In a way, Mahesh made of the day something of a cause for celebration with his posts. It was the kind of gesture that ripples through the fan base. He put a fine point on things, and then you had everyone from relatives to public figures coming on board to pay their respects to a legacy that is still very much alive.
Why the remembrance hit differently
Krishna isn’t just a name in the past for most people; he is the blueprint for what a Telugu star is. An actor, director and producer who put in over 350 films and was made a Padma Bhushan in 2009, he may have left us on November 15, 2022, but you can watch his work and it doesn’t feel like it was made decades ago.
Then there was the side of him away from the sets. He was in the Lok Sabha back in 1989 and didn’t put an end to his political career until 2012. A life so much in the open, in both the constituency and in front of the camera, is what made him Superstar Krishna in the eyes of many.
Family voices take centre stage
Mahesh went with a no-nonsense approach on X, putting up a picture with his dad and a line: ‘Forever my hero….Happy Birthday Nanna.’ There’s a directness to it that you can’t help but connect with. It’s what any son would say, only this one is from the top of the food chain in Tollywood.
His wife Namrata Shirodkar put up a black-and-white of him with the words, ‘Remembering you with love always. Happy birthday Mamayya!’ The fans were quick to offer their well-wishes, in a way making the family’s tribute their own as well.
You had Naresh, his stepson, talking up the icon’s hold on the industry and the millions who are still into his films. And Sudheer Babu, whose wife is Krishna’s daughter Priyadarshini, put in a word of thanks for the man who has been a source of inspiration for him.
The way the tributes played out online:
– Mahesh Babu: ‘Forever my hero’ to start it off
– A classic shot from Namrata
– Naresh on how long Krishna’s influence will last
– Some good words from Sudheer Babu
Beyond cinema: leaders weigh in
It wasn’t just the in-laws and kin. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the former AP CM, put in a word for the legendary actor and the way he won over the common man. He made a point of mentioning Alluri Sitarama Raju, a role that is hard to forget.
N. Chandrababu Naidu, too, saw the bigger picture. He gave credit where it was due for the way Krishna brought in new tech and helped the industry grow. When a politician says it, it has the ring of fact to it, not just empty praise.
A legacy that keeps finding new audiences
Sure, Alluri Seetarama Raju is the one they remember for his magnetism, but he did more than that. Whether it was Gudachari 116, Mosagallaku Mosagadu or Pandanti Kapuram, he was moving between genres when it wasn’t the done thing to do.
That’s why he is still in vogue. To the young ones, it looks like he was ahead of the curve. For the old-timers, it’s a nod to when his name was enough to put on a show. These latest tributes have just put us in mind of that again.
What comes next for Mahesh Babu
While we are at it, the superstar is prepping for his own. He is in the driver’s seat for Varanasi, the time travel drama from SS Rajamouli. With Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Mandakini and Prithviraj Sukumaran as Kumbha, he is set to be on the big screen as Rudra come April 7, 2027.
You don’t have to read too much into it. When he calls his father his hero, it’s as good as a vow to live up to it. And on a day like this, that’s exactly what the rest of the industry is behind.
