Veteran actor Sarath Babu passes away at 71

Sarath Babu, who was predominantly seen in Tamil and Telugu films, passed away on Monday, May 22, at the age of 71 in Hyderabad. The veteran actor was admitted to the AIG Hospital, Hyderabad earlier this month, where he was undergoing treatment for age-related issues. The hospital said in a statement that Sarath Babu died due to multiple-organ failure.

Born as Sathyam Babu Dixithulu in 1951, the actor made his acting debut in the 1973 Telugu film Rama Rajyam, but he gained popularity through the 1978 Tamil film Nizhal Nijamagiradhu, which was helmed by the multiple National Award-winning filmmaker K. Balachander.

The veteran actor then climbed up the charts in the Tamil and Telugu film industries as he acted along with legendary actors like Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, N T Rama Rao, and Chiranjeevi in multiple films such as Mullum Malarum, Srungara Ramudu, Maro Charitra, and Idi Katha Kaadu among others.

In his five-decade-long career, Sarath Babu also acted in multiple Malayalam and Kannada films, and a few Hindi films too. He also worked in multiple Tamil and Telugu television serials such as Ethanai Manidhargal, Agnigundalu, and Rekkai Kattiya Manasu, which were broadcast on Doordarshan, ETV, Sun TV, and Jaya TV.

Hailing from Andhra Pradesh, Sarath Babu wanted to be a police officer but could not realise his dream because of an eyesight problem. His father wanted him to join his business but with the support of his mother, he entered the film industry and established himself as an actor.

The veteran actor acted in more than 200 films in his career and won multiple Nandi State awards for his sincere and critically acclaimed performances in Telugu cinema. Sarat Babu's fans and cinephiles have poured in their tributes expressing their condolences on social media.

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