Legendary filmmaker Singeetham Srinivasa Rao passes away at 94 in Chennai

Legendary filmmaker Singeetham Srinivasa Rao died in Chennai on Saturday night following age-related complications at the age of 94. He made his directorial debut with Neeti Nijayiti in 1972 and went on to direct notable films across multiple genres, including Pushpaka Vimanam, Aditya 369, Mayuri, Michael Madana Kama Rajan, and Bhairava Dweepam, with his last film Sing Geetham hitting screens earlier this year. Tributes poured in from political leaders and film personalities, including Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, megastar Chiranjeevi, and actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan. Actor Jr NTR called him a visionary, while actor-producer Vishnu Manchu and actors Shiva Rajkumar, Nani, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Mahesh Babu, Vijay Deverakonda, Khushbu Sundar, Manoj Manchu, Venkatesh Daggubati, Aadi Saikumar, Sree Vishnu, and filmmakers Bobby and Sreekar shared emotional tributes. TDP MLA N Balakrishna recalled working with him on three distinct classics—Aditya 369, Bhairava Dweepam, and Sri Krishnarjuna Vijayam—and noted that Rao had previously worked as an associate for his father N T Rama Rao's films. Music composer Devi Sri Prasad also remembered his futuristic ideas and evergreen youth.

Context

Singeetham Srinivasa Rao was widely celebrated across the Indian film industry for his pioneering work and willingness to experiment with science fiction, silent comedies, and mythological dramas that pushed the boundaries of regional and national cinema. His career spanned several decades, during which he worked across multiple Indian languages and left behind a vast body of influential cinematic work.