Gang Leader helmer no more

Veteran writer, producer and director Vijaya Bapineedu, who was originally named Gutta Bapineedu Chowdary, known for his major contribution to Telugu cinema,  died at the age of 82, on Tuesday morning.  He is known for commercial blockbusters like ‘Gang Leader,’ ‘Khiladi No. 786’ and ‘Magadheerudu’. According to the sources, the director had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for the last four years and was getting treated at the Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad.

He passed away at his residence in Banjara Hills. According to the sources, the last rites will be performed on February 14 at Mahaprasthanam in Hyderabad. When asked why the delay of two days, a member of his family revealed that they are waiting for his elder daughter to arrive from the US, where she lives.In the meantime, several members of the Telugu film industry have send their condolences to the family, Mohan Babu among others to do so.

Born in Eluru in 1936, Bapineedu didn’t start his career in showbiz. Rather, he had initially worked in the Public Health Department following his graduation. Meanwhile, he is also credited for Chiranjeevi’s successful career in films. The two worked in films like ‘Patnam Vacchina Pativratalu,’ ‘Maga Mahaaraju,’ ‘Big Boss’ among others. His last directorial was ‘Kodukulu’ in 1998.