Thotakura Somaraju aka Raj is no more. Old-timers will tell you how famous his musical albums in partnership with Koti were in the 1980s and 1990s.
In a rich tribute on Sunday, Koti said that Raj's work will forever be etched in the hearts of the audience. "I am unable to digest the news of dear Raj's demise. Raj seemed perfectly fine only recently when I crossed paths with him at a movie event. It is deeply saddening to learn that he died of a heart attack," Koti wrote, recalling that he and Raj gave a number of chartbusters.
"No matter how many films I did on my own after we parted ways, the audience saw them as the works of the Raj-Koti duo. We both worked tirelessly. We had worked as assistants under Chakravarthy garu," Koti said, citing Chiranjeevi's 'Mutha Mestri' and Nagarjuna's 'Hello Brother' among their notable hits.
Saying that he and
Raj set a trend in Telugu cinema,
Koti recalled that he and his long-time partner had to part ways due to some external influences, time and inevitable circumstances.
