Veteran Telugu actor Chalapathi Rao passes away aged 78
What's the story
Veteran Telugu film actor Chalapathi Rao died on Sunday morning after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Hyderabad residence. The actor, who was known for his portrayal of negative roles, was 78. In a career spanning five decades, Rao acted in over 600 films. He also produced a few movies under the RC Creations banner. We pray for his soul to rest in peace.
Details
Telugu film industry in a state of shock
As per The Times of India, Rao was suffering from health-related issues for quite some time and was away from acting, too. He is survived by his wife, Indumati, and three children. Actor-filmmaker Ravi Babu is his son. Tollywood is in a state of shock as two veteran actors passed away within three days. Earlier, Kaikala Satyanarayana died due to age-related ailments on Friday.
Reaction
Fans, industry colleagues send condolences
Following Rao's demise, Twitter has been flooded with condolence messages from fans and his industry colleagues. Many fans hailed him as one of the finest and boldest actors in the Telugu film industry. A user tweeted, "Finest and boldest actor of the past and present generation. Miss you and your apt roles Om Shanti." Another user said 2022 was a terrible year for Tollywood.
Journey
Rao's journey in Tollywood
Rao was born in 1944 in Baliparru, Andhra Pradesh. His foray into films happened with Sr. NTR's encouragement and debuted with Gudachari 116 (1966). He was known for his negative and supporting roles. The veteran actor shared the screen space with many stalwarts of the Telugu industry, including Krishna, Akkineni Nagarjuna and Chiranjeevi, among others. He has worked with three generations of actors.
Notable Works
Career spanning over 5 decades
Rao's notable works include Yuga Purushudu, Akbar Salim Anarkali, Justice Chowdary, Bobbili Puli, Arundhati, and Dammu, among many others. He also produced films like Kaliyuga Krishnudu, Jagannatakam, Rakhtam Chindina Raatri, and Presidentigari Alludu to name a few. His last film was Bangarraju (2022), which starred Naga Chaitanya, Nagarjuna, Ramya Krishnan, and Krithi Shetty. Rao also entered the OTT space with ZEE5's Chadarangam (2020).