Who was Venkat Raj? Telugu actor aka ‘Fish Venkat' dies at 53 after kidney-related ailment
Fish Venkat gained popularity for his comedic and villainous roles. He featured in more than 100 Telugu films. Introduced by Dasari Narayana Rao, Raj made his debut with the film Sammakka Sarakka. Known for his strong Telugu dialect, he acted in several hit films, such as Bunny, Adhurs, Dhee, and Mirapakay. His most recent film was the Aha thriller Coffee with a Killer. Fish Venkat also starred in Maa Vintha Gaadha Vinuma with Siddhu Jonnalagadda and DJ Tillu during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Venkat Raj was recently admitted to the hospital after his kidney condition deteriorated, leading to kidney failure. He was hospitalised and moved to the ICU, needing a kidney transplant.
Venkat's daughter, Sravanthi, in an interview with One India this month, said that actor Prabhas' team had extended financial support to them.
'Daddy isn't well at all. He is very serious and in the ICU. He needs a kidney transplant. It will cost us at least ₹ 50 lakh. Prabhas' assistant called us and offered financial assistance. They asked us to inform them when his transplant happens to cover the cost,' she said.
However, Venkat's family later clarified that the offer was fake.
'Actually, nothing like that happened. We have been answering every call we get to see if anyone can help us. Some unknown person called us pretending to be Prabhas Anna's assistant. We found out after that it was a fake call. He doesn't even know something like this is happening. We have not received any financial help yet,' a family member told Suman TV.
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