Veteran actor Giribabu passed away in Hyderabad on Saturday. His family members kept his mortal remains at the Telugu Film Chamber building for a few hours to allow members of the film industry and fans to pay their last respects. Raghu Babu informed the media that his father's last rites would be performed at their native village on Sunday after 3 pm.
“My father started acting in 1973 and spent nearly 50 years in the film industry, until 2022. He acted in more than 650 films. He also acted in two or three films in other languages, but most of his work was in Telugu. My father also produced a few films. He was the first person to make a Telugu CinemaScope film, Devathalara Deevinchandi, in black and white. Later, he produced some hit films, including Simha Garjana with Krishna garu and Merupudadi, a cowboy film that became a huge success at the time,” said Raghu Babu.
He further revealed that his father also directed a few films. “He directed Ranarangam, featuring Bhanuchander and Sumalatha as the lead pair. He also directed Indrajith, in which my younger brother played the lead role. He made a few other films as well, but later concentrated mainly on acting and went on to complete more than 650 films,” Raghu Babu said.
Speaking about his father's health, Raghu Babu said that Giribabu had been suffering from health issues for quite some time. “For the last two and a half years, my father had been suffering from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, along with a lung infection. His health deteriorated, and he completely distanced himself from acting. For the last six to seven months, he had been bedridden. Today, his blood pressure and sugar levels suddenly dropped, and he passed away at around 3 pm,” he said.
Raghu Babu also thanked everyone who reached out to the family after hearing about his father's demise. “Many people called me after learning about my father's passing. Several actors, technicians and others from the film industry expressed their condolences. I thank everyone for their concern and support,” he said.
He further revealed that the family had decided to perform Giribabu's last rites in their native village. “All our family members decided to take our father's body to our native village, Ravinuthala, near Ongole, for the last rites. The ceremony will begin there after 3 pm on Sunday,” Raghu Babu informed.
