Speaking at the success meet of his banner's six films released this year, Dil Raju on Monday got emotional while recalling the incident of his wife's death.

"I was in America overseeing the making of 'Fidaa'. As soon as I came to know the news (of my wife's death), my mind was blank. I didn't know where my journey would be from that point onwards. If I have been able to stay afloat, it's because of the moral support that my friends and directors have given me. Vamsi (Paidipally), my friend Surendra and Prakash Raj garu were there with me during those 12 days. They boosted my morale and motivated me to keep going. There is no me without such friends. I am happy for Vamsi and Venu Sriram especially because they were very low when 'Munna' and 'Oh My Friend' (respectively) didn't do well and today, they are standing here," he said, his voice choking with emotion.

"The reason behind the six hits ('Shatamanam Bhavati', 'Nenu Local', 'DJ', 'Fidaa', 'Raja The Great' and 'MCA') this year has been our directors and their teams. My staff has been working day in and day out for 365 days. They haven't taken a holiday in the last one year. It was in 1987 that my journey started," he said.

"Ten years later, I was lucky to distribute 'Pelli Pandiri', a film that changed my life. Not many know that there was a time when I didn't have the money to buy a film as a distributor. Before the release date, I had to collect monies from various sources so that I can pay my dues. After 'Pelli Pandiri', I got to distribute the films of Ratnam garu and hits like 'Toli Prema'," he recalled.

"When I teamed up with VV Vinayak garu for 'Dil', it was a great experience. I have since introduced directors like Boyapati, Bhaskar, Vamsi, Srikanth Addala and Venu Sriram. With my distributors, the relationship that I have is not money-oriented. I am a producer who likes to know the reaction of people first-hand. I gauge the reactions of my team and others while they watch a movie," he said.