Veteran Telugu actor Kota Srinivasa Rao dies in Hyderabad

Veteran actor Kota Srinivasa Rao passed away on Sunday, July 13, following a prolonged illness. He was 83. The actor, who had once served as a BJP MLA, passed away at his residence in Filmnagar, Hyderabad. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

He had been battling age-related health issues for the last few days. His photograph, recently shared by producer Bandla Ganesh on social media, had shocked the fans. In a career spanning over four decades, he acted in more than 750 films in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada languages.

Known for a unique voice and dialogue delivery, he played a variety of roles, mainly villain and comedian. Born in Kanakipadu of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh on July 10, 1942, Kota Srinivasa Rao was a stage artist before making his debut as an actor in 1978 with Pranam Khareedu starring Chiranjeevi in the lead.

In the initial phase of his career, he played characters and comic roles and went on to establish himself as a villain with ‘Pratighatana’ (1985). He is seen as an actor who redefined the antagonist on the screen. He was popular for speaking Telugu in different dialects flawlessly.

Kota Srinivasa Rao acted with top Tollywood actors, including superstar Krishna, Chiranjeevi, Balakrishna, Nagarjuna, Venkatesh, Mahesh Babu and Pawan Kalyan. Aha! Naa Pellanta, Yamudiki Mogudu, Khaidi No. 786, Shiva, Bobbili Raja, Yamaleela, Bommarillu, Santosham, Athadu and Race Gurram were some of the films which brought him fame.

Srinivasa Rao acted in about 60 films with popular comedian Babu Mohan. At one time, the pair was considered a guarantee for a film’s success. Srinivasa Rao was also a recipient of several awards, including the Padma Shri and Nandi Awards. In 2015, he was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to Indian cinema.

The actor also served as a BJP MLA from Vijayawada East Assembly constituency from 1999 to 2004. He had lost his only son, Kota Venkata Anjaneya Prasad, in a road accident in Hyderabad in 2010.

Leading film personalities and political leaders in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have condoled Srinivasa Rao’s death.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from IANS)