Telugu cinema has lost one of its most revered voices. Siva Shakthi Datta, a lyricist, screenwriter, and painter known for his Sanskrit-infused Telugu lyrics, passed away on July 7 at his residence in Manikonda.
He was 92 and had been battling age-related health issues. The news of his passing surfaced a day later, leaving the industry in mourning.
Siva Shakthi Datta was the creative soul behind some of the most poetic and spiritually rich lyrics in Telugu cinema. He was also the father of music composer M.M. Keeravaani and the uncle of acclaimed filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli.
Superstar Chiranjeevi took to X (formerly Twitter) and remembered Datta as a “painter, scholar of Sanskrit, writer, storyteller, and multifaceted genius.” He added, “The news that Sri Siva Shakthi Datta has attained divine union has left me deeply shocked. Praying to the Almighty that his soul finds peace… My heartfelt condolences to my friend Keeravaani garu and his family.”
చిత్రకారుడు, సంస్కృత భాషా సంపన్నుడు , రచయిత, కథకుడు,బహుముఖ ప్రజ్ఞాశాలి అయిన శ్రీ శివ శక్తి దత్తా గారు శివైక్యం చెందారన్న వార్త నన్ను దిగ్భ్రాంతికి గురిచేసింది.
వారి ఆత్మకు శాంతి కలగాలని ఆ భగవంతుడ్ని ప్రార్ధిస్తూ …. మిత్రుడు కీరవాణి గారికి వారి కుటుంబ సభ్యులకు నా ప్రగాఢ…
— Chiranjeevi Konidela (@KChiruTweets) July 8, 2025
Actor Mahesh Babu also visited the family in person to offer his respects.
Born with an intense passion for the arts, Datta initially pursued painting and Sanskrit scholarship before immersing himself in cinema. His journey in the film industry began with his younger brother V. Vijayendra Prasad (now a celebrated screenwriter), as the duo shifted to Madras to chase their cinematic dreams.
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Early attempts, like a film titled ‘Pillanagrovi’, halted due to financial setbacks. But fate soon intervened.
Thanks to a connection with filmmaker K. Raghavendra Rao via Samatha Arts, Datta and Prasad started receiving small writing assignments. Their breakthrough came in 1988 with ‘Janaki Ramudu’, which turned out to be a commercial success.
From there, Datta carved a niche with his distinct lyrical style that brought classical Sanskrit aesthetics into mainstream Telugu film songs.
His most iconic works include lyrics for ‘Sye’, ‘Chatrapathi’, ‘Rajanna’, and the epic sagas ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’, ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’, and ‘RRR’. Most recently, he lent his words to ‘Hanu-Man’. For “Mamathala Thalli” from ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’, he was even nominated for Best Lyricist at IIFA Utsavam.