Veteran Telugu Actor-Producer GV Narayana Rao Passes Away

Hyderabad: Veteran actor-producer Gullepalli Venkata Narayana Rao ( GV Narayana Rao) passed away at the age of 73 in Hyderabad, reportedly due to prolonged health complications. The senior actor, who had been battling health issues for some time, breathed his last on Wednesday evening.

Born in 1953 in Guntakal, GV Narayana Rao came from a family deeply rooted in the film industry. He was the son of distributor G. Prasad Rao of Navayuga Studios in Hyderabad and the Managing Director of Sarathi Studios.

He spent his early life in Guntakal. From a young age, he developed an interest in arts and received training in various art forms. He learned Bharatanatyam under Gidugu Visalakshi, Kuchipudi under Nataraja Ramakrishna, and acting under A.R. Krishna.

During his student days, he acted in plays like 'Mohammad Bin Tughlaq', 'Prataparudriyam', and 'Manchu Tera'. During that time, prominent personalities like Kota Srinivasa Rao, Nuthan Prasad, and Devadas Kanakala were his theatre colleagues.

He later went on to complete a Diploma in Theatre Arts from Natya Vidyalaya, Hyderabad in 1973, before joining the very first batch of the Madras Film Institute that same year, where he formed a close friendship with Rajinikanth, who went on to become a superstar in Tamil films and complete another Diploma in Film Acting in 1975.

Narayana Rao made his film debut in K. Balachander's Anthuleni Katha (1976), a performance that earned him the Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actor at the early stage of his career. He soon rose to leading roles, most notably as the lead in Dadasaheb Phalke Awardee Mrinal Sen's acclaimed Oka Oori Katha in 1977. He acted as a hero in films like Chilakamma Cheppindi, Oorukichchina Maata, and Muthyala Pallaki, and acted in over 100 films across his career before gradually transitioning into character and supporting roles.

His versatility extended well beyond the big screen. Narayana Rao appeared in more than 100 films and TV serials, including the popular Pasupu Kumkuma and featured in around 50 television serials on Doordarshan, ETV, and Gemini TV. His work on the Doordarshan serial Mallitellavarindhi won him the Best Actor Nandi Award in 1988.

He also stepped into production, co-producing the telefilm Andhra Vaibhavam with veteran producer Dr. D. Ramanaidu, a project screened at TANA in the United States and honoured with several Nandi Awards from the Andhra Pradesh government. He was also passionate about cooking and anchored a cooking show called Babai Hotel on ETV.

Narayana Rao shared a long and memorable association with Megastar Chiranjeevi, who was also his batchmate at the film institute, co-starring with him in films like Gang Leader, Hitler, and Chattaniki Kallu Levu. He later moved into production himself, and produced Devanthakudu and Yamudiki Mogudu with Chiranjeevi in the lead, the latter of which he went on to remake in Tamil, reuniting with his old MFI batchmate Rajinikanth in the lead role. Both the films were super hits and established him as a producer. He also produced Intikoka Rydramma and Pelli Neeku Subham Naaku.

G. V. Narayana Rao's last production was the upcoming Telugu movie Alochana, directed by Surender Chaacha, which features him, Narsimha Raju, Prasadbabu, Rajan Hari in the lead roles.

News of his passing has sent shockwaves through the Telugu film fraternity, with the Movie Artists Association (MAA) and several industry figures expressing deep condolences. GV Narayana Rao is survived by his family and a legacy spanning nearly five decades across Telugu cinema and television. In a recent interview, he revealed that he married his sister's daughter and has two children and two grandchildren. His son Avinash is a businessman, and his daughter is a pharmacist and is settled in London. GV Narayana Rao's mortal remains have been kept at the Mahaprasthanam mortuary in Film Nagar. Family members said that the last rites will be performed after his son Avinash, his daughter Lalitha Yamini, and his son-in-law arrive in Hyderabad.