Popular actor Vijaya Rangaraju, who played villainous roles in Telugu, passed away. He was suffering from illness for some time and breathed his last while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Chennai on Monday. He died of a heart attack. Vijaya Rangaraju was injured in a movie shooting in Hyderabad a week ago and went to Chennai for treatment. He died of a heart attack while receiving treatment there. Rangaraju has entertained in Telugu and Tamil films in villain and supporting roles. 'Seetha Kalyanam' directed by Bapu is Rangaraju's first movie as an actor but it was the film 'Bhairava Dweepam' in which Balayya was the hero that brought him good fame as an actor. He got good applause for his performance in this movie. His entry to Mollywood was as a cold-hearted villain in Vietnam colony in 1992. His portrayal of Rowther in Vietnam colony still holds cult status after 33 years.

The second turning point of Vijay Rangaraju's career can be said to be 'Yagnam'. He was popular as a villain in this movie and then entertained with a series of movies. He also played good roles in Kannada films. Rangaraj was proficient in weight lifting and body building.