Veteran actor Kota Srinivasa Rao dies at 83

Entertainment Jul 13, 2025

Kota Srinivasa Rao, a legend of Telugu cinema, passed away on Sunday at his Hyderabad home after a brief illness. He was 83.
With a career spanning over 40 years and more than 750 films in languages like Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam, his impact was felt across Indian cinema.

From villain to comic roles

Born in Andhra Pradesh in 1942, Rao started out in theater before making his film debut in 1978.
He became known for playing everything from villains to comic roles—think movies like Ahana Pellanta.
Beyond acting, he served as an MLA and earned honors like nine Nandi Awards and the Padma Shri in 2015.