George Reddy
Quick Facts
Biography
George Reddy (15 January 1947 – 14 April 1972) was a research student in physics at Osmania University, in Hyderabad Telangana India who was found dead in a student hostel. The event led to the formation of the Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU), a student body on the campus of the university that took its name from the PDS imprint that he had used when publishing pamphlets.
He was a university student, remembered now primarily for his promotion of Marxist ideas and his opposition to social discrimination and economic inequality. According to a student friend, he was inspired by "the emerging Black Panthers, as started in 1966 movement in the US, the Vietnamese people's struggle against US imperialism and the peasant uprisings in Naxalbari and Srikakulam." Reddy was killed in an attack at his college campus on 14 April 1972.
At an event in 2012 marking the fortieth anniversary of his death, in presence of some media channels, a short documentary film about his life, titled Crisis on the Campus, was premiered and also a book titled Reminiscences of George Reddy.
A 152-pages book named Jeena Hai To Marna Seekho: The Life and Times of George Reddy written by Gita Ramaswamy was published in 2016 by Hyderabad Book Trust.
There is also a Telugu film released with his name George Reddy in 2019.
Popular culture
- Crisis on the Campus (1971) Directed by Fali Bilimoria Short documentary film premiered in event of his fortieth death anniversary 2012.
- The 1990 movie Alajadi, played by Bhanu Chander, is based on his life.
- Mani Ratnam's movie, Aaytha Ezhuthu was loosely based on his story and Suriya played his character.
- Book Reminiscences of George Reddy's released in 2012.
- Jeena Hai To Marna Seekho: The Life and Times of George Reddy by Gita Ramaswamy Published in 2016.
- A biopic based on George's life titled George Reddy released in 2019, which was directed by B. Jeevan Reddy and Sandeep Madhav played title role.