Hyderabad: Just 35 days after the demise of legendary Telugu actor Kota Srinivasa Rao, tragedy struck his family again as his wife Rukmini passed away at their residence in Hyderabad around 1 a.m. on Tuesday due to health complications. The double loss within a month has left the family and film fraternity deeply saddened.
Kota Srinivasa Rao, who passed away on July 13, was revered as one of the finest actors in Telugu cinema, with a career spanning over four decades and more than 600 films. The couple, who had three children, lost their only son in a road accident in Hyderabad in 2010, a tragedy that continued to haunt them and impacted their health over the years.
కోట శ్రీనివాస్రావు ఇంట మరో విషాదం.
కోట శ్రీనివాస్రావు సతీమణి కోట రుక్మిణి కన్నుమూత. అనారోగ్యానికి గురై ఈరోజు తుదిశ్వాస విడిచిన కోట రుక్మిణి.#kotasrinivasrao #wife #kotarukmini #nomore #RTV pic.twitter.com/FV36ixhjFi
— RTV (@RTVnewsnetwork) August 18, 2025
Born on July 10, 1942, in Kankipadu, Krishna district, Kota gave up a banking career to pursue acting and went on to become a celebrated figure in Indian cinema. He received nine Nandi Awards in various categories, including Best Villain, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Character Actor, apart from a Special Jury Award for Pratighatana (1985), Best Villain for Gaayam (1993), and Best Character Actor for Aa Naluguru (2004). He also won the SIIMA Award in 2012 for Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum. Recognizing his immense contribution to cinema, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri in 2015.
Kota’s final on-screen appearance was in Pawan Kalyan’s Hari Hara Veera Mallu, released after his demise, for which he reportedly received a remuneration of Rs 5 crore. His passing, followed by his wife’s, has cast a pall of gloom over the Telugu film industry and among his countless admirers.