The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : L.V. Prasad -- luminary of all times

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 06, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

L.V. Prasad -- luminary of all times

Staff Reporter

Commemorative postage stamp released on the cinema doyen commemorative postal stamp on the cinema doyen

FITTING TRIBUTE: Cine star Kamal Haasan flanked by Union Ministers Shakeel Ahmad and Dasari Narayana Rao near a cut-out of a commemorative stamp on L.V. Prasad in the city on Tuesday. — PHOTO: SATISH H.

HYDERABAD: "He gave me my break with Ek Duje Ke Liye. I learnt to love cinema from him. And I had the audacity to ask him to work in my movie - Rajapaarvai --, which he did," said Kamal Haasan the movie star of L.V. Prasad, the doyen of cinema.

The star was among prominent people present at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre here on Tuesday, where Shakeel Ahmad, Union Minister of State for Communications and IT, released a commemorative postal stamp on L.V. Prasad. Interestingly, the occasion coincided with the golden jubilee of Prasad Group, the entertainment major.

Prominent speakers, including Dr. Shakeel Ahmad, Union Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayana Rao, Health Minister K. Rosaiah and media baron Ramoji Rao said people needed to emulate L.V. Prasad's example.

Humble beginning

They recalled that he had started his life landing up in erstwhile Bombay with just Rs. 100 in pocket, his wife and a child and climbed up the ladder to reach the heights of glory.

Ramesh Prasad, chairman of Prasad Group and son of the Dada Saheb Phalke awardee, said launched in 1956, the company had been a fore-runner in entertainment and now L.V. Prasad's children and grand-children were continuing to take his legacy forward.

Eye hospital

The only non-film activity of the group, he said, was L.V. Prasad Eye Institute and even in that the doyen was of the opinion that he needed to do his bit to take care of the eyes that saw and appreciated cinema.

He had the audience in splits when he said that while his father succeeded with hard work and perseverance in just about everything he desired, he could not see his son (Ramesh Prasad) become a movie actor. "I only had a small role in one film. My father failed there," he said to enthusiastic applause. Prominent among those present were film producers --D.V.S. Raju, D. Rama Naidu and Chief Post-Master General Yashodara Menon.

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