Hyderabad: Veteran actor Kota Srinivasa Rao passed away on July 13, 2025, at the age of 83 in Hyderabad. His death, just two days after his birthday, has left the Telugu film industry in deep shock. Kota garu acted in more than 750 movies in a career that lasted over 40 years. But here’s something special—his last film is with Pawan Kalyan, titled Hari Hara Veera Mallu.
A Strong Bond with the Mega Family
Kota’s career began with Chiranjeevi and ended with Chiru’s younger brother Pawan Kalyan. He shared screen space with Pawan in many movies like Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi, Gokulamlo Seetha, Badri, and Gabbar Singh, where he also sang a fun song.
His Final Role in ‘Hari Hara Veera Mallu’
Even though he wasn’t keeping well, Kota agreed to act in Hari Hara Veera Mallu because it was for Pawan Kalyan. Director Krish offered him a small role and requested his dates. Kota shot for one day at Annapurna Studios. The movie is now being finished by director Jyothi Krishna and will release on July 24, 2025. It’s not yet clear if his character will continue in Part 2.
A Journey of 750+ Films
Kota started his movie career in 1978 with Pranam Khareedu, which was also Chiranjeevi’s first film. From that point, there was no looking back. He acted in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi films, playing roles that made people laugh, cry, and even fear him.
Movies like Aha Naa Pellanta, Pratighatana, Gaayam, Hello Brother, and Gabbar Singh are still remembered for his brilliant acting. He even appeared in Bollywood with Amitabh Bachchan in Sarkar.
More Than Just an Actor
Kota was also a Padma Shri awardee, won 9 Nandi Awards, and served as an MLA from 1999 to 2004.
Celebrities like Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan, Brahmanandam, and many others have shared emotional messages after his passing.
