Eminent mimicry artiste Nerella Venu Madhav dies at 85
Renowned mimicry and ventriloquism artiste Nerella Venu Madhav, 85, died today at his residence in Telangana's Warangal. His son, Radhakrishna, said Madhav was suffering from illness for some time and breathed his last at around 11.30am. He is survived by his wife, two sons, and two daughters. He was the first Indian mimicry and ventriloquism artiste to have performed at the UN headquarters.
Venu Madhav was a recipient of the Padma Shri
Born on December 28, 1932, in Mattewada of Warangal, Venu Madhav was honored with the Padma Shri award in 2001. He had served as a nominated Member of Legislative Council of Andhra Pradesh from 1972 to 1978.
Telangana CM Rao offers condolences to Venu Madhav's family
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed deep condolences on Venu Madhav's demise. Rao described Venu Madhav as someone who brought name and fame to the art of mimicry. "In his death, the world has lost a great personality," Rao said. Rao said he had issued instructions to the Chief Secretary to arrange for state honors during the funeral of the veteran artiste.
Venu Madhav introduced syllabus for a diploma course in mimicry
The recipient of an honorary doctorate, Venu Madhav introduced the syllabus for a diploma course in mimicry for Potti Sriramulu Telugu University and had even taught the subject. He had received Kalaprapoorna award from Andhra University and the honor of Gajarohanam. In December 2017, a special postal cover was released as a tribute to Venu Madhav for his contribution to the art of mimicry.
