Acclaimed filmmaker and writer Singeetham Srinivasa Rao passed away at 94 on Saturday, October 3, at Kauvery hospital in Chennai. Singeetham was celebrated for his innovative works in the science fiction and fantasy genres mainly in Telugu and Tamil cinema, such as Pushpaka Vimana (1987) and Aditya 369 (1991).
His last directorial, Sing Geetham, was released just four months ago.
Singeetham was born in 1931 in Gudur town in present day Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, then part of the Madras Presidency. Early in his career, he worked as an assistant to director KV Reddy, on celebrated films such as Mayabazar (1957) and Jagadeka Veeruni Katha (1961).
He made his debut as a filmmaker at the age of 41 with the Telugu film Neeti Nijayiti (1972) starring Krishnam Raju and Kanchana. He went on direct many acclaimed, popular films in Telugu, Tamil and Kannada, such as Mayuri (1985), Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989), Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990), Magalir Mattum (1994), and Bhairava Dweepam (1994).
Actor Kamal Haasan, who has worked with him on films such as Apoorva Sagodharargal, Michael Madana Kama Rajan, and Magalir Mattum, paid tributes to Singeetham and wrote, “Dying young need not be a tragedy. It can be glorious. Singeetham Srinivasa Rao is a great example. I have admired him since I knew him. Now I aspire to live like he did.”
Filmmaker SS Rajamouli expressed condolences to Singeetham’s family and said, “Long before we had the tools or the budgets, he dared to dream bigger than anyone around him. He made a film without a single line of dialogue, took us travelling through time, and moved from comedy to fantasy to deeply human drama as if no line existed between genres. He showed a whole generation of us that the only real limit in cinema is imagination. Every filmmaker who has tried something different in Telugu cinema owes him something, knowingly or not. I certainly do.”
Many other actors and directors also paid tributes to the veteran filmmaker.
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