<p class="title">Prominent Telugu film director-producer Vijaya Bapineedu, who gave several hits to megastar Chiranjeevi, passed away here on Tuesday. He was 83. The film-maker has been keeping indifferent health for some days.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His cremation is planned for Thursday after his elder daughter, who lives in America, arrives, they said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Bapineedu hails from West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh. He made films with Chiranjeevi, Sobhan Babu, Krishna and other leading heroes of yesteryear.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His movie 'Gang Leader' starring Chiranjeevi was a blockbuster. It was successfully remade in Hindi as 'Aaj ka Goondaraj' with Chiranjeevi in the lead.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Bapineedu's other films with Chiranjeevi include 'Big Boss', 'Khaidi no 786' and 'Maga Dheerudu'.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chiranjeevi paid homage to Bapineedu and recalled that the departed soul had treated him like a younger brother or son.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Today is a very bad day for me. I feel as if I lost a family member," Chiranjeevi told reporters.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Bapineedu was insistent on doing films only with me as he could not feel comfortable working with others after having worked with me," Chiranjeevi said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said he had stayed at Bapineedu's residence when he had shifted to Hyderabad from Chennai.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Bapineedu gifted an elephant to me, that symbolised his affection for me," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao also condoled the death of Bapineedu.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Bapineedu made a mark for himself in the Telugu film industry and his contribution would be remembered forever, Rao said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Bapineedu was also a writer and journalist as he successfully ran a few publications, including magazines.</p>
<p class="title">Prominent Telugu film director-producer Vijaya Bapineedu, who gave several hits to megastar Chiranjeevi, passed away here on Tuesday. He was 83. The film-maker has been keeping indifferent health for some days.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His cremation is planned for Thursday after his elder daughter, who lives in America, arrives, they said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Bapineedu hails from West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh. He made films with Chiranjeevi, Sobhan Babu, Krishna and other leading heroes of yesteryear.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His movie 'Gang Leader' starring Chiranjeevi was a blockbuster. It was successfully remade in Hindi as 'Aaj ka Goondaraj' with Chiranjeevi in the lead.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Bapineedu's other films with Chiranjeevi include 'Big Boss', 'Khaidi no 786' and 'Maga Dheerudu'.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Chiranjeevi paid homage to Bapineedu and recalled that the departed soul had treated him like a younger brother or son.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Today is a very bad day for me. I feel as if I lost a family member," Chiranjeevi told reporters.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Bapineedu was insistent on doing films only with me as he could not feel comfortable working with others after having worked with me," Chiranjeevi said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said he had stayed at Bapineedu's residence when he had shifted to Hyderabad from Chennai.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Bapineedu gifted an elephant to me, that symbolised his affection for me," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao also condoled the death of Bapineedu.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Bapineedu made a mark for himself in the Telugu film industry and his contribution would be remembered forever, Rao said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Bapineedu was also a writer and journalist as he successfully ran a few publications, including magazines.</p>