Earlier today, reports claiming that senior actor Kota Srinivasa Rao of Sarkar fame has passed away, prompted the actor to release a video saying he is very much alive. Reports and social media posts falsely claiming that he passed away surfaced, leading to several people reaching out to him even as he was making Ugadi preparations, he said in the video released on the morning of Tuesday, March 21. The Padma Shree awardee, who has acted in hundreds of Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam movies, said that he clarified to at least 50 people that he is still alive.
The highlight of the incident, Kota Srinivasa Rao added, was that at atleast 10 police officials showed up at his residence, assuming that there would be a crowd of fans outside. “The police said that they came to handle the crowds and provide security. I explained the situation and asked them to take responsibility in controlling such fake news,” he said in the video. The actor also appealed to the public not to believe and spread fake news. “There are many ways to earn money; do not resort to such things (publishing fake news), playing with the life and death of people,” he said. Kota is a renowned character artist who predominantly works in the Telugu film industry, known for his roles as a villain, comedy actor, and a variety of other supporting roles.