New Delhi, July 8 -- Siva Shakthi Datta passed away at the age of 92, leaving behind a rich legacy in Telugu cinema. He was known for his Sanskrit-inspired song lyrics.

Born Koduri Subbarao on 8 October 1932 in Kovvur, Andhra Pradesh, he dropped out of C. R. Reddy College in Eluru and ran away to Mumbai.

Datta was trained in fine arts at the Sir J. J. School of Art. Returning to Kovvur with a diploma, he initially took up painting under the pen name Kamalesh before renaming himself Siva Shakthi Datta. He was a multi-talented artist who also learned to play instruments like the sitar and harmonium.

Datta's songs, known for their classical depth, featured in popular films like Baahubali: The Beginning, RRR and Hanu-Man. As a lyricist, he...