Comedian Mallikarjuna Rao, 56, passed away this Tuesday fighting leukemia. Apart from his movie roles, he was also the general secretary of the Telugu Movie Artists Association and the cultural wing secretary of Telugu Desam Party.
As TV channels paid tributes to him, they all mentioned his career of about 375 films that came into limelight with “baTTala koTTu” Satyam in Vamsy’s Ladies Tailor. Ever since, I have been thinking about some of his characters. Unsuprisingly, most that I could remember were in combination with Rajendra Prasad. Here are a few that I found the most entertaining.
Chinna Rao: In Vamsy’s April 1 viDudala, he plays a lustful man eying Bhagyam (Vijaya Lalitha), a woman married to a muscular man, while already being married to two women. The scene with an electrical wire in his mouth cracks me up every time I watch it.
Chitti: In EVV’s Hello Brother, he excels as the more intelligent and more knowledgeable constable to Kota Srinivasa Rao’s Tadi Mattayya (SI). As he acts in every scene beside Kota Srinivasa Roa, he proves that he is no less as a comedian in this restrained role. “idi lAThi kAdu, gUTi biLLa.”
Heroine’s Brother: In kobbaribonDam, he plays the heroine’s brother, the husband suffering from his wife’s (Sri Lakshmi’s) penchant for advertisements. I find the concerned brother’s role more touching.
Heroine’s Father: In Relangi Narasimha Rao’s? iddaru peLLAla muddula Police, he plays a heroine’s father, a hero’s uncle, a village president, and most unforgettably a husband suffering from his wife’s (Sri Lakshmi’s) patibhakti. “antA brama brAnti.”
Penukonda Abbulu: In Vamsy’s SrE kanakamAlakShmi Dancing Troupe, he is Relangi’s dupe in the troupe. “EviDa, Ayanaki, stepney lAnTidi.”
Yesupadam: In Vamsy’s cheTTu kinda Pleader, he plays an ardent cricket fan, an employee working in the Marriage Registration Office. (He also dubbed voice for Gopalam’s driver, another tiny role.) “abbA. Two much.”
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