Hyderabad: Tollywood has been struck by yet another tragedy with the passing of popular character actor Fish Venkat. He died a short while ago while undergoing treatment for kidney-related complications at a private hospital in Chandanagar, Hyderabad. Family members confirmed that his condition had worsened over the past few days and he breathed his last during treatment.
According to his family, both of Venkat’s kidneys had failed. Two days ago, his daughter informed the media that a kidney transplant was urgently required, but the family lacked the financial means to proceed. She had appealed for assistance from donors, but the actor sadly passed away before any help could reach them.
Fish Venkat, whose real name was Mangalampalli Venkatesh, gained the nickname “Fish Venkat” from his early work as a fish trader in Musheerabad market. He entered the film industry with the support of late actor Srihari and gained recognition through a film directed by V.V. Vinayak.
Venkat featured in over 100 Telugu films as a comedian, character artist, and minor antagonist. He was widely appreciated for his performances in films such as Aadi, Dil, Bunny, Attarintiki Daredi, and DJ Tillu, among others.