Filmmaker Singeetam Srinivasa Rao passes away: Directed his last film at the age of 94, Kamal Haasan-Jr NTR pays tribute

Veteran filmmaker Singeetam Srinivasa Rao passed away on Saturday at the age of 95. He breathed his last at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai. He was undergoing treatment at the hospital due to age-related health issues. Singeetham directed about 60 films in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Hindi and English, including 'Pushpak Vimanam' and 'Aditya 369'. He received several accolades, including two National Film Awards. At the age of 94, he directed his last film 'Singh Geetham'. The film was released on 12 June 2026. Many actors from the Telugu and Tamil film industries paid tribute to him on social media. Kamal Haasan, Jr NTR, Shruti Haasan, Nag Ashwin and Mahesh Babu mourned his demise. Singeetam Srinivasa Rao's film journey Singeetam Srinivasa Rao started his film career as an assistant to veteran director K.V. Reddy. He worked in films like 'Mayabazar' and 'Jagadek Veeruni Katha'. He made his directorial debut in 1972 with the Telugu film 'Niti-Nijayati'. Since then, he has directed about 60 films in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and English. His notable films include 'Dikkatra Parvathy', 'Mayuri', 'Pushpak Vimanam', 'Aditya 369', 'Bhairava Dwipam', 'Magalir Mattum' and 'Michael Madanakam Rajan'. Special partnership with Kamal Haasan Singeetam and Kamal Haasan worked together in many acclaimed films. These include 'Pushpak Vimanam', 'Apoorva Sahodargal' and 'Michael Madana Kam Rajan'. 'Pushpak Vimanam' experimented with storytelling without dialogue. He also worked in Hindi cinema and directed films made in Hindi as well as in many languages. These include 'Threelok Sundari' (1982), 'Little John' (2001), 'Mumbai Express' (2005) and the animation film 'Ghatotkach' (2008). 'Phool' (1993) was also among his Hindi films. 'Pushpak Viman' was released on 27 November 1987. The film was released on 27 November 1987. It was released under different names in different linguistic regions. In Karnataka, its original name was 'Pushpak Vimanam'. In Andhra Pradesh, it was released as 'Pushpak Vimanam'. In Hindi speaking areas, the film was named 'Pushpak', which means 'flower'. In Tamil Nadu, it was released as 'Pesum Padam', which means 'Talking Picture'. While in Kerala, it was released as 'Pushpakavimanam'. There was no dialogue in the film. Still, it received a good response from the audience and critics. The film ran in theatres for 35 weeks in Bengaluru. The film won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. At the 35th Filmfare Awards South, Singeetam won the Best Director and Kamal Haasan won the Best Actor award. The film also won the Best Film award. Recognition for experimental films Singeetam was known for her different types of stories and experiments. 'Dikkatra Parvathy' also won the National Film Award. 'Aditya 369' is considered to be one of the well-known science fiction films of Telugu cinema, while 'Bhairava Dweepam' was one of the major films in the fantasy genre. He was associated with cinema till his last film. In the year 2026, Singeetham made a comeback to the field of directing after almost 10 years. His last film was 'Singh Geetham'. He remained associated with cinema till the age of 94 and kept working on new stories. Kamal Haasan calls himself a disciple Kamal Haasan on Sunday shared a picture of Singeetam on X. He called himself a disciple of Singeetham and recalled the experience of working with him. Kamal Haasan wrote, "Singeetam Karu breathed his last along with his youth, as per his wishes. His youth could not reach many people. I am one of the disciples of the friends he walked holding the hands of his friends in his desire to spread that virtue." He further wrote, "Dying at a young age is not always sad. It can also be glorious. Singeetam Srinivasa Rao is a great example of that. I have admired him ever since I knew him. Now I too aspire to live a life like him." Jr NTR calls Singeetam a time-thinking filmmaker Junior NTR called Singeetam a time-thinking filmmaker on X. He wrote, "The news that Singeetam Srinivasa Rao Garu is no more with us is extremely sad." He further wrote, "'Aditya 369', 'Pushpak Vimanam', 'Mayuri'... He was a filmmaker who could think ahead of the times. He made films that feel new even after many generations. My deepest condolences to his family. Om Shanti." Nag Ashwin shares the idea of the last script Filmmaker Nag Ashwin shared a glimpse of Singeetam's creative thinking. He posted a screenshot of one of Singeetam's messages on his Instagram story. The message was dated September 5, 2026. It read, "A fruit cuts the knife, the title of my new script." Mahesh Babu also paid tribute Mahesh Babu called Singeetam a legend of Indian cinema on X. He wrote, "A stalwart of Indian cinema is no more with us. Singeetam Srinivasa Rao Garu was a legend in every way." Mahesh Babu further wrote, "He was a filmmaker with extraordinary imagination, courage and talent. Indian cinema will always be indebted to him. May your soul rest in peace, sir. My deepest condolences to your family."