Suresh Kavirayani
Versatile actor Kota Srinivasa Rao passed away early Sunday morning at 4 a.m. at his residence in Film Nagar. He was 83 years old and had acted in more than 750 films across Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi languages.
Born on July 10, 1942, in Kankipadu, Krishna district, Kota Srinivasa Rao made his film debut with Pranam Khareedu in 1978. He married Rukmini in 1968 and is survived by two daughters. His son, Kota Prasad, tragically passed away in a road accident on June 21, 2010 — a devastating loss for Kota, from which he never fully recovered.
Before entering films, Kota worked at the State Bank of India for many years. He was one of the few actors who transitioned from theatre to cinema. During his time at SBI, he actively participated in stage plays and received critical acclaim for his performances. Thanks to his strong theatre background, Kota became one of the finest and most versatile actors in Telugu cinema, earning a legendary status through his top-notch performances.
Kota Srinivasa Rao won nine Nandi Awards for his acting in the following films: Prathighatana (1985), Gaayam (1993), Theerpu (1994), Little Soldiers (1996), Ganesh (1998), Chinna (2000), Prudhvi Narayana (2002), Aa Naluguru (2004), and Pellaina Kothalo (2006). In 2015, he was honored with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award. He also served as an MLA from Vijayawada East constituency representing the Bharatiya Janata Party from 1999 to 2004.
Kota began his film career playing supporting roles and villains, but his performance in Prathighatana showcased his versatility and established him as one of the prominent figures in Telugu cinema. Known for his impeccable delivery and command over accents, he was among the first to bring the Telangana dialect to mainstream Telugu films through Prathighatana. Director Kranthi Kumar introduced him to the silver screen with Pranam Khareedu, and from there, Kota went on to appear in over 750 films.
