Rao started his work in the film industry in the late 1950s as the assistant director of his cousin T. Prakash Rao and Kotayya Pratyagatma, before making his directorial debut with 1966 Telugu film Navarathri.
Rama Rao had helmed 70 films in Telugu and Hindi, besides bankrolling blockbusters in Tamil.
The man was synonymous with actor Jeetendra's blockbusters in the 1980s.
He was the father of successful film producer T. Ajay Kumar.
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, Rao was "the man who established the 'Madras movie', or Hindi films funded primarily by southern capital, as a viable commercial option in the all-India market...".
He was credited with introducing Superstar Rajinikanth in Hindi cinema with Andhaa Kanoon.
One of the pioneering southern directors to also work in Bollywood, Rama Rao entered the Hindi film industry in 1979 and got to team up with leading actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra, Dharmendra and Mithun Chakraborty.
Apart from films, Rama Rao was also the chairman of Madras Hydraulic Hose, a leading manufacturer of stainless steel flexible corrugated hoses.
Rama Rao also produced Tamil films under the banner of Sri Lakshmi Productions and bankrolled movies with leading Tamil actors.