Veteran and legendary director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao passed away in Chennai on Saturday night. He was 94. According to reports, Singeetham was undergoing treatment for age-related ailments and breathed his last at a hospital in Chennai on Saturday. Many superstars and directors from the film fraternity have mourned the filmmaker’s loss.
Singeetham’s experimental approach
Regarded as one of the most versatile and innovative filmmakers, Singeetham was a screenwriter, producer, director, composer and actor. Recognised for transforming South Indian cinema, Singeetham directed around 60 films across Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Hindi and English, leaving behind an inspiring body of work. The director’s experimental approach to filmmaking was his biggest strength. He disrupted predictable commercial formulas, introduced raw realism and expanded the creative boundaries of mainstream cinema.
Industrious filmography
One of Indian cinema’s most prolific filmmakers, Singeetham’s nearly seven-decade career was marked by an extraordinary resistance to formula filmmaking. He started his film career as an associate to legendary director KV Reddy and worked on iconic films such as Mayabazar (1957) and Jagadeka Veeruni Katha (1961). His directorial debut came with the Telugu film Neethi Nijayithi (1972). Singeetham subsequently directed critically acclaimed social films such as Dikkatra Parvathi (1974), Tharam Marindi (1977), Panthulamma (1978), Mayuri (1985) and Anand (1986).
Singeetham’s 1987 film Pushpaka Vimana won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. His directorials Bhairava Dweepam (1994) and Aditya 369 were landmark films in the genres of science fiction and fantasy in Telugu cinema.
Association with Kamal Haasan
Experimental storytelling has been a key feature of Singeetham’s repertoire, and Kamal Haasan has frequently called himself a student of Singeetham. The two share a legendary bond, with their decades-long creative collaborations rooted in a shared passion for experimental cinema, artistic freedom and the desire to explore uncharted territories.
They first collaborated on the Telugu film Sommokadidhi Sokokadidhi (1979). Later, Singeetham directed Kamal Haasan in the actor’s milestone 100th film, Raja Paarvai (1981). Subsequently, the duo pushed the boundaries of cinema with path-breaking films such as the silent dark comedy Pushpaka Vimana (1987), the dwarfism-focused comic drama Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989), Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990) and the 1994 female buddy comedy Magalir Mattum, which was produced by Kamal.
Awards and recognition
During his legendary filmmaking career, Singeetham garnered numerous accolades. Apart from several state honours, he won two National Awards: Best Feature Film in Tamil for Dikkatra Parvathi (1974) and Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment for Pushpaka Vimana. He also won Filmfare Awards for Best Director for Mayuri and Pushpaka Vimana, as well as Best Film in Tamil for Dikkatra Parvathi.
Singeetham returned to the director’s chair after 13 years with Sing Geetham, which released in June 2026. Kalki 2898 AD director Nag Ashwin produced the musical fantasy drama. The film demonstrated his continued commitment to and passion for cinema.
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