Better known as Superstar Krishna, Veteran Telugu actor Ghattamaneni Siva Rama Krishna Murthy passed away on Tuesday, November 15 from a Mild Cardiac Arrest while undergoing treatment at Continent Hospital in Hyderabad. He was admitted on Monday at around 2pm after he fell unconscious.
His Last Moments
Krishna was admitted to the hospital in the early hours on Monday and was put on a ventilator. A team of multi-disciplinary doctors was on board for his treatment. He remained in a critical condition throughout. The hospital mentioned, “He remained critically ill with multi-organ failure and severe hypoxic brain injury. It was decided late evening with family members and all the consultants not to pursue further supportive care given to his dismal prognosis and to keep his final moments painless and peaceful”. He breathed his last at around 4am as a result of respiratory issues and multiple organ failure.
Krishna’s Career and Achievements
Krishna started his acting career in the 1960s and acted in about 350 films. He made his acting debut in a lead role in “Thene Manasulu” (1965). He shot to stardom with “Gudachari 116”. Some of his well-received films include “Private Master”, “Agni Pariksha”, “Sabash Satyam”, “Asadhyudu” and many more. His appeal as a versatile actor and his experiments with technology made him a favorite amongst the public. He starred in the first Cinemascope film “Alluri Seetharama Raju” as the harbinger of technological advancement in Telugu Cinema.
Not to mention, he produced and directed around 17 feature films under his production house ‘Padmalaya Studios’. His achievements include Best Actor Nandi Award for his role in “Alluri Sita Rama Raju”, Padma Bhushan in 2009, and Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. His political career includes being a Lok Sabha member from Eluru constituency, winning the elections in 1989.
Condolences Pour in
Following the demise of Tollywood’s beloved superstar, condolences poured in from across the country. Celebrities such as Rajinikanth, Satya Dev, Chiranjeevi Kondila, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Junior NTR and many more paid their respects to the beloved actor. Former Minister and actor Chiranjeevi tweeted, “I can’t believe that Superstar Krishna has left us. He was a kind hearted Himalayan mountain. He gave breath to courage and was synonymous with adventure.
Krishna is a combination of courage, adventure, perseverance, humanity, and goodness. Such a great man is rare not only in the Telugu film industry but also in the Indian film industry. A tearful tribute to Krishna, whose many adventures the Telugu film industry can be proud of. May his soul rest in peace. My deepest condolences to Mahesh Babu, his family, and his innumerable fans.”
Political figures such as Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu mourned the loss as well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his deep condolences as he wrote, “Krishna Garu was a legendary superstar, who won hearts of people through his versatile acting and lively personality. His demise is a colossal loss to the world of cinema and entertainment.”
The whole country is still recovering from the shock of having lost an irreplaceable public persona and will remember the beloved actor through his ever-immortalized characters of the big screen.
