Fish Venkat, ‘DJ Tillu’ fame Telugu actor, dies at 53 from kidney failure
Telugu actor Fish Venkat passed away on July 18, at the age of 53 after battling kidney-related ailments, Telangana Today reported. He breathed his last at a hospital in Hyderabad on Friday.
The renowned comedian had been struggling with severe kidney issues for the past few months, but his condition deteriorated further, and he was admitted into intensive care despite ongoing dialysis. Doctors had suggested an immediate kidney transplant when he was put on ventilator support, but suitable kidney donor could not be found in time and due to limitations of medical interventions he died due to kidney failure.
He was known for playing comedy and villainous roles in several Tollywood films, including Gabbar Singh, Adhurs, DJ Tillu, Kushi, Dhee, Bunny, Dhee and Mirapakay.
Fish Venkat, whose real name is Venkat Raj, earned the name ‘fish’ due to his Telangana dialect. His most recent acting foray was with Aha thriller film “Coffee with a Killer.”
The breakthrough in his career came under the mentorship of the late director Dasari Narayana Rao, who introduced him in the film Sammakka Sarakka. Synonymous with sharp comedic timing and expressive supporting roles, Venkat acted in over 100 movies during his lifetime — carving out a lasting niche in the entertainment industry.
Amid intensifying health crisis of Venkat, his family struggled to provide for his treatment. His daughter Shravanthi had made a public appeal for monetary assistance as the amount required for Venkat’s transplant was out of their budget.
In an interview with One India, Shravanthi had revealed that they needed approximately ₹50 lakh for kidney transplant.
