Hyderabad, July 13 : Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu have expressed grief over passing away of veteran actor Kota Srinivasa Rao.

The Telangana Chief Minister condoled the demise of the renowned film actor.

He stated that Rao, who captivated audiences with his unique acting style, leaves behind an irreplaceable void in the film industry. The Chief Minister conveyed his deep sympathies to the family members of Kota Srinivasa Rao.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said that the demise of Kota Srinivasa Rao, who won the affection of cinema audiences with his versatile roles, is deeply saddening.

'His artistic contributions to the fields of cinema and theatre over nearly four decades, and the roles he portrayed, will remain unforgettable. The numerous memorable roles he played as a villain and character artist will forever stay etched in the hearts of Telugu audiences. His passing is an irreparable loss to the Telugu film industry. In 1999, he won as an MLA from Vijayawada and served the public. I express my profound condolences to his family members,' Chief Minister Naidu posted on the social media platform 'X'.

Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer also expressed profound grief and sadness on the passing away of versatile Tollywood actor and former MLA Sri Kota Srinivasa Rao in Hyderabad on Sunday.

The Governor said Srinivasa Rao made a lasting impact with memorable roles performed on stage and on screen over the last four decades, and had won the hearts of crores of Telugu people. He offered his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members.

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has also condoled the death of popular actor and former MLA Srinivasa Rao.

"The news of the passing away of multi-faceted genius Kota garu, who played a variety of roles in over 700 movies in almost all languages, is a huge loss to the cine industry," said Pawan Kalyan, who is also a leading actor of Telugu films.

Pawan Kalyan recalled that it was with his elder brother Chiranjeevi that Kota Srinivas Rao began his cinematic journey through 'Pranam Khareedu'.

"Acting in over half a dozen movies with him will be a lasting memory," said the Jana Sena leader, who conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family members.

Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh also expressed heartfelt condolences on the demise of Kota Srinivasa Rao.

"In his four-decade cinematic journey, Kota Srinivasa Rao garu portrayed numerous distinctive roles, earning a special place in the hearts of Telugu audiences. With his unique acting, he breathed life into countless characters. He also earned acclaim for acting in other languages," Lokesh posted on 'X'.

The TDP leader recalled that in 1999, Srinivasa Rao won as an MLA from the Vijayawada East constituency and gained recognition as a good leader through public service.

Nara Lokesh termed his demise as an irreparable loss to the Telugu film industry.

/IANS