Who was GV Narayana Rao? Chiranjeevi's Childhood Friend, Rajinikanth's Batchmate Passes Away at 73

The film industry is in mourning. Senior actor, producer, and businessman GV Narayana Rao has passed away. He had been unwell for a long time and breathed his last.

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Senior actor, producer GV Narayana Rao passes away

Actress Karate Kalyani broke the news on social media. She called him a childhood friend of Chiranjeevi and a wonderful person who greeted everyone warmly. Kalyani shared a photo with him, expressing her deep sadness over his passing.

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GV's film journey..

Born in 1953, Narayana Rao grew up in Guntakal and Hyderabad. His father, G. Prasadarao, was a distributor and MD of Sarathi Studios. In 1973, Narayana Rao joined the first batch of the Madras Film Institute, where he became batchmates and close friends with superstar Rajinikanth.

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Journey as an actor-producer

Narayana Rao debuted in K. Balachander's 1976 film 'Anthuleni Katha'. He won a Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actor for his very first movie. He later acted as a hero in films like 'Oka Oori Katha' before moving to character roles, starring in over 100 films and several TV serials.

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Closeness with Chiranjeevi, Rajinikanth

Narayana Rao shared a special bond with Megastar Chiranjeevi, acting with him in hits like 'Gang Leader' and 'Hitler'. He even produced Chiranjeevi's 'Devanthakudu' and 'Yamudiki Mogudu', later remaking the latter in Tamil with his friend Rajinikanth.