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Sarath Babu (1951-2023): Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, Kamal Haasan, Jr NTR and others pay tribute to actor

Sarath Babu passed away on Monday due to multiple-organ failure. The actor was admitted to a private hospital in Hyderabad last month after his health deteriorated.

By: Entertainment Desk
Chennai | Updated: May 22, 2023 09:38 PM IST
Sarath BabuSarath Babu was 71.

Veteran actor Sarath Babu, known for his roles in both Tamil and Telugu films, passed away on Monday due to multiple-organ failure. He was 71. The actor was admitted to a private hospital in Hyderabad last month after his health deteriorated.

Sarath Babu is well-known for his role in Rajinikanth’s Annamalai and Muthu, and he is a close friend of the superstar. He has acted in more than 200 films across languages including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi.

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Nizhal Nijamagiradhu (1978), directed by K Balachander, gave Sarath Babu the first break in Tamil cinema. He then became popular with films like Mullum Malarum, Thisai Maariya Paravaigal, and Nenjathai Killathe. In Tamil, he was last seen in the film Nenjathai Killadhe, which had Bobby Simha in the lead role. He also played a small role in Pawan Kalyan’s Vakeel Saab, and a video clip of the actor from the film is making the rounds on social media after his demise.

Live Blog

Celebrities across South India pay tribute to Sarath Babu.

21:38 (IST)22 May 2023
'I lost a gem'

Suhasini Maniratnam wrote on Twitter, "Lost my dearest screen brother Sarath babu. Time to remember his greatness as a human and his gentleness as an actor. I lost a gem. Rip my anna."

21:21 (IST)22 May 2023
'Sarath Babu's contributions to the industry will always be remembered'

Sudheer Babu took to Twitter and wrote, 'Sending my deepest condolences to everyone mourning the loss of the Sarath Babu garu. His portrayals on the screen and contributions to the industry will always be remembered. Om Shanti.?'

21:01 (IST)22 May 2023
'Sarath Babu will be remembered always through his characters'

Kalyanram Nandamuri tweeted, "Deeply saddened by the demise of veteran actor Sarath Babu garu. He will be remembered always through his characters. Deepest condolences to his family and well-wishers. Om Shanti."

20:32 (IST)22 May 2023
'Sarath Babu's performances & memorable roles will continue to inspire generations'

"Deeply saddened by the passing of the Veteran actor #SarathBabu Garu. His performances & memorable roles will continue to inspire generations. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time. May his soul find eternal peace. ? #RIPSarathBabu," director Bobby said via Twitter.

20:09 (IST)22 May 2023
Rajinikanth mourns the demise of close friend Sarath Babu

Rajinikanth posted on Twitter, "Today, I have lost my dear friend and a great human being. His death cannot be compensated. May his soul rest in peace."

19:58 (IST)22 May 2023
Sai Dharam Tej on Sarath Babu

"Saddened about the passing away of Versatile Actor Sarath Babu Garu. You'll be cherished forever with your work and immemorable contributions to the world of cinema. May his soul rest in peace ?. Deepest condolences to family, friends and dear," Sai Dharam Tej said via Twitter.

19:45 (IST)22 May 2023
'Sarath Babu’s voice, presence and warmth will always be cherished'

Nani shared on Twitter, 'Sarath babu Gaaru’s voice, presence and warmth in his performances will always be cherished. Thank you sir ??.'

19:31 (IST)22 May 2023
Chiranjeevi mourns the demise of Sarath Babu
19:16 (IST)22 May 2023
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expresses grief over the demise of Sarath Babu
19:03 (IST)22 May 2023
'Sarath Babu's contributions to Indian cinema will be remembered forever'

Jr NTR took to Twitter and wrote, "Sad to hear about the passing of veteran actor Sarath Babu garu. His contributions to Indian cinema will be remembered forever. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends. Om Shanti."

18:49 (IST)22 May 2023
'We have lost not only a wonderful actor but an amazing human too'

Khushbu Sundar tweeted, "We have lost not only a wonderful actor but an amazing human too. Everyone will have only pleasant memories about him. His smile, his words of comfort, his strong shoulders to support, all will be missed. I would always call him ‘’my big bro’ . Hope you are finally at peace and not in pain anymore. Rest well brother. You will be missed. A lot."

18:34 (IST)22 May 2023
Sarath Babu: The only actor who could slap Rajinikanth on screen without enraging fans

There are many stories of actors, who play villain roles, facing backlash from fans of the heroes. Actor Nambiar faced the wrath of fans of MG Ramachandran for beating up the superstar in films.

The stories reflect the love the fans have for the actors. However, Sarath Babu was one actor who kind of enjoyed an exemption from this. Sarath could slap and hit Rajinikanth with a whip and still get away without enraging the latter’s fans because they really bought into the chemistry between the two stars. Read more

A still from Muthu starring Sarath Babu and Rajinikanth.
18:29 (IST)22 May 2023
'Gentle heart, smiling soul & a great human being,' Ravi Teja remembers Sarath Babu

Mentioning that veteran actor Sarath Babu had a gentle heart and a smiling soul and the he was a great human being, Telugu superstar Ravi Teja wrote on Twitter: "You will be missed & remembered forever #SarathBabu garu ? My deepest condolences to his family! Om Shanti!"

18:14 (IST)22 May 2023
YG Mahendran shares heartfelt message for dear friend Sarath Babu

Remembering his dear friend Sarath Babu, renowned actor, playwright and dramatist YG Mahendran said that not a lot of outsiders knew well about their friendship, but Babu's family did. "After I received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, he called me up and began pulling my leg asking how much I spent to get the award. Not a lot of outsiders know well about our friendship, but his family does... his brothers do... I miss him... Sarath, I miss you," Mahendran said in a cryptic video message he shared on social media.

"We were in touch regularly and used to speak over the phone all the time. After his health deteriorated and was admitted to the hospital, I told his brother about my wish to go meet him in Hyderabad. But his brother asked me not to as I would be seeing the Sarath Babu who is suffering and not the one whom I had been seeing for years" he added.

17:47 (IST)22 May 2023
Telugu producer MS Raju pays tribute to Sarath Babu

Renowned Telugu film producer-cum-director and the owner of  Sumanth Art Productions MS Raju on Monday paid tribute to deceased actor Sarath Babu. Raju's Malli Pelli was Babu's last film.

"Heartbroken after learning about the untimely demise of #SarathBabu garu! I never thought our #MalliPelli be the last this legend gets witnessed on Big Screen! May his soul Rest In Peace."

17:30 (IST)22 May 2023
'Wonderful to have met this ever smiling soul': Prakash Raj

Paying tribute to Sarath Babu, renowned actor and politician Prakash Raj wrote on Twitter: "Wonderful to have met this ever smiling soul.. will cherish his warmth and encouragement throughout my career.. thank you dearest #SarathBabu for everything .  RIP ??????"

16:56 (IST)22 May 2023
'A great actor, a great friend': Superstar Kamal Haasan remembers Sarath Babu

Soon after the news about veteran actor Sarath Babu's demise broke, superstar Kamal Haasan took to social media to pay tribute to the thespian. 

"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 Gurunath in Tamil. He excelled in many timeless roles. Cinema has lost a good actor. My tribute to him," Kamal wrote.

16:44 (IST)22 May 2023
Actor-producer Manchu Lakshmi Prasanna pays tribute to Sarath Babu
16:26 (IST)22 May 2023
'Sarath Babu will be remembered through his performances': Rahul Vijay

Sending his deepest prayers to Sarath Babu's family and friends in this time of grief, Telugu actor Rahul Vijay wrote on Twitter: "Can’t accept the fact about the sudden demise #SarathBabu Garu. He will always be remembered through his performances. May his soul rest in peace."

16:25 (IST)22 May 2023
'His roles and performances will be cherished forever': Telugu screenwriter Gopimohan

Paying his final respects to veteran actor Sarath Babu, Telugu screenwriter Gopimohan said: "Veteran Senior Actor #SarathBabu garu is no longer with us! ?? #OmShanti ?? Ramarajyam, Panthulamma, MaroCharitra, Idhi Kadha Kaadhu, Guppedu Manasu, 47 Days, Radhakalyanam, Sitara, Sagarasangamam, Seethakokachiluka, Anveshana, Swati Mutyam, Samsaram Oka Chadarangam, Jeevana Poratam, Abhinandana, Kokila, Anna Malai, Sisindri, Magadheera are his memorable works & my favourites. His roles and performances will be cherished forever."

16:19 (IST)22 May 2023
'Heartbroken... he will never be forgotten': Aadi Saikumar

Mentioning that he was heartbroken to hear about the untimely demise of Sarath Babu, Telugu actor Aadi Saikumar wrote on Twitter: "He will never be forgotten. May his soul rest in peace. Sending my deepest condolences and prayers to his loved ones."

16:17 (IST)22 May 2023
'No words, just deep sadness': Radikaa Sarathkumar

Paying tribute to deceased actor Sarath Babu, his Radikaa Sarathkumar tweeted: "No words, just deep sadness #SarathBabu, rest in peace." She also posted a picture from one of their films.

Last month, after Sarath Babu was admitted to AIG Hospital in Hyderabad for treatment, it was rumoured that he passed away and many of his industry colleagues including Kamal Haasan expressed their condolences on Twitter and later deleted it.

Apart from Tamil and Telugu films, Sarath Babu also acted in Malayalam films such as Sarapancharam (1979, Dir. Hariharan), Dhanya (1981, Dir. Fazil), and Poonilamazha (1997, Dir. Sunil), and Kannada films such as Ranachandi (1991, Dir. G K Mudduraj), Amrutha Varshini (1997, Dir. Dinesh Baboo), Hrudaya Hrudaya (1999, Dir. M S Rajashekar), and Neela (2001, Dir. T S Nagabharana).

The septuagenarian also shared a close bond with Tamil superstar Rajinikanth, with whom he acted in films such as Annaamalai (1992, Dir. Suresh Krissna), Muthu (1995, Dir. K S Ravikumar), and Velaikkaran (1987, Dir. S P Muthuraman).

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