Renowned Telugu actor Kota Srinivasa Rao passed away early Sunday morning, July 13, 2025, at his home in Hyderabad. He was 83 years old and had been unwell for the past few months due to age-related health issues.
A Legendary Career
Kota Srinivasa Rao, often called “Kota”, was a legendary figure in Telugu cinema. He acted in over 750 films across a career that lasted more than 40 years. Known for his unique dialogue delivery in the Telangana dialect, he became famous for playing comedy, villain, and character roles.
Kota started his journey as a theatre artist before moving into films. Though he was born in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, his use of Telangana slang made his roles stand out.
He became widely known after playing a corrupt politician in the film ‘Prathighatana’, where he mixed villainy and comedy with great skill. His comic timing in ‘Aha Naa Pellanta’ and powerful dialogues in Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Gaayam’ are still remembered and shared on social media.
Political Career
Kota also entered politics and served as a BJP MLA from Vijayawada between 1999 and 2004. Inspired by his friend and fellow actor Babu Mohan, he contested and won a seat but later decided politics wasn’t for him and returned to films.
Personal Life and Recognition
In 2015, he was honored with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, for his contribution to the film industry. However, Kota went through a tough time after the tragic death of his son in a road accident. Since then, he kept a low profile and stayed away from films.
A Great Loss to the Industry
Kota Srinivasa Rao was admired for bringing a fresh style to Telugu cinema, especially in comedy and character roles. His passing is a huge loss to the film industry.
Leaders and celebrities paid tribute, including Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, former CM K. Chandrashekar Rao, and State BJP president N. Ramachander Rao. They called him an actor of extraordinary talent who will be deeply missed.
