Comedian Mada Venkateswara Rao dead

Telugu comedian Mada Venkateswara Rao breathed his last in a private hospital here, a family source said. He was 65.

"He passed away on Saturday night while undergoing treatment for respiratory problems," the source told IANS.

Born in 1950, the veteran actor shot to fame with his portrayal of an eunuch in filmmaker Dasari Narayana Rao's 1977 film "Chillara Kottu Chitemma".

Before becoming a full-fledged actor, he was employed in the electricity department.

With over 300 movies to his credit, he had starred in films such as "Mutyala Muggu", "Lambadolla Ramdasu", "Mayadari Malligadu" and "Siviah".