Popular actor Tammareddy Chalapathi Rao (79) died of a heart attack on Sunday. His body was kept at his son Ravi Babu’s house in MLA Colony.
The body was moved to Maha Prasthanam and was kept in a freezer. On the arrival of his daughter, who is staying in America, the last rites will be performed in Maha Prasthanam on Wednesday.
Known for his comic and villainous roles, he acted with three generations of top stars in a career spanning over five decades. Chalapathi Rao made his debut in 1966 with Ghodachari 116. He acted in supporting roles with leading actors like N. T. Rama Rao, Krishna, Nagarjuna, Chiranjeevi and Venkatesh. He also produced a few films.
Chalapathi Rao’s death is the second major loss to Tollywood in three days. Veteran actor Kaikala Satynarayana had passed away on December 23 and even before the film industry could recover from the shock, the news of Chalapathi Rao’s death plunged it into gloom.
Several celebrities including Megastar Chiranjeevi, Gopichand Malineni, Anil Ravipudi, Suresh Kondi, and Sudheer Babu, out of the rest, poured in their deepest condolences to the veteran actor.
