Naidu, Telangana CM Rao condole death of Balachander

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao, Union Minister Y S Chowdary and several other leaders and Telugu film personalities condoled the death of veteran film-maker K Balachander in Chennai today.

Recalling Balachander's distinct style of film-making and focus on social themes, Naidu said the ace film director admired Visakhapatnam in coastal Andhra a lot.

"It is unfortunate that he passed away without seeing the transformed city of his dreams," Naidu said in a message.

Balachander's 'Maro Charitra' ('Ek Duje Ke Liye' in Hindi) has been one of the finest films in Telugu, Naidu said.

Chandrasekhar Rao said Balachander is among the directors who set high standards in southern films.

Chowdary, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, hailed Balachander's contribution to the film industry.

YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and several other leaders also condoled the death of Balachander.

A number of Telugu film personalities recalled the genius of Balachander and their association with him.

Balachander, a recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, died in Chennai today at a private hospital after prolonged illness.