Padma Shri recipient Kota Srinivasa Rao dies at 83 — All to know about ‘Teerpu’ actor known for his iconic villain roles

Kota Srinivasa Rao death: Legendary Telugu film actor and former BJP MLA Kota Srinivasa Rao passed away at the age of 83 at his residence in Filmnagar in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. On July 10, he marked his 83rd birthday.

All you need to know about ‘Shiva’ actor

Born in 1942 in Kankipadu, Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, the actor debuted in the entertainment industry with ‘Pranam Khareedhu’ in 1978. During his college years, he participated in plays while pursuing Bachelor of Science degree. Before entering the film industry, he worked as a State Bank employee.

He featured in over 750 films over a period spanning more than four decades. In addition to working in Telugu cinema, he also took up roles in Tamil, Kannada and Hindi movies. Known for villainous roles, his exceptional acting skills were recognised several times. He was honoured with nine state Nandi Awards and SIIMA Award for his work in Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum.

Besides this, he received the Padma Shri in 2015, India’s fourth highest civilian honour, for his contribution to Indian cinema. Apart from an illustrious career in film industry, he played significant role in politics and served as a political leader between 1999 and 2004 after he was elected as the MLA from Vijayawada East.

The legendary actor redefined negative roles and had worked opposite several superstars, including Chiranjeevi, Mahesh Babu, Krishna, Balakrishna, Nagarjuna, Pawan Kalyan, Allu Arjun, Venkatesh and Sai Dharam Tej. He garnered widespread acclaim for his role in one of Ram Charan’s hit films Naayak, released in 2013.

Kota Srinivasa Rao’s famous movies

Kota Srinivasa Rao drew fame for his work in some of the critically acclaimed movies, including Pratighatana (1985), Gaayam (1993), Teerpu (1994), Little Soldiers (1996), Ganesh (1998), Chinna (2001), Prudhvi Narayana (2002), Aa Naluguru (2004) and Pellaina Kothalo (2006).