Megastar Chiranjeevi has said he had hoped for advanced treatment for noted Telugu lyricist and poet Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry who passed away on Tuesday due to lung cancer at the age of 66.

Chiranjeevi, who has very closely worked with Sastry on many movies, was there at the hospital on the day of his death, as the body of the late lyricist was handed over to his family.

Speaking to the media, Chiranjeevi expressed his shock.

“Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry’s loss is personal. He called me up even before he was about to leave for the hospital on November 24. We spoke for about 20 minutes. He assured me that he would come back from the hospital soon. As we spoke about the treatment, we both had decided to get him treated in Chennai after he recovers a bit. But my friend never came back,” a teary-eyed Chiranjeevi said.

“A person who was full of confidence that he would return to get better treatment, a person who was all well, except that he had uneasiness, a person who spoke to me for such a long time, is no more. How can anyone leave so abruptly?” Chiranjeevi said.

Chiranjeevi’s statement on his Twitter timeline conveys, “Today is a dark day for literature.”

Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry’s final rites were conducted at his residence, as hundreds of his fans and celebrities mourn the death of the legendary writer.