Vijaya Bapineedu, the director of 'Gang Leader' and 'Khaidi No. 786', has left fond memories for Chiranjeevi. In a statement on Tuesday, the Megastar profusely remembered the late veteran.

"Today is a sad day. I am unable to believe that Bapineedu garu is no more. He used to treat me like a son and a brother. My relationship with him went beyond that of an actor-director. He was the closest to my heart. I got associated with him since 'Patnam Vacchina Pathivrathalu'. He did six films with me. He used to tell me that he would feel most comfortable and sentimental to work with me. He used to refuse to work with other heroes at times," Chiru said.

"When I moved to Hyderabad (from Chennai), it was he who gave me his guest house to stay. He got the top two floors vacated for me. I stayed there for many days. I have so many sweet memories with him. He gifted me an elephant when 'Maga Maharaju' had a 100-day run in theatres. To him, that elephant personified our love for each other. The 'Gang Leader' success was celebrated in four different towns on the same day. That was a rare record in those days. My fans have always liked him a lot. He edited and published a magazine named 'Chiranjeevi'. It used to carry my special photographs and news on me. My fans used to wait for its editions," Chiranjeevi said.