Kotta Srinivas Rao

Biography:

Kota Srinivasa Rao is a well-known Indian character actor recognized for contributing to Telugu cinema and theatre. He has also appeared in Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam films. Apart from his acting career, Rao served as the MLA for Vijayawada East in Andhra Pradesh from 1999 to 2004. His debut in the Telugu film industry came with “Pranam Khareedu” in 1978, and since then, he has acted in more than 750 feature films.

Rao’s performances have earned him numerous accolades, including nine state Nandi Awards in various categories such as villain, character actor, and supporting actor. In 2012, he received the SIIMA Award for his exceptional work in “Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum.” In recognition of his contributions to Indian cinema, he was honoured with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2015.

He has been praised for his diverse roles in movies like “S/O Satyamurthy,” “Attarintiki Daredi,” “Rakta Charitra,” “Leader,” “Ready,” and many more. In 2003, he made his Tamil debut with the film “Saamy,” where he portrayed a sophisticated villain.

Born on July 10, 1942, in Kankipadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kota Srinivasa Rao initially aspired to become a doctor but eventually pursued his passion for acting. He started his career in college, performing in stage plays. Before entering the film industry, he worked as an employee at the State Bank and holds a Bachelor of Science degree.

Kota Srinivasa Rao is married to Rukmini and is the father of two daughters and a son. Unfortunately, he suffered the tragic loss of his son, Kota Venkata Anjaneya Prasad, in a road accident in Hyderabad in June 2010. Prasad, an acclaimed actor himself, appeared in films such as “Siddham” and acted alongside his father in “Gaayam 2” (2010).

Srinivasa’s younger brother, Kota Sankara Rao, is also an actor who works in a nationalized bank and participates in television soap operas.