Veteran actress
Krishna Kumari
, well known for her roles in films like
Bhakta Kanakadasa and
Kabhi Andhera Kabhi Ujala (credited as Rati)
passed away
today at the age of 85.
A leading
actress
and a befitting contemporary of Savitri, Krishna Kumari had acted in several Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam films through her career. Born in 1933, she began her career with the 1951 classic
Navvithe Navaratnalu. She worked in several Tamil films like
Azhagi and
Thuli Visham, before she began to focus on her Telugu film career.
Achieving stardom while acting alongside stalwarts like NT Rama Rao, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Krishnam Raju, Dr Rajkumar and Sivaji Ganesan, she acted in 150 Telugu films through her career. Her last film was the 1976 Telugu film
Jyothi.
Now, at the age of 85, the veteran actress has reportedly passed away due to bone marrow
cancer
. She was admitted in a leading hospital and the actress had even undergone chemotherapy for the same. She is survived by her daughter Dipika.
Krishna Kumari was born in a Telugu Brahmin family to Venkoji Rao and Sachi Devi in West Bengal. Hailing from Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh, the famed actress was married to Ajay Mohan Khaitan, and had quit acting after her marriage.
Despite news of her ill health, the sudden demise of the star has shocked cinegoers with many offering their condolences on social media.