The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Leaders console Chiranjeevi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 25, 2007
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Leaders console Chiranjeevi

Special Correspondent

Actor’s father K. Venkata Rao dies of a heart attack

— Photo : Satish H.

Irreparable loss: Film actor Chiranjeevi in a pensive mood mourning his father’s death in Hyderabad on Monday.

HYDERABAD: K. Venkata Rao (76), a former Excise Superintendent and father of Telugu film star Chiranjeevi, died of a heart attack after suffering from asthma for some time at his residence at Jubilee Hills here in the early hours of Monday.

Apart from Chiranjeevi, he is survived by wife Anjana Devi, sons Naga Babu, Pavan Kalyan, both film actors, and two daughters. Venkata Rao started his career as a police constable before joining the Excise Department. He also played character roles in some Telugu films including ‘Jagat Jettilu’, ‘Jagat Killadilu’ and ‘Mantrigari Viyyankudu’.

Film industry leaders based in Hyderabad visited Venkata Rao’s residence to console the bereaved family. Notable among them were producers D. Rama Naidu and Ch. Ramoji Rao, actor and former Union Minister U. V. Krishnam Raju, actors Venkatesh, Brahmanandam and Prabhu Deva.

There was also a large turnout of political leaders to convey their condolences to Chiranjeevi. TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu and the party’s Polit Bureau member Ummareddy Venkateswarlu, Political Advisor to Chief Minister K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao and MP K. Keshav Rao and BJP State president Bandaru Dattatreya were notable among those who called on the family.

Sreeja visits

What attracted attention was the arrival of Chiranjeevi’s newly-married younger daughter Sreeja and her husband Sirish Bharadwaj. As Sirish waited some distance away from the house, Sreeja was escorted inside by her mother’s elder sister and a cousin. They were said to have visited Sreeja at her house in Begumpet to take her to her grandfather’s house.

As Sreeja did not emerge even after one hour and her mobile phone was switched off, her husband walked up to the entrance where he was jostled by unidentified fans of the film star. A situation was averted when Sreeja came out of the house and the couple quietly left the place.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh