N. T. Rama Rao
| Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao | |
|---|---|
| 10th Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh | |
| Preceded by | Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy |
| Succeeded by | Chandrababu Naidu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 28, 1923 Nimmakuru, Andhra Pradesh,India |
| Died | January 18, 1996 (aged 72) Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh,India |
| Political party | Telugu Desam Party |
| Spouse(s) | Basava Tarakam (deceased) and Lakshmi Parvathi |
| Children | (sons) Jayakrishna, Saikrishna,Harikrishna, Mohankrishna,Balakrishna, Ramakrishna, Jayasankarkrishna, (daughters) Lokeswari, Purandeshwari, Bhuvaneswari and Uma Maheswari |
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (born Nimmakuru, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh; 28 May 1923–18 January 1996), also known as NTR and fondly referred to as Anna Garu, was an Indian filmactor, director, producer, and a politician.
Rama Rao made his debut as an actor in Mana Desam, a Telugu social film directed by L. V. Prasad in 1949. He first gained popularity in the 1950s when he became well-known for his portrayals of Hindu deities, especially Lord Krishna and Lord Rama, roles which have made him a mythic figure among the Telugu-speaking people of Andhra Pradesh. He later became known for portraying antagonistic characters and cementing leading roles in films. In total he starred in over 320 Telugu films and has become one of the most prominent figures in the history of Telugu cinema.
After his career in movies, Rama Rao became a political activist and a political party leader. Rao founded the Telugu Desam Party in 1982 and served three tumultuous terms as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh between 1983 and 1994. He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1968, recognizing his contribution to Telugu cinema. He is known as an advocate of Andhra Pradesh's distinct cultural identity, distinguishing it from Madras State with which it was often associated. Besides Telugu, he has also acted in a few Tamil and Kannada films.
Early life
Born in Nimmakuru, a small village in Gudivada taluk on May 28, 1923, Rama Rao received his early education from tutor Valluru Subba Rao, in his native village. His parents, Venkataramamma and Laxmaiah, gave him in adoption to the latter's brother, Ramaiah and his wife Chandramma. He studied up to Class V in his village as there was no further education there, Ramaiah and his wife took their adopted son to Vijayawada and got him admitted into Class VI in the municipal school. He spent the following seven years in Yanamalakuduru, a small village near Vijayawada by the banks of river Krishna, at the home of D. Buchi Venkata Krishna Chowdary. He passed the matriculation examination in 1940 and joined the SRR and CVR College in Vijayawada. While doing his intermediate course, he supplemented the family income by supplying milk to hotels in Vijayawada on his bicycle. At the end of the first year, the students decided to stage a play written by 'Kavi Samrat' Viswanadha Satyanarayana, the well-known Telugu poet and writer and the head of the Telugu department of the college. He joined the Andhra-Christian College at Guntur for the Bachelor of Arts course in 1945. From a young age he showed an interest in singing and developed a baritone singing voice as a young man.
Acting career
N. T. Rama Rao started his career playing a police inspector in the movie Mana Desam (1949). The role was offered by director L V Prasad. Next he appeared in Palletoori Pilla, directed by B. A. Subba Rao. It marked the first occasion that Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao acted together for the first time. The title role was played by Anjali Devi and the story was loosely based on the English play Pizaro by Richard Sherton. The film was a commercial hit and ran for more than 100 days in 6 centres. He appeared in over 320 films, although only around 292 films are often accounted for, and he became a legend in Telugu cinema. He often portrayed Hindu mythological gods or heros but also made an ideal villain.
He portrayed Lord Krishna in Maya Bazaar, Sri Krishnarjuna Yudham, Daana Veera Soora Karna, Lord Rama in (Lava Kusa), Bheeshma (Bheeshma) and Ravana (Bhookailasa), and Arjuna(Nartanasala). Later he became a screenwriter. Rao received no formal academic training in movie script writing. Yet he authored several screen plays for his own movies as well as for other producer's movies.
He actively campaigned for the construction of a large number of movie theaters in rural locations and was influential in designing and implementing a financial system that funded the production and distribution of movies.
Notable filmography
Main article: N T Rama Rao filmography
Awards
National Film Award
- 1961 - National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu - Certificate of Merit — Seetharama Kalyanam — NTR
- 1968 - National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu - Silver Medal - Varakatnam - NTR
Special honours
- Padmashri Award from Government Of India
- 1978 — Honorary Doctorate from Andhra University
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