Veteran actor Krishna suffers cardiac arrest; condition critical

Hyderabad: Veteran Telugu actor Krishna, father of superstar Mahesh Babu, was on Monday admitted to a private super-specialty hospital here for cardiac-related health issues and his condition was stated to be critical.

Krishna (aged about 80 years) was brought to the emergency department of the hospital at 1.15 am on Monday in cardiac arrest, doctors said.

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) was performed immediately and he was shifted to the ICU for treatment and observation, they said.

Krishna's condition was critical and he was being treated on ventilator.

An expert, multi-disciplinary team of doctors was closely monitoring his condition, they said, adding that his family members have been informed about his condition accordingly.

Krishna, whose real name is Ghattamaneni Sivarama Krishna, is known as superstar in the Telugu film industry. He had begun his career in early 1960s and acted in about 350 films in his long career.

Known for his good-nature and courageous decisions, Krishna earned ever-lasting fame with his portrayal of the role of Alluri Sitarama Raju, a legendary freedom fighter in coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Krishna’s first wife Indira Devi passed away in September this year, while his elder son Ramesh Babu breathed his last in January. His second wife Vijaya Nirmala passed away in June, 2019.