Legendary filmmaker Singeetham Srinivasa Rao dies at 94, industry mourns
Indian cinema has lost one of its most unconventional storytellers. Veteran filmmaker Singeetham Srinivasa Rao has died in Chennai following a period of ill health. He was 94, according to initial reports.
The celebrated director passed away while undergoing treatment at a Chennai hospital on Saturday. Details regarding his final rites were not immediately available.
Singeetham remained committed to filmmaking even in his 90s. Just months before his death, he returned to direction with Sing Geetham, his 61st film. The musical fantasy, released in June, was built around an idea he had reportedly carried for nearly four decades.
Produced by filmmaker Nag Ashwin, Sing Geetham featured Ayaan, Ahilya Bamroo and Shalini Kondepudi, with music composed by Devi Sri Prasad. The veteran’s return to filmmaking drew praise from prominent personalities including Kamal Haasan, Chiranjeevi and Jr NTR.
Despite health difficulties, Singeetham completed the production in roughly 77 shooting days. When travelling became difficult during portions of the Hyderabad schedule, a remote monitoring arrangement reportedly enabled him to supervise the production from home.
His career spanned more than six decades and was defined by a willingness to experiment. Pushpaka Vimana, starring Kamal Haasan and Amala Akkineni, became famous for telling its story without conventional spoken dialogue. He later ventured into science fiction with Aditya 369 and fantasy with Bhairava Dweepam.
His other notable works included Mayuri, Apoorva Sagodharargal, Michael Madana Kama Rajan, Sommokadidhi Sokokadidhi and Raja Paarvai. He also made several successful Kannada films featuring legendary actor Rajkumar.
Singeetham entered the industry as an assistant to acclaimed filmmaker K.V. Reddy and worked on the classic Mayabazar before establishing himself as a director.
His filmography eventually covered Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and English cinema, spanning comedy, drama, fantasy, science fiction, animation and experimental storytelling.
Over the years, he received several major honours, including National Film Awards, Nandi Awards, Karnataka State Film Awards and Filmfare Awards South.
His wife, Lakshmi Kalyani, who contributed to his creative work and assisted with scripts, died in 2022. Singeetham later wrote Srikalyaniyam in her memory.
Even toward the end of his life, Singeetham continued to challenge conventional filmmaking. His final directorial venture became another reminder of the creative curiosity that defined his remarkable career.