(This article is authored by Alar)

The veteran actor, who has acted in over 200 films in Telugu and Tamil, was hospitalised in Hyderabad due to age-related issues. His sister urged people not to believe the rumours circulating on social media.

In a shocking incident, popular actor Sarath Babu became a victim of an internet death hoax on Wednesday. Several social media users and some media outlets reported that the actor had passed away due to a serious illness. However, his family members dismissed the rumours and said that he was alive and recovering.

Sarath Babu’s sister issued a statement to the media and said that her brother was shifted from the ICU to the general ward and his condition was improving. She also requested everyone not to spread or believe the false news on social media.

“All the news about Sarath Babu on social media are coming wrong. He has recovered a bit and the room has been shifted. I hope that he will recover completely soon and talk to the media. My request is don’t believe any news on social media,” she said.

According to sources, Sarath Babu was in Bengaluru until a couple of weeks back. After his health deteriorated, he was rushed to Hyderabad for better treatment. He is currently being treated at the AIG Hospital in Gachibowli for multi-organ failure. He reportedly contracted sepsis, which affected the functioning of his kidneys, lungs, liver and other organs. Sepsis is also known as blood poisoning and it is a response of the immune system to an infection. This is Sarath Babu’s second hospitalisation in recent weeks.

Earlier, he was admitted to a hospital in Chennai. Sarath Babu, whose real name is Satyam Babu Dixithulu, made his acting debut in the Telugu movie Rama Rajyam in 1973. He entered Tamil cinema four years later with K. Balachander’s film Pattina Pravesam. He has acted in over 200 films in Telugu and Tamil, playing various roles such as hero, villain, comedian and character artiste.

He has also worked with many leading actors and directors of South Indian cinema. Some of his notable films include Nenjathai Killathe, Nizhalgal, Annamalai, and Muthu. His last Telugu film was Vakeel Saab in 2021, which starred Pawan Kalyan as the lead.

Sarath Babu’s death hoax also misled some celebrities who posted condolence messages on their social media pages. Actor-politician Kamal Haasan was among them who tweeted a heartfelt tribute to his friend and later deleted it after realising his mistake.