Choreographer Shiva Shankar Master passes away due to COVID-19; SS Rajamouli, Sonu Sood pay tribute

South India’s ace choreographer Shiva Shankar Master passed away at the age of 72 on Sunday, 28 November. He had was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Gachibowli for the past few days after he contracted a severe form of COVID-19. According to The Hindu, the  choreographer’s lungs were badly affected due to the infectious disease, following which, he was put on mechanical ventilator support. Master was admitted to AIG Hospital in Gachibowli with severe complications due to the coronavirus. Additionally, his wife Suganya and his elder son Vijay Shivashankar also tested positive for coronavirus. However, Suganya is in home isolation, while their son is currently undergoing treatment at another hospital in the city. Moreover, the ace choreographer’s younger son Ajay Shivashankar earlier this week, made an open appeal on social media for his father’s treatment seeking financial support in his treatment. As his urgent appeal went viral, many actors from the industry including Chiranjeevi, Dhanush and Sonu Sood extended financial assistance for the treatment. After the news about his death made headlines, film personalities from all industries took to social media and offered condolences to the late choreographer. Actor Chiranjeevi expressed deep shock at the untimely demise of the dance master.  Baahubali director SS Rajamouli expressed grief and added that working with him for Magadheera was a memorable experience. Even Sonu Sood shared a note on the same, writing that he was heartbroken on hearing about the demise of the ace choreographer. Shiva Shankar Master was born on 7 December, 1948, in Chennai. He was known in the film industry for his good work and dedication. The ace choreographer had worked in around 800 films covering 10 languages. For the unversed, Shiva Shankar had a strong foundation in classical dance that helped him choreograph all forms of dances. In the year 2011, his choreography for the Dheera Dheera… song in Rajamouli’s Maghadheera won him the National Award. Currently, Shiva Shankar Master is survived by his wife and two sons, Vijay and Ajay.