Hyderabad, March 22: T.L. Kantha Rao, swashbuckling yesteryear hero of folk and mythological films, died at a hospital on Sunday.
He was suffering from cancer. Rao was 85 and is survived by his wife Hyma-vathi, four sons and a daughter.
Kantha Rao had acted in more than 400 films. He made his debut with a small role in Nirdosh in 1951. He was offered a lead role in Pratignya by the producer, H.M. Reddy in 1953.
NTR took him in as the second lead in Jayasimha, after which Kantha Rao rose to stardom. His major films include Va-ralakshmi Vrat-ham, Jaya Vija-ya, Kanakadurga Puja Mahima, Sabhash Raja and Lava Kusa.
He essayed the roles of Krishna, Arjuna, Rama and even Bruhannela, but it was as Narada that he was best known. He played Narada 15 times and it was said at that time: “Narada is Kantha Rao and Kantha Rao is Narada.”
He later produced films like Saptha Swaralu, Gundelu Theesina Monagadu, Prema Jeevulu and Swathi Chinukulu.
His book Anaganaga Oka Raakumaarudu won the Nandi for Best Book in 2007. He was also awarded the Raghupati Venkaiah award
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