Legendary cinema director and writer Singeetham Srinivasa Rao died Saturday evening in Chennai at Kauvery Hospital. He was 94.
Born in Gudur in Nellore district, Rao entered the film industry at 41 with the Telugu film Neeti Nijayati in 1972, a movie that carried a moral message. Prior to that, he worked as a dialogue writer for K.V. Reddy and assisted on the groundbreaking Telugu film Mayabazar in 1957, refining his craft between those years.
He later directed films in several languages, including the dialogue‑less Pushpak Vimana starring Kamal Haasan and Amala. His filmography includes Pantulamma, Zamindaru Gari Ammayi, America Ammayi, Pilla Zamindar, Mayuri, Apoorva Sagodharargal, Michael Madana Kama Rajan, Aditya 369 and many others. Rao also acted in a few movies and composed music for some of them.
His final project, Sing Geetham, a musical‑fantasy comedy, was released in June 2026. Rao wrote and directed the film, sometimes working remotely from the studio.
