Telugu poet Sirivennela Sitaram Shastri passes away

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the sudden demise of noted Telugu poet and film lyricist Sirivennela Sitaram Shastri. In a tweet, Shri Modi said that his poetry and versatility can be seen in many of his works.

The Prime Minister said that Shri Shastri made several efforts to popularize Telugu. Shri Modi has expressed his condolences to the family and friends of Sirivennela Sitaram Shastri.

Sirivennela Sitaram Shastri passed away last evening at a private hospital in Hyderabad. Shastri, 66, was suffering from lung cancer. He wrote about three thousand songs for more than eight hundred films. The central government honored him with the Padma Shri in 2019. Prior to this, he was awarded the Nandi Award of the state government 11 times.