Veteran actor Kota Srinivasa Rao passed away on Sunday following a prolonged illness. He was 83. The actor, who had once served as a BJP MLA, passed away at his residence in Filmnagar. He is survived by his wife and two daughters. He had been battling age-related health issues for the last few days. His photograph, recently shared by producer Bandla Ganesh on social media, had shocked the fans.
Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu pens tribute
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister took to social media to pen a tribute for the late actor. He wrote in Telugu, “The demise of the renowned actor Kota Srinivasa Rao, who won the affection of cinema audiences with his versatile roles, is deeply saddening. His artistic contributions to the fields of cinema and theater over nearly four decades, and the roles he portrayed, will remain unforgettable. The numerous memorable roles he played as a villain and character artist will forever stay etched in the hearts of Telugu audiences. His passing is an irreparable loss to the Telugu film industry. In 1999, he won as an MLA from Vijayawada and served the public. I express my profound condolences to his family members.”
వైవిధ్యభరితమైన పాత్రలతో సినీ ప్రేక్షకుల అభిమానాన్ని చూరగొన్న ప్రముఖ నటులు కోట శ్రీనివాసరావు గారి మరణం విచారకరం. సుమారు నాలుగు దశాబ్దాల పాటు సినీ, నాటక రంగాలకు ఆయన చేసిన కళా సేవ, ఆయన పోషించిన పాత్రలు చిరస్మరణీయం. విలన్ గా, క్యారెక్టర్ ఆర్టిస్ట్ గా ఆయన పోషించిన ఎన్నో మధురమైన… pic.twitter.com/4C6UL29KPR
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) July 13, 2025
Leading film personalities and political leaders in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have condoled Srinivasa Rao’s death.
About Kota Srinivasa Rao
In a career spanning over four decades, he acted in more than 750 films in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada languages. Known for a unique voice and dialogue delivery, he played a variety of roles, mainly villain and comedian.
Born in Kanakipadu of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh on July 10, 1942, Kota Srinivasa Rao was a stage artist before making his debut as an actor in 1978 with ‘Pranam Khareedu’ starring Chiranjeevi in the lead.
In the initial phase of his career, he played characters and comic roles and went on to establish himself as a villain with Pratighatana (1985). He is seen as an actor who redefined the antagonist on the screen. He was popular for speaking Telugu in different dialects flawlessly. Kota Srinivasa Rao acted with top Tollywood actors, including superstar Krishna, Chiranjeevi, Balakrishna, Nagarjuna, Venkatesh, Mahesh Babu and Pawan Kalyan.
Aha! Naa Pellanta, Yamudiki Mogudu, Khaidi No. 786, Shiva, Bobbili Raja, Yamaleela, Bommarillu, Santosham, Athadu and Race Gurram were some of the films which brought him fame.
Srinivasa Rao acted in about 60 films with popular comedian Babu Mohan. At one time, the pair was considered a guarantee for a film’s success. Srinivasa Rao was also a recipient of several awards, including the Padma Shri and Nandi Awards. In 2015, he was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to Indian cinema. The actor also served as a BJP MLA from Vijayawada East Assembly constituency from 1999 to 2004.
He had lost his only son, Kota Venkata Anjaneya Prasad, in a road accident in Hyderabad in 2010.
(with inputs from agencies)
