Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, born on 21 September 1931, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, composer, and actor. Widely regarded as one of India's most versatile and innovative filmmakers, he has directed around sixty films across Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, and English languages. He is credited with revolutionizing South Indian cinema through his experimental approach. A protégé of K. V. Reddy, he made his directorial debut with 'Neethi Nijayithi' (1972). His notable works include critically acclaimed films like 'Dikkatra Parvathi' (1974), 'Tharam Marindi' (1977), 'Mayuri' (1985), and the dialogue-less 'Pushpaka Vimana' (1987). He is particularly known for his landmark contributions to science fiction and fantasy genres with 'Aditya 369' (1991) and 'Bhairava Dweepam' (1994). His extensive collaborations with actors Dr. Rajkumar and Kamal Haasan resulted in numerous commercially successful and critically acclaimed films. Throughout his career, he has garnered numerous accolades including two National Film Awards, five Nandi Awards, three Karnataka State Film Awards, and three Filmfare Awards South. In 2011, he was honored with the Life Achievement Award by the Film Federation of India.