Tollywood mourns as veteran actor Kota Srinivasa Rao passes away at 83

Veteran Telugu actor Kota Srinivasa Rao passed away in Hyderabad on Sunday at the age of 83. With a career that spanned over five decades, he acted in more than 750 films across Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema. Some of his most memorable works include Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum, S/O Satyamurthy, Ganesh, Sarkar, and Siva. He also served as the MLA for Vijayawada East in Andhra Pradesh from 1999 to 2004. His death has led to an outpouring of grief from fans and celebrities alike, including heartfelt tributes from Chiranjeevi and director SS Rajamouli.

A career spanning five decades and 750 films

Born in 1942 in present-day Andhra Pradesh, Kota Srinivasa Rao made his acting debut with the 1978 film Pranam Khareedu. He ventured into Tamil cinema with Saamy in 2003, followed by his Hindi debut in Sarkar in 2005. His Kannada debut came with the 2003 film Raktha Kanneeru, and he appeared in Malayalam cinema in the 2011 film The Train. Recognised for his immense contribution to Indian cinema, he was honoured with the Padma Shri award in 2015.

Outpouring of tributes from the film industry

Tributes have poured in from fans, colleagues, and fellow actors. On X, Chiranjeevi wrote, “The void left by an actor like Sri Kota Srinivasa Rao is one that the film industry and cinephiles will never overcome. Praying for peace to his soul, I express my profound condolences to his family members, well-wishers, and fans.”

SS Rajamouli added, “Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Kota Srinivasa Rao garu. A master of his craft, a legend who breathed life into every character he portrayed. His presence on screen was truly irreplaceable. My heartfelt condolences to his family. Om Shanti.”

Other celebrities, including Ravi Teja, Vishnu Manchu, and SS Karthikeya, also shared their tributes. Kota Srinivasa Rao is survived by his wife Rukmini and their two daughters.