Raghu Babu mourns father Giri Babu's death, says last rites to be held in Ravinuthala as per veteran actor's final wish

Veteran Telugu actor Giri Babu died on November 14 at the age of 83. His passing left the film industry in shock, with many actors, including Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan, paying tribute. His elder son, actor Raghu Babu, spoke to the press as Telugu actors turned up at the Film Chamber to pay their respects. Raghu also revealed that his father's last rites will be held in Ravinuthala, Andhra Pradesh, as per the actor's final wish.

Raghu Babu grieves father Giri Babu's death

After Giri's death, his body was kept at the Film Chamber for fans and his colleagues and friends from the film industry to pay tribute. "My father had a great attachment to his birthplace, our hometown, Ravinuthala, near Ongolo. He expressed a wish for his last rites to be performed there once. It was his last wish that the ceremony be held there. The rites will take place from 3 PM tomorrow (Sunday). This is why his body was kept here (at the Film Chamber) only for 2-3 hours. It heartens me to see so many people turn up here in this short time," said Raghu.

Raghu also got emotional as he thanked everyone who paid last respects to his father with folded hands. "My father has been working in the film industry for almost 47 years, from 1973 to 2022, in around 650 films. He even established his own production company when he was new to the film industry. He was the first one to helm a black-and-white Cinemascope movie in Telugu cinema. The film, titled Devathalara Deevinchandi, was a massive success. He also helmed the big-budget film Simha Garjana and more such films," he said, remembering his father.

Annapurna, Rajasekhar, Vishnu Manchu pay last respects

After Giri's body was brought to the Film Chamber, several Tollywood actors turned up to pay their respects. Veteran actor Annapurna, who shared the screen with Giri in several films, got emotional as she held Raghu's hand. "I was close to Giri Babu garu and knew him as more than just an actor," she said, almost breaking down while adding, "He felt lonely since his wife passed away a while ago. He felt alone, and his health deteriorated. He was such a good friend to everyone, someone who would feed everyone before eating."

Movie Artists Association (MAA) president and actor Vishnu Manchu, along with Rajasekhar, Jeevitha, Rajeev Kanakala, Sivaji Raja, and several others, bid Giri Babu an emotional farewell. The actor's last film was the 2023 Nandini Reddy film Anni Manchi Sakunamule.