Veteran Tollywood actor Gollapudi Maruti Rao passes away

Veteran Tollywood actor and writer Gollapudi Maruti Rao passed away on Thursday at the age of 80 while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Chennai.

Born on April 14, 1939, in Vijayanagaram in Andhra Pradesh, Rao was a recipient of Nandi Award as best writer for his film 'Doctor Chakravarthy'.

Rao entered Tollywood through his debut film 'Intlo Ramaiah Veedhilo Krishnaiah'. Many Telugu film stars from the industry have extended their condolences after Rao's demise.