Veteran Telugu actor Kota Srinivasa Rao passes away
Rao breathed his last at his residence in Filmnagar in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.
Kota Srinivasa Rao made his silver screen debut with Pranam Khareedhu in 1978. In a career spanning more than four decades, he appeared in over 750 movies across Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi cinema, earning acclaim for his villainous and character roles.
Some of his notable movies include Siva, Gaayam, Money, Satruvu, Aha Naa Pellanta, Bommarillu, Athadu, Rakta Charitra, Leader, S/O Satyamurthy, and Attarintiki Daredi. He was last seen in the Kannada film Kabzaa.
Kota Srinivasa Rao was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2015. He also won nine Nandi awards.
Celebrities, politicians and fans took to social media to mourn the demise of Kota Srinivasa Rao.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu took to X (formerly Twitter) to pay tribute to Rao. Naidu's post read, 'The passing of veteran actor Kota Srinivasa Rao, who won the hearts of film audiences through his diverse roles, is deeply saddening. His artistic contributions to cinema and theatre over nearly four decades, and the unforgettable characters he portrayed, will be remembered forever. The many memorable roles he played—as both a villain and a character actor—have left a lasting impression on Telugu audiences. His death is an irreparable loss to the Telugu film industry. In 1999, he also served the public as an MLA from Vijayawada. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family.'
Actor Ravi Teja wrote on X, 'Grew up watching him, admiring him, and learning from every performance. Kota Babai was like family to me, I cherish the lovely memories of working with him. Rest in peace, Kota Srinivasa Rao garu Om Shanti.' A fan posted, 'Be it villain, character artist, comedian, or father roles. he would effortlessly ace them all. One of the most versatile actors our industry has ever seen. The range and versatility he showcased were truly on another level. Rest in peace, legend. #KotaSrinivasaRao.'
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