Popular director and producer T Rama Rao has passed away in Chennai at the age of 83 in the wee hours of Wednesday - April 20 due to age-related ailments. Prominently known for bankrolling and helming several everlasting movies beyond Tamil, the demise of the veteran has shocked the film fraternities and tributes have been pouring in for the deceased. 

Rama Rao has left a legacy of working with a league of top stars and rendering a remarkable contribution to the movie industry. He had directed 70 movies in Telugu and Hindi while his legacy store is also filled with several blockbusters in Tamil. Beginning his journey as a director in 1966 with Navarathri, Rama Rao has worked with a number of top Telugu stars, including NTR, Shoban Babu, Krishna, Jayapradha, and Balakrishna. 

Besides directing Navarathri, he also has helmed a slew of notable Telugu movies including 'Jeevana Tarangalu', 'Brahmachari', 'Aalumagalu', 'Yamagola', 'Illanu', 'Pandani Jeevitham', 'Pachani Kaapuram', and 'President Gari Abbayi'. With a successful directorial tenure in Telugu, Rama Rao had entered the Bollywood industry in 1979 and worked with the leading actors including Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Dharmendra, Anil Kapoor, and Jeetendra. 

Notably, he was the one who had introduced Superstar Rajinikanth in Hindi cinema through the movie 'Andhaa Kaanoon' released in 1983 and it was starred by Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Amrish Puri, and Hema Malini. This movie is the remake of the Tamil movie 'Sattam Oru Iruttarai', which was directed by SA Chandrasekhar. He also had shelved several blockbuster hits in Hindi in his legacy. The movies like 'Inqulaab', 'Judai', 'Jeevan Dhara', 'Ek Hi Bhool', 'Insaf Ki Pukar', 'Watan Ke Rakhwale', 'Raavan Raj', 'Jung', 'Dosti Dushmani', and 'Nache Mayuri'. 

Born as Tatineni Rama Rao in Madras Presidency in 1938, Rao has been considered the man who established the Madras Movie trend in which Hindi films produced by southern production houses had emerged as successful commercial propositions and in his career spanning five decades, Rama Rao has produced Tamil movies including 'Naan Sigappu Manithan', 'Adhisaya Piravi', 'Dhill', 'Youth', 'Arul', 'Unakkum Enakkum', and 'Malaikottai'. 

Rama Rao had also served as the Chairman of Madras Hydraulic Hose, which is in the business of manufacturing stainless steel flexible corrugated hoses. Through his unparalleled contribution, Rao has observed an intimate relationship with several popular stars and he was living with his family in T Nagar, Chennai. It has been reported that for the past few weeks, he had been suffering from age-related ailments and was getting treated. 

However, amid the treatments, he had breathed his last in the wee hours of Wednesday - April 20. In a statement, his family said, "With great sadness, we inform that our beloved Tatineni Rama Rao has left for his heavenly abode at the early hours of April 20, 2022." He had passed away at 12.30 am and his last rites will be held at the Kannammapet crematorium on Wednesday.

Paying his tribute to the deceased, popular actor Anupam Kher wrote, "Deeply saddened to know about the demise of veteran filmmaker & a dear friend Shri T Rama Rao ji. I had the privilege of working with him in Sansaar. He was compassionate, commanding & had a great sense of humour. My condolences to his family! Om Shanti." Rama Rao was survived by his wife Tatineni Jayashree and children Chamundeswari, Naga Suseela, and Ajay.