Veteran Telugu actor Ghattamaneni Krishna, known as ‘Superstar’ Krishna, passed away on Tuesday, November 15. The actor was 79 years old. He was admitted to the Continental Hospital in Hyderabad’s Gachibowli at around 2 am on Monday after he fell unconscious. Doctors said that the actor had suffered a cardiac arrest and kept him under observation as his condition remained critical.
Krishna was born on May 31, 1943 at Burripalem in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district. Born Ghattamaneni Siva Krishna Murthy, he completed his graduation from CRR College in Eluru. Krishna was actively involved in the cultural events organised by his college. His performance in the play ‘Chesina Paapam Kaasiki Vellena’ brought him critical acclaim, which pushed him to pursue acting in films.
In a career spanning five decades, Krishna acted in nearly 350 films. In recognition of his contributions to Indian cinema, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2009. He received several notable felicitations, including the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South in 1997. Besides acting, he also engaged with other aspects of cinema as a producer, studio owner, exhibitor, and distributor. He directed 17 feature films under his production company Padmalaya Studios, in collaboration with his brothers Adiseshagiri Rao and Hanumantha Rao.
In addition to being an artist, Krishna also dabbled in politics. He was elected as Member of Parliament from Eluru constituency in 1989, representing the Congress party.
Krishna, who made his debut as a lead actor in 1965 in the film Thene Manasulu, went on to essay various roles including characters with diverse mythological, folk, historical, and social backgrounds. He popularised the cowboy genre in Telugu cinema and also acted in espionage films inspired by James Bond. He was the male lead in the first Telugu cowboy film titled Mosagallaku Mosagadu as well as among the highest paid Telugu actors at the time.
‘Superstar’ Krishna earned the reputation of being a trendsetter when he starred in the first Telugu detective film, Gudachari 116, in 1989. Some of his popular movies include Private Master, Asadhyudu, Sabash Satyam, Agni Pariksha, and Alluri Seetharama Raju, among others. Credited with being a technological pioneer in the Telugu film industry, he presented the first Cinemascope film Alluri Seetharama Raju in 1974. He was widely appreciated for his portrayal of the titular freedom fighter Alluri Seetharama Raju in the film.
Krishna had five children with his first wife Indira Devi, including popular actor Mahesh Babu. In January, he lost his eldest son Ramesh Babu. Indira Devi passed away in September this year. Actor Vijaya Nirmala, who was also wedded to Krishna, passed away earlier in June 2019.