HYDERABAD: Veteran actor Sarath Babu, who played lead and supporting roles in numerous south Indian films spanning many languages and genres, died in Hyderabad on Monday after a prolonged illness. He was 71.
The tall actor, born on 31 July, 1951, hailed from Amadalavalasa in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district. He acted in more than 250 films in a career spanning nearly 50 years. His final rites will take place in Chennai on Tuesday.
Sarath Babu was admitted to AIG Hospitals on April 20. The hospital management said the actor was brought in critical condition with a multi-organ failure. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells.
"As an immunocompromised patient, he was under the care of a multi-disciplinary team and was supported with mechanical ventilator for lungs, dialysis support for kidney, among other therapies. He succumbed to his illness in spite of the best resuscitative measures," the hospital said.
Sarath Babu wanted to be a police officer while his father, who was a hotelier, was keen on his son taking over his business.
But while studying for a BSc degree, he took to theatre and became a stage actor. His performances took him to Chennai (then Madras) to work in the film industry.
As destiny willed, he applied for an advertisement in a newspaper looking for fresh faces for a film and got through the audition. He was selected as a hero for Telugu film 'Rama Rajyam' in 1973.
Later, director Balachander gave him a break in the Tamil film 'Pattina Pravesam' in 1977 and there was no looking back. The film was remade in Telugu as 'Idi Katha Kaadu', starring Kamal Haasan, Chiranjeevi and himself and the film was a hit.
Sarath Babu went on to act in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada movies as a hero, villain and donned character roles. His original name was Satyanarayana Deekshitulu and was also called Sathyam Babu Deekshitulu.
Some of Sarath Babu's memorable films in Telugu include Bharathiraja's 'Seethakoka Chilaka' in the early 1980s and K Viswanath's 'Sagara Sangamam', 'Swathi Muthyam' and 'Apathbandhavudu'. As Kamal Haasan's doting friend in 'Sagara Sangamam', Sarath Babu left a lasting impression among the audience.
Sarath Babu was known for his portrayal of 'zamindar' in many films. With his elegant look and sartorial dressing, Sarath Babu always looked like a corporate honcho. His role in 'Sitara' and as a villain in 'Anveshana' films was much appreciated. For his acting skills, he was awarded eight Nandi film awards. He was given the best supporting actor award for 'Seethakoka Chiluka' in 1981, 'O Bharya Katha' in 1988 and 'Neerajanam' in 1989.
Condoling the actor's death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "Shri Sarath Babu Ji was versatile and creative. He will be remembered for several popular works in several languages during his long film career. Pained by his passing away. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti." Telugu film industry expressed grief too. Actor Ali, former chairman of AP Film Development Corporation, said Sarath Babu did not differentiate between seniors and newcomers. "When I was a child artiste, he would encourage me," he said.
Sarath Babu was married to actress Rama Prabha for 14 years. After his divorce, he married Snehalatha, daughter of a Tamil actor, but this also ended in divorce.Sarath Babu's last film as an actor was the recent film 'Malli Pelli' in which he essayed the role of actor Krishna who passed away in November 2022.
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Read MoreSushil Rao is Editor-Special Reports, at The Times of India, Hyderabad. He began his journalism career at the age of 20 in 1988. He is a gold medalist in journalism from the Department of Communication and Journalism, Arts College, Osmania University, Hyderabad from where he did his post-graduation from. He has been with The Times of India’s Hyderabad edition since its launch in 2000. He has also done an introductory course in film studies from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, and also from the Central University of Kerala equipping himself with the knowledge of filmmaking for film criticism. He has authored four books. In his career spanning 34 years, he has worked for five newspapers and has also done television reporting. He was also a web journalist during internet’s infancy in the mid 1990s in India. He covers defence, politics, diaspora, innovation, administration, the film industry, Hyderabad city and Telangana state, and human interest stories. He is also a podcaster, blogger, does video reporting and makes documentaries.
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