Tollywood Producer-Director Chittibabu (Tripuraneni Varaprasad) Passes Away After Heart Attack

Chittibabu Passes Away: Veteran Telugu filmmaker and actor Tripuraneni Varaprasad, popularly known as Chittibabu, has passed away following a reported heart attack. He was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Hyderabad after complaining of chest pain. He breathed his last while undergoing treatment, according to reports on April 22.

The news has prompted condolences from members of the Telugu film fraternity, with several industry figures acknowledging his long-standing association with cinema in different capacities.

Career Spanning Direction, Acting and Production Across Decades

Born in Kaza village in Krishna district, Varaprasad hailed from a family with deep roots in the film industry. He was the son of noted writer Tripuraneni Maharadhi and began his career by assisting his father before moving into independent roles. Over the years, he built a career that spanned directing, acting, and production.

He made his directorial debut in 1984 with Santhanam, which was received well and marked his arrival as a filmmaker. He went on to direct several films, including Naa Peru Durga, Pralayam, Preminchi Choodu, and Raitu Bharatam. Reports indicate that he directed around a dozen films and worked as a co-director on numerous other projects.

In addition to directing, Chittibabu also appeared in supporting roles in Telugu cinema. His acting credits include films such as Garudachalam, Bhairava Dweepam, Dasavatharam, Jathi Ratnalu, Zombie Reddy, and Darja. Over the course of his career, he is said to have acted in around 30 films. He is also credited in reports with introducing late actress Soundarya to Telugu cinema, casting her in one of his projects early in her career.

Beyond cinema, Varaprasad was briefly active in politics. He was initially associated with the Janata Party before joining the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1998. During this period, he was known to have interacted with senior political leaders, including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L. K. Advani, and M. Venkaiah Naidu.

Chittibabu's career marked a long association with Telugu cinema across multiple decades, with contributions both behind and in front of the camera.