'Ankusam' Villain Rami Reddy is no more

Veteran film actor Rami Reddy, popularly called `Ankusam’ Rami Reddy, breathed his last at Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences in Secunderabad on Thursday after a prolonged ailment of the kidneys. The popular and respected actor had been afflicted with a kidney ailment since some time now and the Rami Reddy (52) has wife, two sons and a daughter.

Hailing from Chittoor in Rayalaseema region, Rami Reddy had acted in more than 250 films during his 22-year-long film. He portrayed mostly negative characters, the on-screen villain in Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and Bhojpuri films.  

Before joining the film industry, Rami Reddy worked in an Urdu daily as a journalist. The popular actor got his break in the film industry in 1989 with Kodi Ramakrishna's ‘Ankusam’ starring Dr Rajasekhar and his wife Jeevitha. His portrayal of the villain in that movie was so powerful that he was referred to as ‘Ankusam’ Rami Reddy after the title of the film till his death.

His memorable performances were noted in films like Gayam, Ammoru, Osey Ramulamma, Anaganaga Oka Roju, Kshana Kshanam and Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari. The actor’s last rites would be performed later on Thursday evening at Punjagutta.

The news of the actor’s death sent a wave of shock across the Telugu film industry, with almost all prominent film personalities expressing their shock. “A great loss to the film world,” was the first reaction from all the people who heard the news.

Film actors Tanikella Bharani and comedian Brahmanandam described Rami Reddy as a `true gentleman and villain’ and said that did justice to the roles and characters portrayed by him. Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu too expressed his grief and offered condolences to the family members of Rami Reddy.