Telugu film actor and producer, G.V. Narayana Rao, has passed away at age 73 in Hyderabad after a period of illness. The news of his passing was first made public by The Movie Artists Association (MAA) through its social media handles.
The actor and producer had been facing health issues for some time. He is reported to have passed away on the evening of Wednesday, August 26.
Narayana Rao made his acting debut in 1976 with Anthuleni Katha, directed by K. Balachander. His performance in the film earned him the Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actor, and marked the beginning of a long career in which Narayana Rao worked across lead roles, supporting characters and, later, production.
Over the course of his five-decade long acting career, Narayana Rao acted in over 40 films as a lead actor, with notable roles in films like Oka Oori Katha (1977), Oorukichina Maata (1981), Manchu Pallaki (1982) among others.
He later went on to produce films like Chettaniki Kallu Levu (1981), Devanthakudu (1984) and Yamudiki Mogudu (1988).
Rao was batchmates with superstar actor Rajinikanth and megastar Chiranjeevi during their time at a film institute. The three went on to train together before making their mark in the film industry.
Rao also shared a close bond with Chiranjeevi, as the two shared the screen in numerous projects, including Chettaniki Kallu Levu (1981), Manchu Pallaki (1982), Raja Vikramarka (1990), Gang Leader (1991) and Hitler (1997). The two also worked together on Devanthakudu (1984) and Yamudiki Mogudu (1988), both which were also produced by Rao.
G.V. Narayana Rao's passing comes days after the film fraternity lost another renowned personality, Sowcar Janaki. The veteran actor, who appeared in nearly 400 films across Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam cinema, passed away in Chennai on August 21 (Friday). She was 94.