Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the demise of renowned Telugu lyricist and poet Chembolu Seetharama Sastry, popularly known as Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry, who passed away on Tuesday.
Sastry, who was 66 years old, had been suffering from lung cancer. He was undergoing treatment at the Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Hospital in Hyderabad.
"Saddened by the passing away of the outstanding Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry. His poetic brilliance and versatility could be seen in several of his works. He made many efforts to popularise Telugu.Condolence to his family and friends. Om Shanti," the prime minister tweeted.
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Andhra Pradesh CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy mourned the death of Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry Tuesday.
In his condolence message, Chandrasekhar Rao said Sirivennela could provide lyrics to any musical tune. He said the lyricist enthralled both the scholars and ordinary people alike, and won all hearts.
Recalling how Seetharama made his debut film's name his surname, and that his literary journey of three decades and a half touched upon social and traditional issues, Rao said Sirivennela's death had left a void in the film world, and termed it a great loss to the fans of Telugu film and literature.
He conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family.
Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy also condoled Sirivennela's death. He said in his message that Sirivennela was the epitome of values in the world of Telugu film songs.
He said that the emotions Sirivennela created with his words will always remain alive in the history of the Telugu people. He termed the lyricist's death a significant loss and conveyed his condolences to his family.
Telangana's Cinematography Minister T. Srinivas Yadav and Industry Minister K.T. Rama Rao also expressed shock and grief over Sirivennela's death.