Tollywood personalities, politicians pay last respects to Taraka Ratna

Hyderabad, Feb 20:  Leading Tollywood personalities, top politicians and a large number of fans paid their last respects to actor Nandamuri Taraka Ratna here on Monday.

The mortal remains were brought to Telugu Film Chambers in Jubilee Hills from his residence at Mokila on the city outskirts to enable people to pay their last respects.

The last rites of Taraka Ratna, grandson of legendary actor and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N.T. Rama Rao, has to be performed on Monday evening.

The young actor breathed his last on the night of February 18 at Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences in Bengaluru where he was admitted on January 27 after he suffered a massive cardiac arrest.

He had collapsed during the padyatra of his cousin and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Nara Lokesh at Kuppam in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. After battling for 23 days, he succumbed on Saturday. He was 39.

Taraka Ratna was son of Nandamuri Mohan Krishna, son of N.T. Rama Rao.

Taraka Ratna's uncle and leading Tollywood actor N. Balakrishna, aunt and former Union minister Daggubati Purandeswari, cousins junior NTR, Kalyan Ram and other family members paid their last respects at Film Chambers.

The actor's father, wife Alekhya Reddy, daughters Nishka and Reya and son Tanayram and other family members broke down while paying their last respects.

Actor Venkatesh and his brother and filmmaker Suresh Babu also paid their respects to the departed soul.

YSR Congress Party MP V. Vijayasai Reddy, who is a relative of Alekhya Reddy, Telangana's minister for cinematography, T. Srinivas Yadav, minister for panchayat Raj E. Dayakar Rao, former MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar and others paid floral tributes.