Veteran Telugu filmmaker Dasari Narayan Rao, who passed away on Tuesday (May 30) in Hyderabad, had contributed majorly to the Bollywood industry in early 1980's.
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Most of Rao's Hindi movies were social dramas or action films. He has delivered several critically acclaimed Hindi films and a few box office successes as well. Swarg Narak (1978) and Jyoti Bane Jwala (1980) were the two box office hits helmed by Rao. Other popular Hindi films are Asha Jyoti, Aaj Ka MLA Ram Avtar, Yaadgar, Haisiyat and Zakhmi Sher.
Bollywood stars like Rajesh Khanna, Sanjeev Kumar and Jeetendra had worked with Rao in several films. Rao shot to fame with Khanna starrer Aaj Ka MLA Ram Avtar, a hit political comedy, which was a remake of his 1983 Telugu film MLA Yedukondalu.
Later, he again teamed up with Khanna in Asha Jyoti, which was also a hit. The film had Reena Roy and Rekha in female lead roles.
With Jeetendra, Rao has delivered some great movies like Jyoti Bane Jwala, Pyaasa Sawan, Haisiyat, Prem Tapasya and others.
South megastar Rajinikanth had also starred in one of Rao's Hindi film, Wafadar (1985), which tanked at the box office. Post Wafadar's poor business at the box office, the veteran director stayed away from Bollywood except for 1993's Santan.
