Veteran actor Krishna, also known as “Superstar” in the Telugu cinema industry, passed away in Hyderabad on Tuesday, a day after being admitted to the hospital. He was the father of actor Mahesh Babu. 

Actor Nikhil Siddhartha shared a post on Twitter and captioned it, “This is Heartbreaking. Our SUPERSTAR KRISHNA Garu is no more. Legend Icon and Inspiration for Generations …. We will all Miss You sir. Praying for strength to the family @ManjulaOfficial, @urstrulyMahesh sir. May god be with you in this Testing time.”

N Chandrababu Naidu, former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, tweeted, “The death of actor and former MP Krishna Gari, who was called a good man, producer’s hero, actor and superstar in the Telugu film industry, has shocked. Krishnagari is said to be an actor, director, and adventurer who introduced the first technology to Telugu cinema.”

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Who was Ghattamaneni Siva Rama Krishna Murthy?

Ghattamaneni Siva Rama Krishna Murthy popularly known as Krishna was born on May 31, 1943, in Madras Presidency (now Andhra Pradesh). He was raised in Burripalem, Guntur district of present-day Andhra Pradesh. 

Krishna married Indira Devi and the couple had five children. Later he married Vijaya Nirmala and the couple also worked in over 40 films together. 

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Krishna’s Acting Career 

He began his acting career with minor roles in films like Kula Gothralu (1961), Padandi Mundhuku (1962), and Paruvu Prathishta (1963). In 1965, he was chosen to play one of the male protagonists in Thene Manasulu.

Krishna earned major recognition after he was chosen to portray the lead role in Doondi and Sunderlal Nehta’s popular film Gudachaari 116 in 1966, which popularized the espionage genre in Telugu cinema.

Apart from action films, he also appeared in movies like Undamma Bottu Pedatha (1968), Atthagaaru Kotthakodalu (1968) and Marapurani Katha (1967).

 During this time, he also collaborated with well-known actors such as N.T. Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao in movies like Stree Janma (1967), Niluvu Dopidi (1968), Manchi Kutumbam (1968), Vichithra Kutumbam (1969), and Akka Chellellu (1970).

In addition to winning the hearts of Telugu film fans, he also worked in expanding the boundaries of Telugu cinema. He was a pioneer who experimented with novel cinematic concepts, topics, technologies, and aesthetics. 

At the height of his career, he shot an average of 10 films per year. He appeared in 16 films in 1970 and 18 films in 1972. He became a “superstar” in the Telugu cinema industry and his fans referred to him as a Demi-God.

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In 2008, Krishna received an honorary doctorate from Andhra University. In 2009, the Indian government also awarded him the Padma Bhushan in appreciation of his contributions to the Telugu film industry as an actor, director, producer, and writer.