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Veteran film producer RB Choudary passed away in a road accident in Rajasthan, Rajasthan. On Tuesday afternoon, he was travelling by car after attending a wedding when the vehicle reportedly lost control and crashed into a roadside wall, resulting in his death on the spot.

His mortal remains were brought back to Chennai on Wednesday, and kept at his residence in Mylapore, where several film industry members gathered to pay their final respects.

He is survived by his four sons — Suresh , Jeeva , and actors Jithan Ramesh and Jiiva .

A CAREER SPANNING DECADES
Regarded as one of the most influential producers in South Indian cinema with an instinct for backing stories that balanced emotion and entertainment, Choudary had a career spanning several decades, and bankrolled films across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi, under his banner Super Good Films.

He began his career in film production in the late 1980s with Malayalam films like Adipadam , Layanam and Kalpana House . Though these films failed to create much of an impact, Choudary soon found success when his first Tamil production, Pudhu Vasantham (1990), emerged as a major hit. He subsequently went on to back a steady stream of small and mediumbudget films that were also commercially successful.

FROM VIKRAMAN TO VISHAL, A LONG LIST OF DEBUT DIRECTORS
Choudary earned a reputation for spotting fresh talent and giving several directors their first break in Tamil cinema. The list of filmmakers he introduced includes popular names like Vikraman ( Pudhu Vasantham , 1990), KS Ravikumar ( Puriyada Pudir , 1990), Balasekaran ( Love Today , 1997), Sasi ( Sollamale , 1998), S Ezhil ( Thullatha Manamum Thullum , 1999), Rajakumaran ( Nee Varuvai Ena , 1999), and Lingusamy ( Aanandham , 2001), among others. Vishal is the latest director to debut under his banner, with his upcoming film, Magudam.

A LEGACY OF 99 FILMS
Vishal’s Magudam marks Super Good Films’ 99th production. The producer was keen on putting together a big project as his 100th film and was reportedly in discussions with Vijay to headline it. However, the project did not materialise with the actor announcing his decision to quit films after his political entry.


Directors he launched bid farewell
He was a god-like figure who shaped my journey. I will always be grateful to him — KS Ravikumar

I had pitched Pudhu Vasantham to many production houses, but it was Choudary sir who gave me my break as a director. Even my house is named Pudhu Vasantham . His dream was to make 100 films under his banner — Vikraman

I still remember every single word you told me after my first narration, the tears in your eyes meant everything to me. From that moment to our many conversations that followed, up until the last one where you kept talking about that “final film”… it’s been a journey I never wanted to end — Lingusamy

He believed in me when I had nothing but a script. Many producers focus on stars, but for directors like us, the script is everything, and he trusted that. In my early days, when I was unsure of becoming a director, my only strength was faith in God and Choudary sir’s support. His encouragement gave me confidence. Even the title of my first film was his suggestion. He wasn’t just a producer with resources, but someone who truly nurtured talent and ideas — Sasi

The producer who propped up Vijay’s early career
Choudary played a pivotal role in shaping Vijay’s career during its formative years. It was with his production Poove Unakkaga (1996) that the actor-turnedpolitician delivered his first major hit, and built a boynext-door image among family audiences having until then banked on youthful, glamourdriven films.
While films like Love Today and Shahjahan strengthened Vijay’s romantic hero image, Thulladha Manamum Thullum helped him build a strong fan base in Kerala. Later, Thirupaachi arrived at a crucial phase in the actor’s career, supporting his transition into a full-fledged mass action star.

Their final collaboration was Jilla (2014), which notably brought the actor together on screen with Malayalam superstar Mohanlal.