Veteran Telugu actor Krishna passed away on Tuesday at a city-based private super-speciality hospital where he was undergoing treatment following a cardiac arrest. He was 80.
Krishna, the father of superstar Mahesh Babu, was admitted to the hospital in the early hours of Monday and was put on a ventilator.
He was being treated by a multi-disciplinary team of doctors following the cardiac arrest. The actor passed away at 4 am on Tuesday, hospital sources said.
He was brought into the hospital's emergency department on Monday after suffering a cardiac arrest, and the medical staff managed to revive him after 20 minutes of CPR.
Ghattamaneni Sivarama Krishna, popularly known as just Krishna, had begun his career in the early 1960s and has acted in about 350 films.
Considered one of Telugu cinema's first superstars, Krishna has acted in over 300 films. He was last seen on the big screen in 2016. Krishna's first wife and Mahesh Babu's mother Indira Devi passed away in September while his elder son Ramesh Babu too died earlier this year.
Condolences pour in
After the news of his death broke, many Telugu actors and leaders paid tributes to the superstar.
Actor Chiranjeevi penned a heartfelt tribute to Krishna on Twitter by calling him a "treasure of Indian cinema" and a "great human being." Film producers Dil Raju and Sirish, of Sri Venkateswara Creations, tweeted that Krishna's "legendary roles and impeccable performances will continue to inspire generations to come."
Actor Rakul Preeth also paid tributes to the actor, "Condolences to @urstrulyMahesh sir and his family. It’s heartbreaking for every fan. Thank you, sir, for your contribution to Indian cinema. There will be no one like you. RIP."
Actor Jr NTR too condoled the death of the veteran actor. He said Krishna will be remembered for his "many experimental films" and credited him with "introducing many techniques to Telugu cinema."
(With inputs from PTI)