Meet Rami Reddy, journalist-turned-actor, popular villain of 90s who was unrecognisable in his last days

Written By DNA Web Team | Updated: Jul 28, 2023, 06:23 AM IST

Image source: File photos

Spot Nana. Colonel Chikara. These two were among the iconic characters Rami Reddy played. But do you know that Rami was not inclined towards cinema? Read on to know more.

An audience member does look upon two major characters in any film, the protagonist (hero) and antagonist (villain). Bollywood has some memorable actors who ruled the silver screen with their villainous performances. Actors such as Amrish Puri, Amjad Khan, Danny Denzongpa, Gulshan Grover, and Prem Chopra are among the few who terrified and entertained the audience with their sinister acts. Among them, there was a badman, who looked like an angel of death. His wide red eyes were more than enough to make you feel scared. Without any dialogue, he would instil fear in the mind of the audience. Such a terrifying on-screen persona Rami Reddy carried. 

Rami Reddy's Early Days

Born on January 1, 1959, Rami Reddy hailed from Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. Rami Reddy's full name was Gangasani Rami Reddy. Interestingly, Rami wasn't inclined towards cinema, and he wanted to become a journalist. Rami completed his graduation in Mass Media (Journalism) from Osmania University, Hyderabad. Soon after his graduation, Rami started working in a newspaper as a full-time journalist, and he used to take interviews of film personalities. 

Rami Reddy's Big Break in Films

One day, Rami went to take the interview of popular Telugu director, Kodi Ramakrishna. The filmmaker was impressed with Rami's personality, and thus he offered him a negative role in his upcoming film. Rami accepted the offer, and he was on board for Ankusam (1990). The blockbuster success of Ankusam carved a career for Rami, and he even reprised his role in Ankusam's Hindi remake, Chiranjeevi-starrer Pratibandh (1990). Just like the original Telugu film, Prathibandh was also a box-office success. Rami's performance in the Hindi version was appreciated and his character, Spot Nana, became one of the popular villains.
 
Rami Reddy- Bollywood's favourite villain in the 90s

After Prathibandh, Rami worked in different languages, but he managed to maintain his popularity in Bollywood as well. His performance in films like Gunda (1998), Khuddaar (1994), Shapath (1997), and Waqt Humara Hai (1994) was appriciated. His character of Colonel Chikara from Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty-starrer Waqt Humara Hai gained cult status. In his career, Rami did more than 200 films in several languages. In the 90s, Rami became a popular face in Bollywood. His impressive filmography includes popular movies such as Andolan (1995), Dilwale (1994), Angrakshak (1995), and Elaan (1994).

Sad Fate of Rami Reddy

Rami Reddy wished to entertain his audience till his last breath. But sadly, in 2010, Rami's health started getting deteriorated When Rami consulted a doctor, he was informed that he is suffering from liver cancer, and it affected his kidneys as well. With each passing day, his health was getting worse, and he was unrecognisable in his final days. Rami bravely fought cancer with his willpower, but sadly, the actor was scummed to death and passed away in Hyderabad on April 14, 2011. Reddy was 52 years old, and he was survived by his wife, a son and two daughters.