Krishna bounced back with his lavishly made home production Paadi Pantalu in 1976. The film, which dealt with several contemporary agrarian issues, was a runaway hit at the box office.
His performance in Raja Rajeswari Vilas Coffee Club – his second film under the Vijaya banner – was also successful. A third film produced by Krishna in that year was the moderately successful Rama Rajyamloo Raktha Paasam.
Aside from his production work and his acting in those self-produced films, he also acted in Kolleti Kapuram, Bhalee Dongalu and Devudee Gelichaadu during 1976.
It was in 1976 that Krishna also announced that he was to produce Kurukhestram. This surprised N. T. Rama Rao, who also wanted to make a movie calledDaana Veera Sura Karna based on the epic. The relationship between the two legendary actors was strained further when Krishna expressed his inability to drop his project and both started producing their films at a frenetic pace. Both the films were successful. Krishna’s good run at the box office continued with Saavaasagallu and the actor further penetrated into the urban mass segment with the super-hit film Dongalaku Donga.
Between the years 1978 and 1986, Krishna acted in several hit films such as Anna Dammula Sawaal, Kumara Raja, Agent Gopi and other commercially successful films such as Indradanassu and Allari Bulloodu. Six of his films fared very well in 1979, while Viyyalavaari Kayyaalu, Mandeegundelu, Hema-Heemeelu, Kottha Alludu and Burripalem Bulloodu were other commercially successful films in Krishna’s repertoire.
Krishna also scored big against all his competitors when his Ooriki Monagaadu became the biggest hit among all films released during Sankranthi in 1981. 1982 was another eventful year in his life and he started it with the super-hit film Bangaaru Bhoomi, which was an improvisation of his Paadipantalu. Towards the end of the year, Krishna became the fastest to complete 200 films in a lead role. He also became a studio owner and produced Eeenaadu as its maiden venture. A string of successful films such as Mundhadugu, Kiraayi Kotigaadu, Adavi Simhaalu, Sekthi and Prajaarajyam catapulted him to the top position in 1983. Krishna’s reign at the box office continued in 1984 with films such as Iddharu Dongalu, Bangaaru Kaapuram, Mukyamanthri and the lavishly made Kanchukaagada. Krishna’s career was at its pinnacle in 1985. He acted in swashbuckling hits such as Agniparvatham, Palnati Simham and Vajrayudham in that year. Krishna’s fantastic portrayal of the larger than life characters created by the writer duo Paruchuri Brothers helped these films have spectacular runs at the box office. He also acted in other hit films such as Suryachandra, Pacchani Kapuram and Mahasangramam, with his peer Sobhan Babu. Krishna started 1986 on a low key as audiences turned down both his early releases Krishnagaaradi and Brahmasthram. He then produced his debut directorial ventures Simhasanam and Shankharavam.
Khaidhi Rudrayya was another smash-hit musical in his career and the film created several records at the box office. The Superstar continued his slugfest according to his political beliefs by satirising some of the policies of the Telugu Desam Party in his home production Naa Pilupee Prabhanjanam. Disgruntled supporters and leaders of this regional Party protested against the screening of this film in several places. But their ruckuses generated more publicity for it and helped the film succeed. Though Krishna starred in the record-breaking Muddayi, and in other hits such as Dongodocchaadu and Thandri Kodukula Challenge. His elder son Ramesh Babu debuted as a full-fledged actor with Samraat. 1988 was another mediocre year in his professional life because only four (Kaliyuga Karnudu, Aswaddhama, Rowdy No 1 and Mugguru Kodukulu of his ten releases had average runs. The next year, however, he has acted in successful films such as Koduku Diddina Kapuram, Saahasamee Naa Oopiri, Gudachari 117 and Goondaarajyam.
1990 started with average fares; Nagaasthram and Anna Thammudu. Krishna took his longest break from work after Raktha Tharpanam, his last directorial venture in Telugu, tanked at the marquee. Ramesh’s failure to capitalize on his blockbuster Bazaar Rowdy would have presumably upset him further during those unsettling times.
In 1993, he came back strongly with the unexpected super-success of Pacchani Samsaaram. But it was Varasudu his second release in the year, which made him the cynosure of the film fraternity again. With the films Number 1 (1994) and Amma Donga (1995) he had other thumping successes. Krishna also directed the Hindi film Isha hai Tumse (2004) produced by Padmalaya Tele films, starring Dino Morea and Bipasa Basu, which is the remake of the Telugu film Sampangi in the year 2004.[
Andhra University felicitated Mr. Krishna with an honorary doctorate in 2008. For the recognition of his contribution to the Telugu film industry as an actor, director, producer, and writer government of India gave him Padma Bhushan in 2009.
