Veteran Tollywood actor and ex-MP Kaikala Satyanarayana passes away at 87

He got elected to 11th Lok Sabha from Machilipatnam on Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ticket, but withdrew from politics after 1998

Veteran Tollywood actor and former parliamentarian Kaikala Satyanarayana died at his Jubilee Hills residence in Hyderabad in the early hours of Friday after a brief illness, his family members said.

In his six-decade long career in films, Satyanarayana acted in over 750 films. (HT Image | Sourced)

He was 87 and is survived by his wife, son and two daughters.

The last rites of Satyanarayana will be performed at Mahaprasthanam crematorium in Jubilee Hills on Saturday, the family members said.

In his six-decade long career in films, Satyanarayana acted in over 750 films.

Satyanarayana, who was a close follower of legendary actor and former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh NT Rama Rao, also had a brief stint in politics.

He got elected to 11th Lok Sabha from Machilipatnam on Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ticket, but withdrew from politics after 1998.

He received several awards, including the 2011 Raghupati Venkaiah award, 2017 Filmfare lifetime achievement award for Telugu cinema and Andhra Pradesh government’s Nandi film awards.

Born on July 25, 1935 in Krishna district, Satyanarayana completed his primary education in Gudlavalleru and intermediate education in Vijayawada. He graduated from Gudivada college.

Kaikala was first noticed by DL Narayana, who offered him a role in his film “Supayi Koothuru” directed by Changayya in 1959. Though it did not do well at the box office, he was noticed for his resemblance to NT Rama Rao.

NTR offered Satyanarayana a role in his film “Apoorva Sahasra Siraccheda Chintamani” in 1960, directed by SD Lal.

It was B Vittalacharya who first gave him a negative character role in Kanaka Durga Pooja Mahima.

Since then, he excelled in negative roles.

Satyanarayana established Rama Films production house and made films such as Kodama Simham (1990), Bangaru Kutumbam (1994) and Muddula Mogudu (1997).

He was last seen in the 2009 film ‘Arundhati’.