Hyderabad, India – Legendary cinema director and writer Singeetham Srinivasa Rao passed away on Saturday evening in Chennai at Kauvery Hospital, according to family and friends. He was 94. Born in Gudur in Nellore district, he burst onto the screen at the age of 41 with his writing and direction of Neeti Nijayati, a Telugu movie with a homily in its heart, in 1972. But before that, Singeetham began as a dialogue writer to filmmaker K.V. Reddy and assisted him in the ground-breaking Telugu movie in 1957: Mayabazar. Between these two dates, he honed and experimented with his craft.
From then onwards, he directed movies in multiple languages, including Pushpak Vimana, a film without any dialogue, starring Kamal Haasan and Amala. Among the notable movies he helmed or had a role in bringing to screen were Pantulamma, Zamindaru Gari Ammayi, America Ammayi, Pilla Zamindar, Mayuri, Apoorva Sagodharargal, Michael Madana Kama Rajan, Aditya 369, and dozens of other movies.
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Singeetham Srinivasa Rao acted in some movies and even composed the movie score. His last movie was Sing Geetham, a musical-fantasy comedy which he directed and wrote the script for. The genre-defying movie was released in June 2026, with the director sometimes remotely wielding the mike. His passing marks the end of an era in Indian cinema, with tributes pouring in from across the film industry for a filmmaker whose versatility and pioneering spirit left an indelible mark on generations of moviegoers and creators.
