Lakshmi Devi Kanakala
Lakshmi Devi KanakalaTwitter

Actor Rajeev Kanakala's mother Lakshmi Devi — herself a veteran actress — passed away on the morning of Saturday, February 3. Jr NTR and a host of other celebs from the Telugu film industry paid homage to the actress.

Lakshmi Devi Kanakala had been suffering from multiple age-related ailments. The actress was recently admitted to a private hospital in Hyderabad. She breathed her last while undergoing treatment at the hospital on Saturday morning. Her last rights will reportedly be performed on Sunday afternoon.

Lakshmi Devi was the wife of Devdas Kanakala. The couple acted in some hit movies. Both of them were among the most popular actors in Telugu cinema in the late 1980s. They started a film institute that ran successfully till the late 1990s. They had to shut it down after they found it tough to run due to a slowdown in business.

As an acting instructor, Lakshmi Devi played a crucial role in honing and encouraging young talents. She trained many popular actors including megastar Chiranjeevi and comedy king Allari Naresh. She made a wonderful contribution to the Telugu film industry both as an actress as well as an instructor.

Lakshmi Devi is survived by her son Rajiv Kanakala, who is married to popular anchor Suma, who is also host, singer, actress and producer.

Addressing reporters, Rajiv said on Saturday: "My mother suffered cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment in the hospital. She was a good teacher and actress. She acted in some movies, performed plays and dance recitals, and also featured in some TV serials."

The news about Lakshmi Devi's death came as a shock to many in the Telugu film industry. Movie Artistes Association (MAA) president Sivaji Raja and Secretary VK Naresh visited her residence to offer their condolences her family.

Jr NTR, Srikanth, Brahmaji and some other celebs also visited her house to pay their last tributes to her. Here are photos and videos featuring their last respect to her.

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