Veteran South actor Sarath Babu died in a Hyderabad hospital today at the age of 71. He had been in hospital since last month and was being treated for multiple organ failure, the hospital said. “He was brought to AIG Hospitals on 20th April 2023 in critical condition with multiorgan failure because of multiple Myeloma. As an immunocompromised patient, he was under the care of a multidisciplinary team and was supported with mechanical ventilator for lungs, dialysis support for kidney among other therapies. He succumbed to his illness in spite of the best resuscitative measures. Our sincere condolences are with his family and fans," AIG Hospitals said in a statement.
Sarath Babu, who has acted with Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, NTR, Chiranjeevi and other top stars is known for his work in Telugu and Tamil cinema. Many from the South industry shared tributes to the late actor after his death. Kamal Haasan tweeted: “"A great actor and a great friend, Sarath Babu has passed away. The days of acting with him are a shadow in my mind. Introduced by my Guru (Balachander) in Tamil. He excelled in many timeless roles. Cinema has lost a good actor. My tribute to him.”
“Wonderful to have met this ever smiling soul. Will cherish his warmth and encouragement throughout his career. Thank you dearest Sarath Babu for everything. RIP,” tweeted Prakash Raj.
Sarath Babu, who was born Satyam Babu Dixitulu, made his debut in 1973 with Telugu film Rama Rajyam and subsequently worked with K Balachander in Pattina Pravesam. He became popular with the veteran director's Nizhalgal Nijamagiradhu, co-starring Kamal Haasan. With Rajinikanth, Sarath Babu appeared in films like Annamalai and Muthu.