RIP Krishna: Chiranjeevi, Ravi Teja, Jr NTR 'Heartbroken', CM Jagan Reddy Pays Tribute To The Veteran

Veteran Telugu actor Krishna passed away in the wee hours of Monday at the age of 79. He suffered a cardiac arrest and died today in Hyderabad around 4 a.m. He was brought to the emergency department of the hospital at 1.15 am, the doctors said. Krishna's first wife and mother of actor Mahesh Babu died in September this year.

Krishna's elder son Ramesh Babu had died in January 2022, while his second wife, actress Vijaya Nirmala, passed away in 2019. He was father-in-law to TDP leader Jay Galla and had joined Congress party in the 1980s and became an MP. However, he had quit politics after the death of former PM Rajiv Gandhi.

Meanwhile, as the news of his death spread, tributes have been pouring in from all corners. See reactions:-

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu shared a throwback picture of himself with Krishna to express his grief over the star's demise. The politician offered his heartfelt condolences to Mahesh Babu.

"He is Alluri... He is our James Bond," said Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Rajnikanth too shared a note of condolence for Krishna's family.

Actor Ravi Teja tweeted, "Such a devastating loss to the entire film industry, What a Legend he was. I had the pleasure of working with him and a total privilege to know him personally. Rest in peace #SuperStarKrishna garu! Heartfelt condolences to Mahesh & family in this hour of grief. OM SHANTI"

"Cannot believe this...my deepest condolences to the entire family..may your soul rest in peace sir.. @ItsActorNaresh.. @urstrulyMahesh," wrote producer MS Raju.

Mourning the demise of superstar Krishna, actress Rakul Preet Singh wrote, "Condolences to @urstrulyMahesh sir and his family. It's heartbreaking for every fan. Thank you, sir, for your contribution to Indian cinema. There will be no one like you. RIP."

Jr NTR paid his last tribute to the veteran actor and wrote in Telugu, "Krishna garu is another name for adventure. Apart from many experimental films and typical characters, your credit for introducing many techniques to Telugu cinema will always be remembered. My thoughts are with Mahesh Anna and the family. Om Shanthi. Superstar forever."

In a moving note, megastar Chiranjeevi took to his Twitter account and called him a "treasure of Indian cinema" and a "great human being". While actor Nani in an emotional tribute to Krishna, tweeted, "SUPER STAR KRISHNA End of an era. My deepest condolences to @urstrulyMahesh sir, family and Krishna Gaaru's extended family which includes you, me and every Telugu cinema fan."

Born as Ghattamaneni Shivarama Krishna, he made his debut as a lead actor in 1965 with director Adurthi Subba Rao's romantic drama Thene Manasulu. He then went on to become a popular Telugu actor. The legendary star was reportedly depressed after the death of his wife, Indira Devi.