As SS Rajamouli was exiting the Maha Prasthanam in Hyderabad on the afternoon of Sunday, July 13, a hoard of fans rushed towards him in order to catch a glimpse, with one fan enthusiastically trying to sneak in a selfie. Rajamouli was there for the last rites of veteran Telugu actor and former Bhartiya Janata Party MLA Kota Srinivasa Rao, who breathed his last on Sunday morning.
In a video doing the rounds on social media, Rajamouli’s wife and costume designer Rama Rajamouli first exits the premises and enters their luxury car. Rajamouli follows suit, only to be interrupted by a persistent fan who keeps insisting on clicking a selfie with the Baahubali and RRR filmmaker.
While there was police present at the venue, they can be seen controlling the rest of the crowd at the gate as the fan chases Rajamouli to his car. The filmmaker had to eventually shove the fan away and scold him for the imposition. The internet also condemned the fan’s behaviour, claiming that a funeral is no place to click a selfie.
Earlier in the day, Rajamouli paid a tribute to Rao on his X handle, writing, “Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Kota Srinivasa Rao garu. A master of his craft, a legend who breathed life into every character he portrayed. His presence on screen was truly irreplaceable. My heartfelt condolences to his family. Om Shanti.”
Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Kota Srinivasa Rao garu. A master of his craft, a legend who breathed life into every character he portrayed. His presence on screen was truly irreplaceable. My heartfelt condolences to his family. Om Shanti.
— rajamouli ss (@ssrajamouli) July 13, 2025
Veteran Telugu actor and former BJP MLA Kota Srinivasa Rao, known for his highly acclaimed performances, passed away here due to age-related ailments on Sunday. He was 83. Rao, who had been unwell for several years now, breathed his last in the early hours of Sunday, July 13, at his residence in Hyderabad.
Rao has acted in about 750 films in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi languages in a career spanning more than four decades.
He debuted in the 1978 film Pranam Khareedu, which also marked the debut of superstar Chiranjeevi. Some of his most acclaimed works include Pratighatana, Satruvu, Ahana Pellanta, Hello Brother, Money.
Ram Gopal Varma’s Siva and Gaayam also brought immense fame to Rao. Notably, Rao also acted in Ram Gopal Varma’s Hindi film Sarkar alongside mega star Amitabh Bachchan. A recipient of Padma Shri, Rao had served as a BJP MLA from Vijayawada East assembly constituency in Andhra Pradesh from 1999 to 2004.
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Meanwhile, Rajamouli is busy filming his next epic, starring Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra. The filmmaker is best known for helming the global juggernauts, the Baahubali franchise and RRR (2022), which put Indian cinema, particularly Telugu cinema, on the world map. Baahubali: The Beginning completed 10 years since its historic release last week.
