Kumar Vatti, who made his directorial debut with Sree Vishnu and Chitra Shukla's Maa Abbayi, has passed away due to COVID-19 related complications on Thursday in Narasannapeta village in Srikakulam. He was 39. Kumar Vatti reportedly contracted COVID-19 on the sets of Mahesh Babu's Sarkaru Vaari Paata wherein he is working as an associate director to its filmmaker Parasuram Petla.

Crazy rumours haunt 'RRR' non-stop

"Kumar Vatti was suffering from severe fever and has moved to his native place, Narasannapeta, a few days ago. His COVID-19 test result came positive and ever since, he was admitted to a private hospital in Srikakulam for coronavirus treatment. He went under a ventilator and was showing signs of recovery. He was given plasma therapy and during the process, he suffered cardiac arrest and breathed his last on Thursday," says a source close to the development.

Anchor Syamala's husband out on bail

Kumar Vatti is a close friend of Parasuram with whom he had worked in films like Anjaneyulu, Solo and Sarocharu. He also worked with renowned editor Marthand K Venkatesh as an assistant editor for 35 films. He recently prepared a script and has signed an agreement with a producer. At a time when an official announcement about his second film was to come, he succumbed to COVID-19.