Telugu actor and comedian Fish Venkat passed away on Friday, July 18, 2025, at the age of 53. Reportedly, he was suffering from kidney disease and breathed his last at a hospital in Hyderabad. Fish Venkat, whose real name was Venkat Raj, was admitted to the hospital after he suffered kidney failure, and the actor was in the ICU in need of a kidney transplant.
A few days ago, Venkat’s daughter, Sravanthi, had told One India that the treatment of his father would cost Rs. 50 lakh, and Prabhas’ team had offered them financial support. She had stated, “Daddy isn’t well at all. He is very serious and in the ICU. He needs a kidney transplant. It will cost us at least ₹50 lakh. Prabhas’ assistant called us and offered financial assistance. They asked us to inform them when his transplant happens to cover the cost."
However, later a family member of the actor had spoken to Suman TV and revealed that the call was fake and they didn't receive any help from Prabhas. The family member said, “Actually, nothing like that happened. We have been answering every call we get to see if anyone can help us. Some unknown person called us pretending to be Prabhas Anna’s assistant. We found out after that it was a fake call. He doesn’t even know something like this is happening. We have not received any financial help yet."

Who Was Fish Venkat?
The actor was born in Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh. He started his career with the 2000 release Sammakka Sarakka and was known for his amazing comic timing. In his career spanning more than two decades, Fish Venkat starred in many popular films like Kushi, Bunny, Adhurs, Gabbar Singh, DJ Tillu, and others.
We at The Free Press Journal pray that his soul rests in peace.