Veteran actor Sarath Babu passed away on Monday noon at a private hospital in Hyderabad. He was 71.
He had been hospitalised in Hyderabad for the last few weeks. The actor was reportedly under treatment for multi-organ damage. It may be noted that on May 3, the actor's family stated that he was on the road to recovery and was subsequently shifted to another ward. However, the actor's health condition worsened, and he breathed his last on Monday.
Sarath Babu, who made his debut in a Telugu film, Rama Rajyam, in 1973, became famous for his work in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi films.
Some of his well-known films include K Viswanath's Sagara Sangamam, Apathbandhavudu and Nagarjuna-starrer Criminal.
He has also starred in a number of Tamil movies alongside superstar Rajinikanth in films including Mullum Malarum, Velaikkaran, Annamalai and Muthu.
The actor with a soft voice was known for his memorable roles including those in Mullum Malarum and Nenjathai Killathey.
He bagged Nandi awards nine times for best acting in supporting roles.
He was last seen in Vasantha Mullai (2023).
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Condolences pour in:
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy condoled the death of Sarath Babu and conveyed his sympathy to the bereaved family members of the actor. "Babu has essayed all kinds of roles in the Telugu film industry such as a protagonist, villain and character artiste to carve out a special recognition for himself as a great actor," tweeted Reddy.
Former Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N Chandrababu Naidu also grieved the death of the actor who featured in several movies. "It is a big loss for the fans of southern films on the passing away of Sarath Babu who acted in different languages as a hero, villain and character artiste," tweeted Naidu.
TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh said the actor's death is an irreparable loss to Tollywood and conveyed his sympathy to the actor's family members. He noted that the actor brought glory to several roles he essayed in his decades-long acting career.
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan, who acted alongside Sarath Babu in Sattam and Salangai Oli mourned the actor's demise. He tweeted in Tamil, "A great actor and a great friend, Sarathbabu has passed away. Memories of my work with him are lingering in my mind. My Guru introduced him in the Tamil film industry. He has left us with many timeless roles. Cinema has lost a good actor today. My tribute to him."
Actor-politician Khushbu wrote on Twitter, "We have lost not only a wonderful actor but an amazing human too. Everyone will have only pleasant memories about him. His smile, his words of comfort, his strong shoulders to support, all will be missed. I would always call him ‘’my big bro’ . Hope you are finally at peace and not in pain anymore. Rest well brother. You will be missed. A lot."
Khushbu and Sarath Babu worked in films like Annamalai, Kolangal, and Vedan, among others.
(With additional inputs from PTI)