Hyderabad: Well-known Telugu film director and former Union Minister of State for Coal Dasari Narayana Rao died here on Tuesday after prolonged illness. He was 75.

Rao, who holds the Guinness Book of Records for directing 125 films in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi, died at a private hospital due to health complications. The National Award-winning director had produced 50 other films.

He had been in and out of hospital for quite some time and had undergone surgery for infection in the lungs and kidneys earlier this year.

Dasari Narayana Rao

Rao, who was a Minister in the Council of Ministers headed by Manmohan Singh, was also chargesheeted in the coal scam.

Some of his famous films include "Premabhishekam", "Megha Sandesham", "Osey Ramulamma" and "Tata Manavadu".

He achieved national fame when he directed Rajesh Khanna in two different roles in Asha Jyoti and Aaj Ka M.L.A. Ram Avtar in 1984. He has introduced actors and directors such as Mohan Babu, R. Narayana Murthy, Raviraja Pinisetty, Muthyala Subbaiah to Telugu film industry.

Rao had planned to make a biopic on late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.