Veteran Telugu actor Uppalapati Krishnam Raju passed away in the wee hours on Sunday. He was 83. Also known as 'Rebel star', the veteran actor has worked in over 180 films and has won several accolades and awards for his performances as well. He is survived by his wife and three daughters. He was the uncle of 'Baahubali' and 'Radhe Shyam' star Prabhas.

According to the hospital sources, the actor passed away on Sunday wee hours while undergoing treatment at a private hospital. He was suffering from post-COVID-19 ailments and was admitted to the hospital on August 5, hospital sources said.

In a statement, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao expressed his grief on the demise of Krishnam Raju. KCR said that the death of Krishnam Raju, who acted as a hero in many films during a fifty-year career and won the hearts of moviegoers as a 'Rebel Star' with his unique acting style, is a great loss for the Telugu silver screen.

He added that Krishnam Raju served the people of the country as a member of the Lok Sabha, as a Union Minister and through the field of political administration, is sad.

Meanwhile, Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar in a statement said the death of Krishnam Raju is painful and a big loss to the BJP, the Telugu film industry and people.

According to The AIG Hospitals, where he was undergoing treatment, said that he was diagnosed with severe pneumonia caused by multidrug resistant bacteria and fungal organisms, and severe infective bronchitis. He also had heart rhythm disturbances during the hospital stay and worsening of kidney function and was managed on ventilator support since admission.

Apart from a successful film career, Krishnam Raju was a two-time Lok Sabha member and served as Union Minister of state in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Talking about his film career, he made his debut with the 1966 Telugu movie 'Chilaka Gorinka'.

(With PTI inputs)