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| Ramu | |
|---|---|
 Part of the Ramu from the air | |
 Location of the Ramu River | |
| Location | |
| Country | Papua New Guinea |
| Region | Madang Province |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Kratke Range, Papua New Guinea |
| Mouth | |
• location | Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea |
• coordinates | 4°1′S 144°40′E / 4.017°S 144.667°E |
| Length | 640 km (400 mi) |
| Basin size | 18,720 km2 (7,230 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 1,500 m3/s (53,000 cu ft/s) |
| • maximum | 5,000 m3/s (180,000 cu ft/s) |
The Ramu River is a major river in northern Papua New Guinea. The headwaters of the river are formed in the Kratke Range from where it then travels about 640 km (398 mi) northwest to the Bismarck Sea.
Along the Ramu's course, it receives numerous tributaries from the Bismarck Range to the south and the Finisterre and Adelbert.
History
[edit]For many millennia, people have lived along the river, and the river has formed the basis for food, transport, and culture.
German exploration
[edit]The area encompassed by the Ramu was part of Kaiser-Wilhelmsland when Germany established German New Guinea in 1884. The Germans were quick to explore their territory, and the mouth of the Ramu was discovered in 1886 by Vice-Admiral Freiherr von Schleinitz after returning to Finschhafen from an expedition to the nearby Sepik.[1] Schleinitz called the Ramu, Ottilien after his ship the Ottilie.[1]
The course of the river was first discovered 10 years later in 1896 after Dr Carl Lauterbach, a botanist, led an expedition organised by the German New Guinea Company (Neu Guinea Kompagnie) to find the headwaters of the Markham River.[2] After crossing the Ortzen Mountains from Astrolabe Bay south of Madang, Lauterbach's party, instead of finding the Markham, found an unknown river flowing northwest. The party canoed along a section before their supplies dwindled; they returned to the coast retracing their route.[2]
Another German explorer, Ernst Tappenbeck, who had accompanied Lauterbach previously, led the first expedition to ascend the Ramu in 1898. Tappenbeck was charged with discovering whether the Ottilien found in 1886 was the same river Lauterbech had found. He was accompanied by former Prussian Army officers, a Kompagnie official and an Australian gold prospector Robert Phillip, and travelled in the Neu Guinea Kompagnie steamer Herzog Johann Albrecht.[3]
After five days of journey up the Ramu, Tappenbeck left his companions at a well-stocked camp when river water levels fell. He returned four and half months later in another steamer, Herzogin Elisabeth, and the party managed to navigate 190 mi (310 km) upstream and go farther still by canoe.[3] By the end of 1898, the expedition had established a station on the river, mapped it and tributaries, and made a large botanical collection.[3]
Further explorations for gold and botanical specimens were conducted by the Germans. In 1902, Hans Klink and J. Schlenzig established a new Ramu station that was later connected by a bridle track to the coast.[4] Dr R. Schlecter led another expedition in 1902 in search of gutta-percha trees.[4] Then in 1907, Austrian explorer Wilhelm Dammköhler led an expedition up the Markham Valley and linked the headwaters of the Markham River with the Ramu for the first time.[4]
Australian administration and Second World War
[edit]
After the First World War, German New Guinea passed over to Australian control and became the Territory of New Guinea. The Ramu reverted to its local name during this time.
In 1936, Briton, Lord Moyne, ventured up the Ramu during an expedition to Indonesia and New Guinea. Moyne discovered a race of pygmy-like people inhabiting the middle Ramu region 170 miles (270 km) from the mouth of the river in the Aiome foothills.[5]
During the Second World War in 1942, the Japanese annexed the entire Territory of New Guinea from the Australians. Intense fighting occurred between the Imperial Japanese Army and the Australian and US Armies to recapture New Guinea. During the Finisterre Range campaign in 1943 and 1944, the Ramu Valley became the scene of a major battle.
Hydroelectric plant
[edit]The Ramu flows into Yonki Dam, where it feeds the Ramu 1 power station.
A hydroelectric plant was under construction on the toe of the Yonki Dam, however, construction is currently (May 2011) suspended.
Image gallery
[edit]-
The last 300 or so kilometres of the Ramu as it winds towards the Bismarck -
Ramu and Sepik sediment plumes
References
[edit]
- ^ a b Souter (1963) p. 73
- ^ a b Souter (1963) p. 77
- ^ a b c Souter (1963) p. 78
- ^ a b c Souter (1963) pp. 111-112
- ^ Lord Moyne; Kathleen Haddon (Jul–Dec 1936). "The Pygmies of the Aiome Mountains, Mandated Territory of New Guinea". Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute. 66. Royal Anthropological Institute: 269–290. doi:10.2307/2844082. JSTOR 2844082.
- Souter, Gavin (1963). New Guinea: The Last Unknown. Angus & Robertson. ISBN 0-207-94627-2.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
Early life
Birth and background
Penmetsa Ram Gopal Varma, popularly known as Ramu or RGV, was born on 7 April 1962 in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.[1] He was born to Krishnam Raju Varma and Suryamma (or Suryavathi). His father worked as a sound engineer at Annapurna Studios.[2] Varma completed a degree in civil engineering but pursued his interest in cinema by operating a video rental library in Hyderabad, where he analyzed films and observed audience preferences before entering the film industry.[1]Career
Entry into films
Ram Gopal Varma, after graduating in civil engineering, ran a video rental library in Hyderabad and worked as an assistant director on Telugu films before entering the industry as a director. He made his directorial debut with the Telugu crime thriller Siva (1989), starring Nagarjuna, which was a major commercial and critical success and established his signature intense, realistic style.[1] He remade Siva in Hindi as Shiva (1990), marking his entry into Bollywood.Production and directorial ventures
Varma founded his production banner, Varma Corporation Limited, in the early 1990s and produced films such as Money (1993). He has directed and produced over fifty films across Telugu, Hindi, and occasionally other languages, often handling writing and production roles himself. His work emphasized gritty realism, urban themes, and technical innovation, including early use of advanced sound and camera techniques.[1] He focused on genres like crime, gangster dramas, horror, and political thrillers, frequently introducing new talent and moving away from traditional commercial elements.Notable works and collaborations
Varma gained widespread acclaim with the romantic comedy Rangeela (1995) in Hindi. His landmark crime film Satya (1998), starring Manoj Bajpayee, redefined the Mumbai underworld genre and won multiple awards, including Filmfare Critics Award for Best Film. It is credited with influencing later Indian cinema.[1] He continued with gangster films like Company (2002) and the Sarkar series (2005, 2008, 2017), inspired by real events and figures. In horror, Bhoot (2003) was a major hit, followed by films like Phoonk (2008) and anthologies. Other notable productions include Shool (1999), Ek Hasina Thi (2004), Rakta Charitra (2010), and docudramas like The Attacks of 26/11 (2013) and Killing Veerappan (2016, his Kannada directorial). His prolific output spans decades, shaping modern Indian genre cinema.Personal life
Marriage and family
Ram Gopal Varma was married to Ratna Varma, but they are divorced. They have one daughter, Revathi Varma. Revathi married Pranav in a low-key traditional ceremony in Hyderabad in August 2013. [4] His family life has remained largely private amid his professional commitments in film production. [3] Penmetsa Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) is alive as of 2025 and remains active as a film director, screenwriter, and producer. There is no record of his death. The previous content in this section referred to a different individual, Kannada film producer Ramu (husband of actress Malashri), who died on 26 April 2021 due to COVID-19-related complications.[1]Legacy
Contributions to Kannada cinema
Ram Gopal Varma made his directorial debut in Kannada cinema with the biographical crime docudrama Killing Veerappan in 2016, which depicted the events of Operation Cocoon leading to the death of the bandit Veerappan. The film was commercially successful in Karnataka and received positive reviews for its performances, direction, and technical aspects. [2] His involvement in Kannada cinema remains limited compared to his prolific work in Telugu and Hindi films, with no major production ventures or extensive output in the Sandalwood industry.Filmography
Producer credits
Ram Gopal Varma, popularly known as RGV or Ramu, has produced over 60 films, primarily in Telugu and Hindi cinema, often collaborating on his own directorial projects or backing other directors. His production work spans from the early 1990s and includes crime, horror, and action genres.[5] Notable producer credits (in chronological order, focusing on key films):- Money (1993)
- Rangeela (1995)
- Satya (1998)
- Shool (1999)
- Love Ke Liye Kuchh Bhi Karega (2001)
- Company (2002)
- Bhoot (2003)
- Ek Hasina Thi (2004)
- Ab Tak Chhappan (2004)
- Sarkar (2005)
- Sarkar Raj (2008)
- Rann (2010)
- Rakta Charitra (2010)
- The Attacks of 26/11 (2013)
- Satya 2 (2013)