Nag Ashwin remembers Singeetham Srinivasa Rao’s creative spirit after his passing, reveals how the late veteran filmmaker had planned a film titled ‘A fruit cuts the knife’ |

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Legendary filmmaker Singeetham Srinivasa Rao‘s death at the age of 94 has left the Indian film fraternity mourning the loss of one of its most inventive storytellers. Among those remembering the veteran director is filmmaker Nag Ashwin, who produced Singeetham’s final directorial venture, Sing Geetham. In a personal tribute, Nag has now shared a glimpse of the filmmaker’s creative mind, revealing that Singeetham was already thinking about his next film and had even decided on its unusual title.

Nag Ashwin shares Singeetham Srinivasa Rao’s next film title

Taking to social media, Nag Ashwin shared a WhatsApp message he had received from Singeetham Srinivasa Rao. In the message, the veteran filmmaker revealed the title of a project he wanted to make next: “A fruit cuts the knife.”

The message offers a glimpse into Singeetham’s enduring enthusiasm for filmmaking. Even after returning to feature films with Sing Geetham, the director continued to develop new ideas and was already contemplating his next project. Singeetham passed away in Chennai late on Saturday at the age of 94. Over a career spanning several decades and multiple Indian languages, he became known for experimenting with genres and exploring unconventional storytelling ideas.

Singeetham Srinivasa Rao’s final directorial venture, ‘Sing Geetham’

Sing Geetham marked Singeetham’s return to feature filmmaking after a 13-year gap. His previous feature was Welcome Obama, which was released in 2013. Produced by Nag Ashwin, the musical fantasy film revolves around a village where the residents mysteriously fall under a spell that makes them sing instead of speak. The unusual premise combines fantasy, music, humour and suspense, while the narrative also features mysterious incidents involving the characters inside an old mine. The film features Ayaan Khan, Shalini Kondepudi and Ahilya Bamroo in prominent roles. Devi Sri Prasad composed the music, while Ankur C handled the cinematography.

Singeetham Srinivasa Rao’s enduring passion for cinema

The revelation about A fruit cuts the knife is particularly poignant because it shows that Singeetham’s creative journey had not ended with Sing Geetham. Even at 94, the filmmaker was thinking about another story and another film he wanted to bring to audiences. His career was marked by an eclectic body of work across Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi cinema. Films such as ‘Pushpaka Vimana’, ‘Aditya 369’ and ‘Mayuri’ remain among his best-known works, reflecting his willingness to experiment with form, genre and narrative structure.

Nag Ashwin’s work after ‘Kalki 2898 AD’

Meanwhile, Nag Ashwin’s most recent directorial venture was ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, starring Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan and Disha Patani, among others. The filmmaker is currently working on the sequel, ‘Kalki 2898 AD: Part 2’. The project is expected to further expand the futuristic world introduced in the first film.