Veteran Telugu actor Giribabu died in Hyderabad on Saturday, 14 November 2026, after a period of ill health. He was 80.
Giribabu had been admitted to KIMS Hospital in Secunderabad on 11 November for age-related health issues. He died while undergoing treatment, and the hospital released a health bulletin condoling his death.
01. What happened
Born Yerra Seshagiri Rao on 8 June 1946 in Ravinuthala village of Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, Giribabu made his film debut with Jagame Maya in 1973. News reports on Saturday put his age at 80, though some long-standing biographical records list his birth year as 1943, which would make him 83.
His family will take his mortal remains to his native village, Ravinuthala, on Saturday night.
02. A five-decade career in Telugu cinema
Giribabu acted in more than 600 films over a career that stretched across five decades, from his debut in 1973 to his last film, Anni Manchi Sakunamule, in 2023. He played heroes, villains, comic roles and character parts, and worked alongside three generations of Telugu stars.
Younger audiences knew him from films such as Athadu, Gamyam, Geetha Govindam and Jathi Ratnalu. He also worked behind the camera, producing films including Simha Garjana, Merupu Daadi and Indrajith, and directing Ranarangam, Indrajith and Nee Sukhame Ne Korukunna.
He is survived by his two sons, Raghu Babu and Bose Babu, both of whom are actors.
03. Tributes pour in
Tributes poured in from across the Telugu film industry after the news broke. Megastar Chiranjeevi shared an emotional tribute on X, saying the news had left him profoundly shocked and recalling Giribabu’s five-decade contribution to Telugu cinema.
Sources: Cinema Express, Telugu360, Gulte, Andhravilas. Photo: Giribabu at a public event in 2017 (Mahima sri, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons).
