Sattiraju Lakshmi Narayana, popularly known as Bapu died in Chennai on Sunday evening. He was 80.
According to family sources, Bapu died of heart attack while undergoing treatment for some age-related ailments at Mallar Hospital in Chennai.
He was a music artiste, painter, illustrator, cartoonist and designer. In 2013, he was awarded the Padma Shri, for his contribution to Indian art and cinema. He directed 51 films in his career. Of them, the number of Hindi films were 12. The last film he directed was “Sriramarajyam” starring Nandamuri Balakrishna and Nayanatara.
Bapu used to make films with his friend Mullapudi Venkata Ramana. The duo was famous as Bapu-Ramana. Ramana died in 2011. Bapu won two National Film Awards, five Andhra Pradesh State Nandi Awards and two Filmfare Best Director Awards for Telugu films — “Seeta Kalyanam” and “Vamsa Vruksham” and a Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South for the year 2012.
On hearing the news of Bapu’s passing away, AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, veteran film director Raghavendra Rao and the entire Telugu cine industry condoled his death. (NSS)