Hyderabad, May 22 : Veteran actor Sarath Babu passed away at a private hospital in Hyderabad on Monday. He was 71. Sarath Babu breathed his last at AIG Hospitals, where he was admitted last month. Family sources said he succumbed to sepsis in the whole body and multiple organ failure. The actor was brought to Hyderabad from Bengaluru on April 20 and was admitted to AIG. Under treatment for multi-organ damage, he had suffered from sepsis, which impacted functioning of kidneys, lungs, liver and other organs. His body is likely to be taken to Chennai for last rites. The news of Sarath Babu's death sent shock waves in the southern film industry. Leading film personalities and political leaders have expressed their condolences. Sarath Babu, whose real name was Satyam Babu Dixithulu, began his acting career in 1973 through Telugu film "Rama Rajyam" and later became popular with Tamil movies "Pattina Pravesam" (1977) and "Nizhal Nijamagiradhu" (1978) directed by K. Balachander. Known predominantly for his work in Telugu and Tamil movies, he acted in more than 200 films including few Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi films. He has bagged Nandi awards nine times for best acting in supporting roles. Hailing from Andhra Pradesh, Sarath Babu wanted to be a police officer but could not realise his dream because of some eyesight problem. His father wanted him to join his business but with the support of his mother, he entered the film industry and established himself as an actor. Born on July 31, 1951 in Amudalam village of Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, Sarath Babu worked with top actors like N.T. Rama Rao, Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth and Chiranjeevi. /IANS