Popular veteran actor Raavi Kondala Rao died of heart attack on Tuesday evening while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Somajiguda. He was 88. His wife Radha Kumari, well-known actor and his co-star in nearly 100 films, died in 2012.
Born in Samarlakota, Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh in 1931, Kondala Rao was noticed by the Telugu audience in Krishna-starrer Tene Manasulu in 1965 and excelled in a range of characters in nearly 400 films thereafter. One of the popular films he wrote the story and acted was Pelli Pusthakam (1991), which won him many accolades. The other significant films he wrote dialogues for are Bhairava Dweepam, Sri Krishnarjuna Yuddham and Brundavanam.
A journalist and an author, Kondala Rao was the associate editor for the then popular Telugu film magazine ‘Vijaya Chitra’ from 1966 to 1990. Later, he joined Chandamama - Vijaya Production combines as writer and executive producer.
Kondala Rao preferred to stay in Hyderabad, despite many attempts made by his only son, who lives in Chennai, to live with him. His passion for writing made him live here unmindful of his failing health. “But his spirit was amazing. Till a couple of weeks ago he was busy writing for a new book besides articles for Sitara online edition,” informed a close friend.
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