Veteran Telugu actor Chalapathi Rao passes away at 78; Jr NTR, Chiranjeevi mourn his death

Veteran Telugu actor Tammareddy Chalapathi Rao died of cardiac arrest on Sunday, December 25, at the age of 78. He suffered cardiac arrest at the residence of his son Ravi Babu at Banjara Hills, MLA Colony in the early hours of the day. Known for his comic and villainous roles, he acted with three generations of top stars in a career spanning over five decades. He is survived by two daughters and a son, Ravi Babu who is an actor and filmmaker.

Born on May 8, 1944, in Andhra Pradesh`s Krishna district, Chalapathi Rao entered the film industry with the encouragement of thespian N. T. Rama Rao. He established himself as an actor and producer. After making his debut in 1966 with Ghodachari 116, the late actor acted in more than 600 films and was seen in supporting roles with leading actors like N. T. Rama Rao, Krishna, Nagarjuna, Chiranjeevi, and Venkatesh.

Remembering Rao, the megastar Chiranjeevi paid him a tribute as he tweeted, "I am saddened by the news of the untimely death of Mr. Chalapathi Rao, a unique actor who won the hearts of the Telugu audience with his unique style. I acted with him in many films. May his soul rest in peace, my deepest condolences to Ravi Babu and all his family members."

విలక్షణమైన నటుడు,తనదైన శైలి తో తెలుగు ప్రేక్షకుల అభిమానాన్ని చూరగొన్న శ్రీ చలపతి రావు గారి అకాల మరణ వార్త నన్ను కలచివేసింది.ఎన్నో చిత్రాల్లో ఆయన తో నేను కలిసి నటించడం జరిగింది. ఆయన ఆత్మకు శాంతి చేకూరాలని కోరుకుంటూ, రవి బాబు కి, ఆయన కుటుంబ సభ్యులందరికీ నా ప్రగాఢ సానుభూతి.

— Chiranjeevi Konidela (@KChiruTweets) December 25, 2022

The RRR star Jr NTR also mourned the veteran actor's demise as he tweeted, "Chalapathi Rao's untimely death has left me deeply saddened. Nandamuri family lost a family member today. The death of Chalapathi Rao, who was dear to our family since the days of his grandfather, is a great loss for all of us. My prayer is that his soul rests in peace."

చలపతి రావు గారి అకాల మరణం నన్ను ఎంతగానో కలచివేసింది. నందమూరి కుటుంబం ఇవాళ ఒక కుటుంబ సభ్యుడిని కోల్పోయింది. తాత గారి రోజుల నుండి మా కుటుంబానికి అత్యంత ఆప్తుడైన చలపతి రావు గారి మృతి మా అందరికీ తీరని లోటు.

ఆయన ఆత్మకు శాంతి చేకూరాలని నా ప్రార్ధన.

— Jr NTR (@tarak9999) December 25, 2022

Nandamuri Kalyanram also expressed grief for the late actor as the Bimbisara star took to his Twitter and wrote, "Chalapathi Rao babai is very dear to me as a person and to my family as well. His sudden demise has come as an absolute shocker for our whole family. Words cannot explain this loss. May his family be blessed with the strength to go through this pain. Om Shanti".

Chalapathi Rao babai is very dear to me as a person and to my family as well. His sudden demise has come as an absolute shocker for our whole family. Words cannot explain this loss. May his family be blessed with the strength to go through this pain.

Om Shanti

— Kalyanram Nandamuri (@NANDAMURIKALYAN) December 25, 2022

Chalapathi Rao's family said that the last rites will be performed on December 28 after the arrival of his daughter from the United States. They said that the body would be kept at Ravi Babu`s house till 3 p.m. on Sunday to enable Tollywood personalities and fans to pay their last respects. It will then be moved to the freezer at Mahaprasthanam in Jubilee Hills where the last rites will be performed on Wednesday.

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