C. Aswani Dutt | |
---|---|
Born | Chalasani Aswani Dutt 15 September 1950 Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India |
Occupation | Film producer |
Organization | Vyjayanthi Movies |
Political party | Telugu Desam Party |
Spouse | Vinaya Kumari |
Children | 3 including Swapna Dutt, Priyanka Dutt |
Awards | National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu - Mahanati (2018) |
Chalasani Aswani Dutt (also spelled Ashwini Dutt; born 15 September 1950) is an Indian film producer known for his work in the Telugu cinema. [1] [2] He established the film production company Vyjayanthi Movies in 1974, one of the biggest production houses in the Telugu film industry. In a career spanning nearly five decades, he has produced over 40 films with a majority of them in Telugu and a few in Hindi and Tamil languages. [3] [4] [5] He is known for producing big-budget films that have lavish production values. [6]
He also contested for the Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency in the year 2004 General Elections as a Telugu Desam Party candidate.
Aswani Dutt was born into a well-to-do family in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. His father was a contractor and the sole distributor for Kalinga Pipes in the state for many years. He completed his graduation. [7] Jandhyala, who would later go on to become a noted film director and screenwriter, was Aswani Dutt's childhood friend. They were classmates from fourth standard till their graduation and lived in neighbouring houses. [8] [9]
He has three daughters — Priyanka Dutt, Swapna Dutt and Sravanthi Dutt. [6] Priyanka is married to film director Nag Ashwin who previously directed the film Yevade Subramanyam (2015). [10]
Dutt started his film career as an executive producer for the black-and-white film O Seetha Katha (1974) directed by K. Viswanath. [7] [11] He wanted to produce a film with his favourite actor N. T. Rama Rao (NTR) and approached him. [12] Named by NTR after the garland which is in Lord Krishna’s neck, Vyjayanthi Movies commenced production, under the proprietorship of Aswani Dutt. [13] [11] The logo of the production house contains the image of NTR as Lord Sri Krishna, with a Sankha in his hand and Earth behind him. [13] [14] The first film produced under Vyjayanthi Movies banner was Eduruleni Manishi (1975) starring NTR and Vanisri. [11]
The production house went on to make films with the biggest stars of Telugu cinema: NTR, ANR, Krishna, Sobhan Babu, Krishnam Raju, Chiranjeevi, Balakrishna, Nagarjuna, Venkatesh, Pawan Kalyan, Mahesh Babu, Ram Charan, Jr. NTR, Prabhas. They also worked with Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, and Dulquer Salman. [5] [15] [16] Many of the films produced by Vyjayanthi Movies were directed by K. Bapayya and K. Raghavendra Rao.
Vyjayanthi Movies also has subsidiary banners — Three Angels Studio, Swapna Cinema run by Aswani Dutt's daughters Swapna Dutt and Priyanka Dutt. Of late, his daughters take care of the production part of the films produced by their production house, while the music is handled Aswani Dutt. [17]
Vyjayanthi Movies had a successful run until it hit a rough patch with Sakthi in 2011. After this, Aswani Dutt took a seven-year hiatus. He produced Mahanati in 2018 which became one of the highest-grossing films of the year. [6]
Dutt mentions Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990) as his most favourite among all the films that he produced. [11]
After the success of Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990), Dutt wanted to do fantasy film highlighting the CGI. So a film titled Bhooloka Veerudu was started in the direction of Singeetam Srinivasa Rao with Chiranjeevi in the lead role. After completing two schedules, they realized that they didn't have a proper story in hand and hence shelved the film. [7]
Ram Gopal Varma narrated a story to Aswani Dutt which he liked. Varma was making Daud at that time and felt that the shooting of Daud might be stalled due to Sanjay Dutt's legal issues. So Varma narrated the story to Aswani Dutt and Chiranjeevi which they liked. [7] Aswani Dutt started the project with Chiranjeevi as the lead in the direction of Ram Gopal Varma. [18] After Sanjay Dutt's release, the shooting of Daud resumed. Then Aswani Dutt realized that the storylines for these two films are similar. As he was not comfortable in doing a film which had the same storyline to another film, he stalled the project. [7]
Films produced under Vyjayanti Movies banner.
Year | Film | Notes |
---|---|---|
1975 | Eduruleni Manishi | Debut in Telugu cinema |
1978 | Yuga Purushudu | |
1981 | Guru Sishyulu | |
1983 | Adavi Simhalu | |
1985 | Agni Parvatam | |
1986 | Brahma Rudrulu | |
1988 | Aakhari Poratam | |
1990 | Jagadeka Veerudu Atiloka Sundari | |
1992 | Aswamedham | |
1994 | Govinda Govinda | |
Subhalagnam | ||
1998 | Choodalani Vundi | |
1999 | Rajakumarudu | |
Ravoyi Chandamama | ||
2000 | Azad | |
2001 | Premakke Sai | Debut in Kannada cinema |
2002 | Company | Debut in Hindi cinema |
Indra | ||
2005 | Balu ABCDEFG | |
Subhash Chandra Bose | ||
Jai Chiranjeeva | ||
2006 | Sainikudu | |
2007 | Chirutha | |
2008 | Kathanayakudu | Made simultaneously with Kuselan |
Kantri | ||
2011 | Shakthi | |
2018 | Mahanati | |
Devadas | ||
2019 | Maharshi | |
2022 | Sita Ramam | |
2024 | Kalki 2898 AD | |
Swapna Cinema
Release Year | Film Name |
---|---|
2001 | Student No.1 |
2002 | Okato Number Kurraadu |
2015 | Yevade Subramanyam |
2018 | Mahanati |
2021 | Jathi Ratnalu |
2022 | Sita Ramam |
2023 | Anni Manchi Sakunamule |
Raghavendra Movie Corporation, Siri Media Arts, and United Producers (Aswani Dutt, Allu Aravind, and K. Raghavendra Rao) [7]
Release Year | Film Name |
---|---|
1996 | Pelli Sandadi |
1997 | Mere Sapno Ki Rani (Hindi) |
1998 | Paradesi |
Ninaithen Vandhai (Tamil) | |
2003 | Pellam Oorelithe |
Gangotri | |
Calcutta Mail (Hindi) | |
2004 | Intlo Srimathi Veedhilo Kumari |
Sri Priyanka Pictures
Release Year | Film Name |
---|---|
1994 | Subhalagnam |
Roja Art Productions
Release Year | Film Name |
---|---|
1983 | Jaani Dost (Hindi) |
Konidela Chiranjeevi is an Indian actor, politician and philanthropist known primarily for his work in Telugu cinema. Widely regarded as one of the most successful and influential actors in the history of Indian cinema, he has starred in over 150 feature films. Chiranjeevi has received numerous honours, including the Padma Bhushan in 2006 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2024 from the Government of India, as well as the IFFI Indian Film Personality of the Year Award in 2022. His accolades include Andhra Pradesh's highest film honour, the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, three Nandi Awards, and nine Filmfare Awards South, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2013, CNN-IBN recognized him as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema".
Indra is a 2002 Indian Telugu-language action drama film directed by B. Gopal and produced by C. Aswani Dutt under Vyjayanthi Movies banner. The film stars Chiranjeevi, Aarthi Agarwal, and Sonali Bendre while Mukesh Rishi, Sivaji, and Prakash Raj play supporting roles with music composed by Mani Sharma. The film won three state Nandi Awards and two Filmfare Awards South with Chiranjeevi winning both the Nandi Award for Best Actor and Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu.
Yalamanchili Venkata Satyanarayana Chowdary is an Indian Telugu cinema writer, director, producer, distributor, exhibitor and a music company owner. He made his debut as a director in 1998 with the film Sri Sita Ramula Kalyanam Chootamu Raarandi produced by Nagarjuna under the banner "Great India Entertainments". He then directed Seetharama Raju starring Nagarjuna and Nandamuri Harikrishna, and Yuvaraju starring Mahesh Babu. He then established his own production house "Bommarillu Vari" and started producing his own directorial efforts with Lahiri Lahiri Lahirilo. Later, he directed Seetayya, Devadasu, Okka Magaadu, Saleem, Rey. Among these, Saleem is the only film which is not from his production house. He has directed nine films till date. In 2012, he produced Nippu starring Ravi Teja and Deeksha Seth under the direction of Gunasekhar.
Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema besides having directed a few Hindi films. He has garnered four state Nandi Awards and five Filmfare Awards South. In a film career spanning more than four decades, Rao has directed more than a hundred feature films across multiple genres such as romantic comedy, fantasy, melodrama, action thriller, biographical and romance films.
Vyjayanthi Movies is an Indian film production company established in 1974 by C. Aswani Dutt. It is one of the biggest film production houses in Telugu cinema. Vyjayanthi Movies is especially known for its big-budget productions with top movie stars and lavish production values. It is credited with producing some of the most iconic films in Telugu cinema. Its subsidiaries, Swapna Cinema and Three Angels Studio, are run by Aswani Dutt's daughters, Swapna Dutt and Priyanka Dutt.
Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari, also known by the initialism JVAS, is a 1990 Indian Telugu-language fantasy film directed by K. Raghavendra Rao who co-wrote the script with Jandhyala and Yandamuri Veerendranath. The film stars Chiranjeevi and Sridevi while Amrish Puri, Kannada Prabhakar, Allu Ramalingaiah and Rami Reddy play supporting roles. The film is produced by C. Aswani Dutt on Vyjayanthi Movies banner. The plot revolves around a man who finds a ring that gives the bearer great power, but the goddess who lost the ring seeks it back to return to her world.
Anji is a 2004 Indian Telugu-language fantasy action-adventure film directed by Kodi Ramakrishna. The film stars Chiranjeevi in the title role along with Namrata Shirodkar, Tinnu Anand and Nagendra Babu. It is produced by Shyam Prasad Reddy on M. S. Art Movies banner. The film has music composed by Mani Sharma with cinematography by Chota K. Naidu. At an estimated budget of ₹25–30 crore, it was the most expensive Telugu film ever made at the time of its release.
Raavoyi Chandamama is a 1999 Indian Telugu-language romance film directed by Jayanth C. Paranjee. It stars Nagarjuna, Jagapathi Babu, Anjala Zhaveri, Keerthi Reddy, and the music was composed by Mani Sharma. The film was produced by C. Aswani Dutt under the Vyjayanthi Movies banner. The film's title is based on a song from Missamma (1955). Raavoyi Chandamama was not commercially successful.
Jandhyala Subrahmanya Sastry, known mononymously by his surname Jandhyala, was an Indian film director, screenwriter, playwright, and actor known for his works in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He is popularly known as Hasya Brahma. In a career spanning more than two decades, he directed over 40 films and wrote the dialogue for more than 300 films. He won three state Nandi Awards one each for Best Director, Best Story Writer, and Best Dialogue Writer and one Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu. The Hindu referred to him as the 'King of Comedy in Tollywood'.
Yandamuri Veerendranath is an Indian novelist and screenwriter known for his works in the Telugu language. He influences younger generations with his socially relevant writings and YouTube videos. In his writings he addresses many of social problems in India like poverty, prejudices, and superstitions, and encourages people to be socially responsible. He successfully bridges the idealistic and the popular styles of literature. He is also a Chartered Accountant by qualification.
Kantri is a 2008 Indian Telugu-language action film written and directed by Meher Ramesh, a protégé of director Puri Jagannadh and who had earlier worked on Kannada films. Jr. NTR, Hansika Motwani, and Tanisha Mukherjee star in the lead roles, while Prakash Raj, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukesh Rishi, Sayaji Shinde, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Venu Madhav, Sunil, Brahmanandam, Subbaraju, and Ali play supporting roles. The film has been produced by Vyjayanthi Movies and C. Ashwini Dutt. The film was initially scheduled to release on 28 April 2008. However, it was released 12 days later. The film released on 9 May 2008. Upon release, Kantri received mixed to negative reviews and was utter flop at box office
Richard Rishi is an Indian actor who predominantly appears in Tamil and Telugu films and few Malayalam and Kannada films. He is known for Koottu, A Film by Aravind and his subsequent movies with director Mohan G, namely Draupathi and Rudra Thandavam.
Aswamedham is a 1992 Telugu-language action film directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars Nandamuri Balakrishna, Shobhan Babu, Meena, Nagma and music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. It was produced by C. Aswani Dutt under the Vyjayanthi Movies banner. The film was not commercially successful.
Priyanka Dutt Chalasani is an Indian film producer known for her work in Telugu cinema. She is the daughter of C. Ashwini Dutt, a well known Indian film producer and the founder of Vyjayanthi Movies.
Swapna Dutt Chalasani is an Indian film producer known for her work in Telugu cinema. She is the daughter of C. Ashwini Dutt, a well-known Indian film producer and the founder of Vyjayanthi Movies.
Eduruleni Manishi is a 1975 Telugu-language action film directed by K. Bapayya. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Vanisri, with music composed by K. V. Mahadevan. This film is the debut of Aswini Dutt's Vyjayanthi Movies banner in the film industry. It is a remake of the Hindi film Johny Mera Naam (1970). The film's title was later used as the title of Rama Rao's memoir, by his wife Lakshmi Parvathi.
The SIIMA Award for Best Film – Telugu is presented by Vibri media group as part of its annual South Indian International Movie Awards for Telugu films. The award was first given in 2012 for films released in 2011.
Mallidi Venkata Narayana Reddy, professionally known as Mallidi Vassishta, is an Indian film director, writer and actor, who works in Telugu cinema. He is the son of film producer Mallidi Satyanarayana Reddy.
Vishwambhara Part 1 : the Artifact is an upcoming Indian Telugu-language fantasy film written and directed by Mallidi Vassishta and produced by UV Creations. The film stars Chiranjeevi, Trisha Krishnan, Meenakshi Chaudhary and Ashika Ranganath in lead roles.
Rakesh Varre is an Indian actor and producer who works in Telugu cinema. He played negative roles in some films including the Baahubali film series, before making his lead debut in Evvarikee Cheppoddu (2019).
Aswini Dutt, who is been[sic] one of the most consistent and successful film producer during spanning period over 27 years ....
Aswini Dutt, the man behind Telugu Cinema's one of the prestigious banners - Vyjayanthi Movies, is a senior most producer of Telugu film industry. He has produced blockbusters with all the stars of Telugu Cinema ranging from NTR to Taraka Rathnaa.
Vyjayanthi Movies, known for big budget and lavish productions had a successful run, till it hit a rough patch with Shakti in 2011.
The late Jandhyala, who Ashwini Dutt informs, was his classmate from Kindergarten to SSLC, worked wonders with his trademark humour in the dialogues.
Aswini Dutt, the man behind Telugu Cinema's one of the prestigious banners - Vyjayanthi Movies, is a senior most producer of Telugu film industry. He has produced blockbusters with all the stars of Telugu Cinema ranging from NTR to NTR.