Indian cinema has lost one of its most inventive minds. Veteran filmmaker, screenwriter and composer Singeetam Srinivasa Rao died on Saturday at 94. Family sources said he passed away in Chennai on October 3 due to age-related ailments. Tributes have poured in from across the film industry and politics, including a heartfelt post from actor Jr NTR.
Born on 21 September 1931, Singeetam Srinivasa Rao began as an assistant to the esteemed director K. V. Reddy, working on classics such as Mayabazar. He moved into direction in 1972 with the offbeat Telugu film Neethi Nijayithi.
Over the following decades he became known for refusing to stay in one lane. He directed more than 60 films across comedy, science fiction, fantasy and drama. His 1987 black comedy Pushpaka Vimana, starring Kamal Haasan, is among his best-remembered works. Aditya 369, a time-travel adventure, and Mayuri also remain landmarks of his career. In 2011, the Film Federation of India honoured him with a Life Achievement Award.
Taking to X, Jr NTR described the news as deeply heartbreaking. He called the director a visionary who thought far ahead of his time, whose films still feel fresh as generations change. He closed with condolences to the family and an "Om Shanti" in Telugu.
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy called him a true pioneer who kept making movies even at 94.
For many fans, his films were ahead of their time in both ideas and execution. Pushpaka Vimana told its story almost entirely without dialogue, while Aditya 369 brought a time-travel premise to Telugu audiences when such concepts were rare. Both continue to find new viewers, and younger filmmakers still cite them as proof that Indian cinema can take creative risks.
His passing closes a remarkable chapter that stretched across more than six decades. The industry loses a mentor, but the films he leaves behind will keep inspiring the audiences and storytellers who follow.