brought up in Chennai. He participated in the freedom movement along with Prativadi Bhayankarachari. Later, he entered the film industry and worked as an assistant with Ramabrahmam and LV Prasad. Yoganand got a debut chance to direct the first film on LV Prasad's banner 'Ammalakkalu'. He was the roommate of the late NT Rama Rao and the then popular music director TV Raju.

With great intimacy, he had directed some 17 films of NT Ramarao. His second film is from NAT banner - Thodu Dongalu' Later, he directed more than 50 successful movies including Ilavelpu, Kodalu Diddina Kapuram, Ummadi Kutumbam, Muganomu, Jai Jawan, Vemulavada Bheema Kavi, Kadhanayakuni Kadha, Dabbuku Lokam Dasoham Jayasimha, Vadeveedu, Thodu Dongalu, Thikka Shankarayya and Pelli Sandadi. He bagged the President's Award for his tri-lingual film Partheeban Kanavu produced in Telugu, Tamil and Sinhala languages. His film Ummadi Kutumbam was screened in Masco Film Festival on behalf of the Government of India. He had several other awards to his credit from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu governments. His last film is Charitra Nayakan in which Sivaji Ganeshan and Prabhu played the lead produced by Ramakrishna Cine Studios. He worked as Director of Films in the Film Development Corporation between 1989-91, when NT Rama Rao was the chief minister.

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