Superstar Ravi Teja's father dies at 90; Chiranjeevi mourns demise
What's the story
Telugu superstar Ravi Teja's father, Bhupatiraju Rajagopal Raju, has passed away at the age of 90. The news was confirmed by the actor's publicists on Wednesday. Raju died on Tuesday night at Teja's Hyderabad residence due to age-related ailments. He is survived by his wife Rajya Lakshmi and two sons, including Teja and Raghu Raju. His third son, actor Bharath Raju, died in a car accident in 2017.
Details
Raju led a low-profile life
Raju was a pharmacist and led a life out of the spotlight despite his son Teja's stardom. He spent many years traveling with his family, living in various cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, and Bhopal. Even after Teja's huge success in the 2000s, Raju continued to work for years. He and his wife rarely made public appearances or spoke about their personal lives.
Condolences
Chiranjeevi shares heartfelt message
The news of Raju's death has drawn condolences from fans and members of the Telugu film industry. Megastar Chiranjeevi took to social media to mourn his demise and shared a picture with Raju as well. "I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Ravi Teja's father, Raj Gopal Raju garu... I pray for his soul to rest in peace," read his message written in Telugu.
Twitter Post
Here's what Chiranjeevi posted on X
సోదరుడు రవి తేజ నాన్నగారి మరణవార్త విని చాలా బాధపడ్డాను. అయన్ని ఆఖరిసారిగా వాల్తేర్ వీరయ్య సెట్లోకలిశాను. చాలా సరదాగా హుషారుగా మాట్లాడేవారు.
— Chiranjeevi Konidela (@KChiruTweets) July 16, 2025
ఈ కష్ట సమయంలో ఆయన కుటుంబానికి నా హృదయపూర్వక సానుభూతి. ఆయన ఆత్మకు శాంతి కలగాలని కోరుకుంటున్నాను 🙏 pic.twitter.com/uLbwQ32nPJ
Career progression
A look at Teja's career
Teja, who was born Bhupatiraju Ravi Shankar Raju, adopted his stage name in the early 1990s. He got his breakthrough with Sindhooram in 1997 after working as an assistant director on several films. In the 2000s, he established himself as a lead star and eventually became one of Telugu cinema's highest-paid actors. He was most recently seen in the 2024 film Mr. Bachchan.