Telugu actor Jayaprakash Reddy passes away
Amaravati: Veteran Telugu stage and film actor Jayaprakash Reddy died of heart attack at his residence in Guntur on Tuesday. He was 74 and survived by wife and a son, family sources said. He collapsed inside the bathroom on Tuesday morning and breathed his last.
Jayaprakash Reddy, popularly known as JP, began his career as a school teacher. His passion for acting drove him towards the stage and he played varied roles in countless dramas. He then attracted the attention of Telugu film industry and a variety of roles came his way.
Be it a hardcore villain or a comedian, JP fit into the roles with effortless ease and enthralled the audience. As a villain, he earned a unique identity speaking the Rayalaseema accent of Telugu, a novelty that became his USP and elevated the typical 'Seema' factionist.
JP acted in more than 100 films along side the top heroes of Telugu films like Chiranjeevi, Balakrishna, Nagarjuna, Venkatesh, Pawan Kalyan and Mahesh Babu. He also acted in a few movies in Kannada and Tamil.
His last film was 'Sarileru Neekevvaru' in Telugu, produced by Anil Sunkara.
Though busy as a movie actor, JP never quit the theatre and actively continued playing roles in stage dramas. He performed a monologue as Alexander and won wide appreciation.
He also started the JP's Monthly Drama Sabha In Guntur city and encouraged theatre.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, film personalities and others expressed grief over JP's demise.
"Jayaprakash created a special place for himself in the film land through his inimitable dialogue delivery and mannerisms," the Chief Minister said in a statement. Chandrababu Naidu said JP's death was a deep loss to the Telugu film industry.
"Telugu theatre has lost a father-figure," he added. They extended sympathies to the bereaved family.
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Like Rohit and Virat, Sanju can''t be replaced: Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag
Jaipur (PTI): Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag on Thursday said Sanju Samson's void cannot be filled in his side, likening the challenge to replacing stalwarts like Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli.
Sanju, who led the Royals from 2021 to 2025, was traded to Chennai Super Kings in a pre-season move, with Ravindra Jadeja coming in as part of the deal.
"If you talk about Sanju bhaiya, we never think about replacing the kind of player he is," Parag told reporters in a pre-season press conference here.
"We can perhaps look for someone with a similar skillset or have someone bat in his position...
"It’s like there is no replacement for Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma... In the same way, there is no replacement for Sanju bhaiya because he is such a good player,” Parag said.
Having represented the franchise for 11 years across two stints, Sanju was RR's most successful captain and leading run-scorer, having guided them to the IPL 2022 final and the playoffs in 2024.
His stature has only grown manifold following a stellar T20 World Cup campaign, where he struck three successive match-defining half-centuries to power India to a historic treble and title defence.
India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final with Sanju being adjudged the Player-of-the-Tournament.
Rajasthan Royals had a forgettable last season, enduring 10 defeats to finish ninth in the 10=team standings.
Parag, who has been picked as the captain following Sanju's exit, said RR lost far too many close matches last year and the 2008 winners need better strategy and planning.
“This year, the focus is to plan better and finish games, which we couldn’t do in the previous edition," he said.
"We need to plan well. Last year, there were about 5-6 games which we lost in the last over or even on the last ball. Had we been able to convert those, or had we calculated better, this question (if RR would try anything new) would not have been asked because we would have qualified (for knockouts) by winning those matches," he said.
"I think that in every T20 game, there are 3-4 decisions that you have to make which change the course of the game. If we take those small decisions with strategy and planning, this year will be different," Parag added.
He further expressed his gratitude to the franchise for keeping their faith in him despite several seasons of struggle.
"I was here when I was just 17 and I have seen all the ups and downs, though more downs than ups till now. I want to thank Rajasthan Royals for supporting me and understanding the cricketer I am,” Parag said.
Sangakkara backs Parag -- the skipper
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The Royals’ director of cricket and head coach Kumar Sangakkara said he has always “admired” Parag as a cricketer and he was picked as a skipper after a robust round of interviews with other candidates.
"It was about trying to find the best person who can lead the Rajasthan Royals. I (first) met Riyan when he was a teenager and have admired him as a cricketer. He's right (when he says) he has gone through a lot and seen a lot," Sangakkara said.
"The most striking thing for me was (to see) how reflective and mature he has become."
“To select a captain once Sanju decided to leave, it was very important that we explore all options. We had shortlisted some candidates that we had a very strict interview process for. Riyan knows the questions were hard. At the end of the day Manoj (Badale) and I sat down and it was evident that the right choice to lead Rajasthan was Riyan,” Sangakkara added.
