Hyderabad, Dec 8 (IANS): Telugu film actor, comedian and television star Dharmavarapu Subramanyam, 53, passed away Saturday. He lost his fight against cancer, said southern star Siddharth.

"Dharmavarapu Subramanyam lost his fight against cancer today (Saturday). Intelligent, caring, and wise gentleman. Gone too soon sir. This is so sad," the actor tweeted.

"Prayers for Dharmavarapu Subramanyam. God give his family strength," Siddharth, known for his role in Hindi blockbuster "Rang De Basanti", shared the information through his tweet on his Twitter handle - Actor_Siddharth.

A popular name in Telugu films, Dharmavarapu was known for his perfect timing. After starting his career with "Jayammu Nischayammu Raa", he acted in about 80 movies, including "Shadow", "Dookudu", "Kathi Kantha Rao" and "Mahesh Kaleja" and carved a niche for himself.

He was equally popular on the small screen, thanks to shows like "Adando Brahma".

Siddharth worked with the late actor in films such as "Jabardasht" and "Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana".

"Worked with Dharmavarapu in many films. Always a pleasure to be around. He was getting better six months ago. The relapse was too much," posted Siddharth.