Popular Telugu Lyricist And Dialogue Writer Passes Away

Acclaimed Telugu film lyricist and dialogue writer Vennelakanti Rajeswara Prasad, 64, passed away in Chennai on Tuesday due to cardiac arrest. Popular as ‘Vennelakanti’, the lyricist wrote as many as 2,000 songs.

The Tollywood film industry mourned the passing away of the 64-year-old. Hailing from Nellore in AP, Vennelakanti was introduced to the film industry in 1986 with the flick ‘Sri Rama Chandrudu’ directed by Bhaskar Rao, went on to pen lyrics for several hit films.

Writer Paruchuri Gopalakrishna said he was shocked at the passing away of Vennekanti, whom he considered an elder brother. He expressed his condolences to the bereaved family. “We have lost a gem of a writer,” said lyricist Raj Kandukuri.

A bank employee, Vennelakanti forayed into movies, as his father ‘Pratibha’ Koteshwara Rao was also associated with the film industry. Some of his songs include ‘Maatarani Mounamidi’ from the film ‘Maharshi’, ‘China damme’ in ‘Simhadri’, ‘Hrudayam Ekkadunnadhi’ from ‘Ghajini’, and ‘Konda Konallo’ from ‘Swati Kiranam’. The final rites of Vennelakanti will take place in Chennai on Wednesday.