Veteran actor Kota Srinivasa Rao passed away in the early hours of Sunday at his home in Hyderabad. According to reports, the actor has been facing health problems related to his age. The actor was 83.
The actor made his debut in 1978 with the film Pranam Khareedu. In his 45 year career, he went on to act in films of the Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, and the Malayalam film industry, in roles of villainous, comedic, or dramatic stature.
In the Telugu film industry the actor is regarded as a legend with diverse experience playing all kinds of roles. His iconic portrayal as the miser Lakshmipati in Aha Naa Pellanti (1987) won him many accolades. He is regarded for his roles in Repati Porulu (1986), Siva (1986), Hello Brother (1993), Anaganaga Oka Roju (1997), Rakta Charitra (2010), and S/O Satyamurthy (2015). He received Padma Sri in 2015. His negative characters in films like Athadu (2015) and Leader (2010) are fondly remembered.
Apart from the Telugu film industry, the actor also made a mark in the Tamil Film Industry. He made his Tamil debut in the Vikram-starrer Saamy (2003), in which he portrayed the memorable villain, Perumal Pichai. He went on to star in films like, Thirupaachi (2005), Ko (2010), Saguni (2012), All in All Azhagu Raja (2017), and Maragadha Naanayam (2017).
Apart from acting, Kota Srinivasa Rao was also a politician. He represented the Vijayawada East constituency as a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of Andhra Pradesh, from 1999 to 2004.
