Vidya Sagar Reddy aka Sagar is no more. The senior filmmaker breathed his last on Thursday morning in Chennai. He was suffering from age-related health issues.

It was in the year 1983 that Sagar made a strong debut with the film 'Rakasi Loya'. He went on to wield the megaphone for popular titles such as 'Amma Donga', 'Khaidi Brothers' and 'Stuwartspuram Dongalu'.

Sagar mostly worked with medium-range heroes and also big stars like Superstar Krishna. Actresses like Soundarya and Vijayashanthi delivered solid performances in his movies.

A number of contemporary filmmakers drew their inspiration and early technical lessons from Sagar. Star director Srinu Vaitla made a name for himself in the late 1990s after thoroughly equipping himself with knowledge under Sagar's tutelage. The likes of VV Vinayak also worked under Sagar.

In his condolence tweet, Vaitla said that Sagar will be remembered forever. "It is extremely painful to know that my guru Sagar garu is no more. He took care of all his assistants very affectionately and taught many valuable things. He was a great support for all of us," the 'Dookudu' maker tweeted.