The year 2022 had been momentous for Telugu cinema, which brought out several blockbusters and even soared to unprecedented international acclaim with SS Rajamouli’s RRR. The industry’s success, however, has been tinged with an air of gloom, having simultaneously lost several legendary actors and veteran film personalities to its name. Marking the end of an era for Tollywood, a number of actors, directors, and producers — who made their mark through hundreds of films and were regarded as pillars of the industry — breathed their last this year. Here is a list of noted Telugu film personalities who bid adieu in 2022.
Actor-producer Ghattamaneni Ramesh Babu passed away at the age of 56 on January 8, after prolonged suffering from liver-related ailments. He is the son of veteran actor Ghattamaneni Krishna and the elder brother of actor Mahesh Babu. Ramesh, who started his film career as a child actor in his father’s films, went on to don the lead role in 1987 with Samrat. He had since acted in about 15 films in the 1980s and 1990s, before turning producer with Krishna Productions Private Ltd.
Senior actor Mannava Balayya, who is also a writer, director, and producer, passed away on April 9 due to age-related ailments. He was 94 years old. Hailing from the Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh, Balayya began his film career with Ettuku Pai Ettu in 1958. Since then, he has carved out a space for himself as a character artist and worked in several films starring NT Rama Rao (popularly known as NTR) and Akkineni Nageswara Rao (known as ANR). The actor, who has about 350 films to his credit, last appeared in Nandamuri Balakrishna’s 2011 film Sri Rama Rajyam.
Director Tatineni Ramarao passed away on April 19 at the age of 84. He is best known for his directorial Yamagola (1977) starring NTR and Jaya Prada. The director has more than 30 films to his credit as a filmmaker, including Talli Tandrulu (Telugu-1991) and Khatron Ke Khiladi (Hindi-1988) among others.
Narayan Das, a well-known producer and distributor in Tollywood, passed away on April 19 at the age of 76. He is the co-founder of the Asian Cinemas chain of multiplexes. Narayan is known for his association with Tollywood actors such as Mahesh Babu, Vijay Devarakonda, and Allu Arjun, and has even constructed multiplexes in the names of these actors (AMB, AVD, and AAA). He is also a well-known producer of several prominent films including the 2021 Sai Pallavi-Naga Chaitanya starrer Love Story.
Uppalapati Krishnam Raju, a top Telugu actor who stood at his peak in the 1960s and 1970s, breathed his last on September 11 due to cardiac arrest. The actor was 83 years old. Krishnam Raju was also a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who served as a Minister of State for the Ministry of External Affairs from 1999 to 2004. The actor made a name for himself as a ‘Rebel Star’ with his roles in movies including Tandra Paprayudu (1986), Rangoon Rowdy (1979), and Trisulam (1982) among others. He has appeared in over 183 films during the five-and-a-half decades of his career in Tollywood. He last appeared in Radhe Shyam (2022) starring Prabhas, who is the son of his younger brother Surya Narayana Raju, and Pooja Hegde.
Actor Ghattamaneni Krishna, who was popularly known as Superstar Krishna, died due to cardiac arrest on November 15. The actor, who was 79 years old, passed away just a couple of months after his first wife, Indiramma, breathed her last on September 28. Krishna began his career in 1965 with Thene Manasulu, and went on to become one of the top actors in the industry with over 350 films to his credit. His death was described as the end of an era, as he was one of the last pillars standing from Telugu cinema’s golden era that comprised legendary actors such as NTR, ANR, Shoban Babu, and Krishnam Raju. Mahesh Babu is his younger son.
Veteran actor Kaikala Satyanarayana passed away on December 23 at the age of 87. With a career spanning more than six decades in the Telugu film industry, Satyanarayana acted in over 750 films. The actor, who was known for the similarity in his looks to NTR, also used to work as a body double for the latter. He is known for films including Yamagola (1977), Lava Kusa (1963), Narthanasala (1963), and Kurukshethram (1977) among others. In addition, he has also served as the Member of Parliament in the 11th Lok Sabha representing Machilipatnam constituency from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
Chalapathi Rao, who had been a prominent presence in Telugu cinema for six decades, died on December 25 due to cardiac arrest. He was 78 years old. The actor, who made his debut through Gudachari 116 in 1966, has acted in more than 270 films including Sarrainodu (2016), Bommarillu (2006), Malliswari (2004), Ninne Pelladata (1996), and Gulabi (1996). He last appeared in the Nagarjuna starrer Bangarraju in 2022.