Old-timers used to admire NT Rama Rao, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Superstar Krishna, handsome hero Sobhan Babu and Rebel Star Krishnam Raju for the world. They were the Big Five of the black-and-white and Eastman Colour eras. Today marks the day when the last thespian from that epoch passed away.

NTR and ANR were the biggest stars of their era, with the former reaching commanding heights on the back of his theatrical performances in mythologicals. He was the first of the legends to breathe his last. It was said that ANR, his long-time friend, saw in his premature death a cautionary tale that politics has to be avoided for one's own good.

Shoban Babu breathed his last in 2008. Krishnam Raju died on September 11 this year. Krishna, the evergreen hero from that era, died today.

While it is true that their female contemporaries were great artists, it's unquestionably the male stardom that is regarded as the biggest cinematic glory in terms of fandom.

The five big male stars shall be remembered for the vast number of classics they left behind. And their fans will continue to see them in their descendants/successors (with the exception of Shoban Babu, whose children have always stayed away from movies): Nandamuri Balakrishna, Jr NTR, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Naga Chaitanya, Akhil, Mahesh Babu, and Prabhas.