Veteran actor and writer Gollapudi Maruthi Rao who breathed life into many memorable characters on silver screen passed away at a private hospital Chennai on Thursday. Family members stated that he had been suffering from age-related ailments for some time and was being treated at a private hospital in Chennai, where he breathed his last on Thursday afternoon.
Rising to fame as a character artist, 80-year-old Maruthi Rao is equally popular for his literary works. He was born on April 14, 1939 in Vijayanagaram and started his career as a radio commentator in Vijayawada Akashvani. Leaving his mark as a writer for plays & playlets, Maruti Rao later made his debut as an actor with Kodi Ramakrishna’s directorial ‘Intlo Ramayya Veedhilo Krishnayya’. He acted in over 250 Telugu films and won over six Nandi awards from the State government. Maruti Rao has been encouraging directors with the national awards named after his son Srinivas whom he lost in a road accident. Gollapudi even made many appearances in the television industry with renowned TV serials. In 1996, he won the Nandi Award for Best Television Actor. He was last seen in Aadi Saikumar’s film Jodi released this year.
