New Delhi: Filmmaker Singeetam Srinivasa Rao is set to release his 61st film at the age of 94. His latest Telugu film, Sing Geetham, is a musical fantasy produced by Nag Ashwin will be released on 12 June.
Set in a village that can not be found on the map, the film follows a young man who leaves his home in search of success but accidentally enters a fantasy world, where events soon go out of control. The film stars Ayaan K, Shalini Kandepudi, Ahilya Bamroo and Agu Stanley.
Watch the trailer here.
A versatile filmmaker
Rao is often regarded as one of India’s most versatile filmmakers. Over a career spanning six decades, he has worked across genres including black comedy, horror, animation, mystery, science fiction and fantasy, directing films in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Hindi and English.
His innovative approach to filmmaking can be traced back to Mayabazar (1957), where he assisted director K. V. Reddy. The film remains celebrated for its groundbreaking stop-motion sequences, many of which are still admired.
Rao made his directorial debut with the Telugu film Neethi Nijayiti (1972). The film follows a man attempting to win over the woman he loves through honesty and hard work in a society driven by wealth and class divisions, all set against a backdrop of slapstick comedy. The film starred Krishnam Raju and Kanchana.
Throughout his career, Rao has directed several films dealing with social issues. Among them was Dikkatra Parvathi (1973), which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil.
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Collabs with Kamal Haasan
His collaboration with Kamal Haasan started with Pushpaka Vimana (1987) and is often regarded as India’s first modern silent film. The story revolves around an educated but unemployed man who kidnaps a wealthy businessman and starts playing his identity. The situation becomes complicated when the wife hires an assassin to kill his husband, whose identity Hassan’s character stole.
In 1989, Rao directed Apoorva Sagodharargal, which featured Haasan in the role of a dwarf circus performer seeking revenge of father’s death The film also marked Haasan’s debut as a producer.
Rao later directed Aditya 369 (1991), known as India’s first time-travel film. Blending history and science fiction, the film revolves around a machine that allows people to travel back and forth in time, including journeys into a post-apocalyptic dystopia.
He made his Bollywood directorial debut with Phool (1993). The film starred Kumar Gaurav and Madhuri Dixit, and was produced by Rajendra Kumar, Gaurav’s father.
In 2008, Rao directed the animated children’s film Ghatothkach and composed its soundtrack. The film, based on Ghatotkacha, the son of Bhima and Hidimba from the Mahabharata, was screened at the Cannes Film Festival the same year.
(Edited by Stela Dey)