Superstar Krishna is no more!

Superstar Krishna breathed his last today early morning and it is an irreplaceable loss for the Telugu film industry. Let us take a look back at his career.

Krishna was born on 31st May 1943, in Burripalem village of Guntur district. He started off his career by playing small roles in films like Kula Gothralu (1961), Padandi Mundhuku and Paruvu Prathishta. His first film as a lead hero was in the 1965 film Thene Manasulu. It was a successful venture at the box office. He further attained wide popularity with the 1966 release, Goodachari 116, which happens to be the first spy film in Telugu.

Krishna also acted alongside NTR and ANR in films like Niluvu Dopidi, Manchi Kutumbam, Akka Chellellu, Stree Janma and Vichitra Kutumbam.

During the late 1960s, Krishna set up his own production house Padmalaya Films and started producing big-budget films like Agni Pariksha, Pandanti Kapuram, Devudu Chesina Manushulu, Mosagallaku Mosagadu and Alluri Seetharamaraju. He also set up a production house named Vijaya Krishna Films along with his second wife, Vijaya Nirmala.

Under this banner, they made movies like Meena and Meena and Devadasu. Krishna and Vijaya Nirmala acted together in over 40 films together. Krishna also directed 16 films in his career. He experimented with various genres and delivered multiple hits in the 1970s and 1980s.

In the late 1990s, Krishna started acting in supporting roles in films like Sultan and Osey Ramulamma. In 1999, he played a key cameo in his son Mahesh Babu's debut film Rajakumarudu. Both of them shared the screen space once again in Vamsi. In the 2000s, Krishna did supporting as well as lead roles. He acted in notable films like Sravanamasam, Baladur and Mallanna.

He won the Best Actor Nandi Award for Alluri Seetha Ramaraju. He was presented with Lifetime Achievement Filmfare Award in 1997 and NTR National Award in 2003. In 2009, the government of India conferred him with Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in the country, for his contribution to the field of cinema.

May his soul rest in peace.