Veteran Telugu actor Kota Srinivasa Rao dies at 83: Chiranjeevi, Mahesh Babu and others mourn the loss

Pink Villa

13-07-2025

Veteran actor-politician Kota Srinivasa Rao, who played character roles in movies, left for a heavenly abode in Hyderabad on Sunday. He was 83 years old. Reportedly, Rao was undergoing treatment for a prolonged illness. Celebrities like Chiranjeevi and Mahesh Babu have mourned his loss on social media.
Chiranjeevi remembers his first film with Kota Srinivasa Rao, Mahesh Babu pays tribute
Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi took to X to mourn the loss of Kota Srinivasa Rao. Chiranjeevi penned a lengthy note while paying tribute to the late actor. In his tweet, he mentioned that his demise has "deeply saddened" him. Chiranjeevi remembered how both of them started their respective careers with Telugu film, Pranam Khareedu in 1978.
"...Be it a comedic villain, a serious villain, or a supporting character, every role he played was performed with such brilliance that it felt only he could do it justice. Recently, the personal tragedy in his family deeply affected him mentally," an excerpt from his tweet reads.
He added, "The void left by an actor like Sri Kota Srinivasa Rao is one that the film industry and cinephiles will never overcome. Praying for peace to his soul, I express my profound condolences to his family members, well-wishers, and fans."
Mahesh Babu also posted a heartfelt note after learning about Kota Srinivasa Rao's death on X. The actor expressed that this loss feels "personal". "Saddened to hear about the passing of Kota Srinivasa Rao garu.. This loss feels personal to all of us who grew up watching and learning from him…May his soul rest in peace. Sending Strength and prayers to his family," Mahesh Babu tweeted.
SS Rajamouli, Venkatesh Daggubati and Genelia Deshmukh also react
Ace filmmaker SS Rajamouli also posted condolences on X while expressing grief about Kota Srinivasa Rao's demise. In his post, the director called the late actor a "master of his craft" and a "legend". Rajamouli noted that Rao's on-screen presence was truly "irreplaceable".
Telugu actor Venkatesh Daggubati's team, actress Genelia Deshmukh, and actor Vishnu Manchu also reacted to the news of Kota Srinivasa Rao's death. Here's what they wrote on social media:
A brief about Kota Srinivasa Rao's career
Kota Srinivasa Rao worked in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam movies in his career. He made his acting debut with Pranam Khareedu. Rao starred in more than 700 films including S/O Satyamurthy, Siva, Rakta Charitra and Sarkar.