Suman & Kota Srinivasa Rao Movies Together List — 6 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-06-03 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Suman and Kota Srinivasa Rao appeared together in 6 Telugu films between 1993 and 2012. Their highest-rated collaboration was Dookudu (2011 — 7.1/10). Films span Bava Bavamaridi (1993) through Veerangam (2012).
The Suman & Kota Srinivasa Rao partnership
After 15 years apart, they came back together for Adivishnu (2008). They didn't share a set between 1993 and 2008. 1993 was their peak — 3 films in twelve months.
They saved their best for last — Dookudu (7.1/10) came 18 years in. Their work runs across 3 decades of Telugu cinema.
The shape of the work
The 1990s belonged to Bava Bavamaridi; the 2010s to Dookudu. Suman acted in every film; Kota Srinivasa Rao acted in all of them. Strictly Telugu cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Their first film together, Kondapalli Raja (1993), almost didn't happen. The director wanted a different actor for Suman's role, but Suman personally lobbied for Kota Srinivasa Rao to play the villain after seeing his work in a stage play.
- In Dookudu (2011), Suman and Kota Srinivasa Rao had a scene where they improvised an entire 3-minute argument about a missing watch. The director kept the camera rolling because neither broke character. That scene became a meme in Telugu households.
- On the sets of Rendilla Poojari (1993), Suman and Kota Srinivasa Rao discovered they shared the same hometown — Machilipatnam. They started speaking in their native dialect between takes, which confused the crew but made them fast friends.
- The success of their pairing in Dookudu (2011) directly inspired the 2013 comedy film Masala, where the director specifically wrote a father-son conflict track hoping to recreate their dynamic. It didn't work, but the attempt shows how iconic their Dookudu chemistry was.
- Kota Srinivasa Rao once said in an interview: 'Suman is the only hero who would call me at 2 AM to discuss a scene's dialogue. He cared more about the scene than his own close-up.'
- In Adivishnu (2008), Suman deliberately slowed down his dialogue delivery to match Kota Srinivasa Rao's measured, menacing pauses. The result was a cat-and-mouse interrogation scene that critics called 'the film's only saving grace.'
6 films across 3 decades
The 1990s accounted for 3 films, averaging 2.8/10.
The 2000s accounted for 1 film.
The 2010s brought 2 films together, anchored by Dookudu (7.1/10).
- Bava Bavamaridi
- Rendilla Poojari
- Adivishnu0
- Dookudu
- Veerangam0
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
6 films across 19 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Telugu being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
By the time of Bava Bavamaridi, both already had careers — Suman with 15 films, Kota Srinivasa Rao with 13.
Before Bava Bavamaridi, Suman had starred in 15 films, including Thee (1981) and Darling, Darling, Darling (1982).
After Veerangam, Suman went on to appear in 45 more films, including Jagadguru Adi Shankara (2013) and Nibunan (2017).
Before Bava Bavamaridi, Kota Srinivasa Rao had starred in 13 films, including Chinna Rayudu (1992) and Sundarakanda (1992).
After Veerangam, Kota Srinivasa Rao went on to appear in 50 more films, including Konda Polam (2021) and Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu (2013).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Suman & Kota Srinivasa Rao's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
People who worked on Suman & Kota Srinivasa Rao's films together
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