Mumbai/New Delhi, 04 October (H.S.): Legendary Indian filmmaker Singeetham Srinivasa Rao passed away at the age of 94 at a hospital in Chennai on Saturday night. He had been undergoing treatment for age-related ailments. His death has sent a wave of grief across the film industry. Following news of his demise, several film personalities and fans paid tribute to the veteran filmmaker on social media.

Singeetham Srinivasa Rao leaves behind a rich and enduring legacy in Indian cinema. He made his directorial debut in 1972 with Neeti Nijayiti. He subsequently directed films such as Dikkatra Parvathi, Mayuri, Pushpaka Vimana, Aditya 369, Bhairava Dweepam and Son of Aladdin. Known for his willingness to experiment with different subjects, genres and storytelling techniques, Rao carved out a distinctive place for himself in Telugu cinema as well as in the wider Indian film industry. His final directorial venture, Sing Geetham, was released earlier this year.

Rao, widely regarded as one of India’s most versatile and innovative filmmakers, worked across several Indian languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi. His career spanned more than six decades, during which he directed around 60 films and explored genres ranging from science fiction and fantasy to comedy and socially relevant drama. His acclaimed film Pushpaka Vimana, a dialogue-free black comedy, and the time-travel science-fiction film Aditya 369 remain among his most celebrated works.

He began his career as an assistant to legendary filmmaker K. V. Reddy, working on films including Mayabazar and Jagadeka Veeruni Katha, before making his directorial debut with Neeti Nijayiti in 1972. His later works included Mayuri, Apoorva Sagodharargal, Michael Madana Kama Rajan, Magalir Mattum and Bhairava Dweepam, among others.

Several prominent personalities from the film industry, including Jr NTR, Vishnu Manchu, Venkatesh Daggubati, Pawan Kalyan and Chiranjeevi, mourned his death. Jr NTR remembered Rao as a filmmaker who thought far ahead of his time, while Vishnu Manchu recalled how his cinema taught him to appreciate the magic of films. Venkatesh described his passing as the end of an important chapter in Telugu cinema. Pawan Kalyan remembered films such as Aditya 369, while Chiranjeevi paid tribute to Rao’s vision and immense contribution to Indian cinema.

Other leading film personalities also expressed their grief. Kamal Haasan, who collaborated with Rao on several acclaimed films, paid tribute to the filmmaker, while SS Rajamouli praised his extraordinary imagination and his courage to experiment with unconventional forms of storytelling. The film fraternity has remembered Rao as a visionary whose work demonstrated that the possibilities of cinema were limited only by imagination.

Rao’s innovative body of work and distinctive cinematic vision are expected to continue inspiring filmmakers and audiences for generations to come.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar