Madala Ranga Rao, considered the original revolutionary hero of Tollywood with path-breaking films in the 80s, promoting the Leftist ideology, passed away on Sunday morning at a private hospital in the city.
Nicknamed Red Star by the industry and film-lovers, Ranga Rao was 71 and he had been suffering from heart-related ailment for some time. He was operated upon last year for heart ailment and was recovering. He had been associated with the CPI’s cultural wing for a long time before he ventured into films, promoting the same ideology.
Though he started his career with Chairman Chalamayya, a political satire, he shot into fame with ‘Youvatharam Kadilindi’ in 1980 and bagged the Golden Nandi award. He didn’t look back for nearly a decade with super-hits, including Erra Mallelu, Mahaprasthanam, Viplava Shankham, Praja Shakti, Erra Suryudu and Swarajyam Maro Kurukshetram. Some of these were golden jubilees, a rare achievement in the era of big heroes. There was a huge fan following for him, among the youngsters particularly.
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, YSRCP chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and CPI leader K. Narayana also condoled the death of Ranga Rao.
