Veteran comedian of Telugu cinema, Padmanabham, passed away in Chennai this morning. The 79-year-old actor succumbed to a heart attack. Born Basavaraju Venkata Padmanabha Rao on 21 August 1931 in Simhadripuram village, Pulivendula taluk in Kadapa district, Padmanabham was a theatre artist, and film producer and director.

He began acting in 1943 when he was 12, in Maayalokam directed by Gudavalli Ramabrahmam. He has acted in almost 400 movies, alongside almost all stars of the Telugu industry throughout the '60s and '70s. He considered Shavukaaru (1949) as his first major hit; followed by Paatala Bhairavi.His directorial ventures include Kathanayika Molla (1970) and Sri Rama Katha (1969). He won the AP Government’s award for the former. One of his last films was Tata Birla Madhyalo Laila. In September 2009, he was given the Allu Ramalingaiah National Award.