Uppalapati Krishnam Raju, a former Union Minister and veteran actor, passed away on Sunday morning while receiving treatment at a local private hospital, according to sources.
He has three daughters and was 83 years old and was the uncle of Baahubali star Prabhas. According to hospital authorities, he had post-Covid-19 illnesses. On August 5, he was admitted to the hospital.
In the Atal Bihari Vajpayee administration, he held the position of Union Minister of State and was a two-time member of the Lok Sabha.
Raju, also known as “Rebel Star,” played rebellious roles in more than 180 movies and set new standards for the genre. In 1966, he made his cinematic debut in the Telugu film “Chilaka Gorinka.” For the different roles he played in movies, he received numerous honours and prizes.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao expressed his condolence on his death.
“The death of Krishnam Raju, who acted as a hero in many films during a fifty-year career and won the hearts of moviegoers as a ‘Rebel Star’ with his unique acting style, is a great loss for the Telugu silver screen,” said KCR.
“Krishnam Raju served the people of the country as a member of the Lok Sabha, as a Union Minister and through the field of political administration, is sad,” he added.