Tollywood was plunged into mourning on Saturday night with the passing of veteran filmmaker Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, who died at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai at the age of 94. Rao, who enriched Indian cinema with numerous memorable films over a career spanning more than five decades, had been undergoing treatment for age-related ailments at the time of his death.
A prolific director, writer, storyteller and producer, Rao helmed nearly 60 films across Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi, collaborating with leading stars including Kamal Haasan and Balakrishna on several blockbuster hits. His body of work earned him multiple National Film Awards, Nandi Awards and Filmfare Awards, besides the Film Federation of India’s Life Achievement Award in 2011.
He was widely regarded as one of Indian cinema’s most innovative filmmakers, known throughout his career for pushing creative boundaries. He directed the dialogue-free comedy “Pushpaka Vimanam” even during the era of talkies, a venture that became a landmark in Indian cinema. He also introduced the concept of time travel to Telugu audiences decades ahead of its time with “Aditya 369,” employing inventive lens tricks to create visual illusions in an era without computer graphics — a feat still fondly remembered by cinema audiences.
In a remarkable final chapter to his career, Rao recently directed “Sing Geetham,” an all-musical film in which even the dialogues were rendered through song, a first of its kind in Indian cinema. Presented by director Nag Ashwin under the Vyjayanthi Movies banner, the film, released earlier this year, turned out to be his last directorial work. Tributes poured in from across the film industry, including from Kamal Haasan and SS Rajamouli, with many describing him as a visionary whose fearless experimentation helped shape Indian cinema.