N. T. Rama Rao

N. T. Rama Rao
Rao on a Commemorative Stamp dated 2001.
10th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
In office
12 December 1994 – 1 September 1995
GovernorKrishan Kant
CabinetNTR IV
Preceded byKotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy
Succeeded byN. Chandrababu Naidu
In office
16 September 1984 – 2 December 1989
Governor
CabinetNTR II & III
Preceded byNadendla Bhaskara Rao
Succeeded byMarri Chenna Reddy
In office
9 January 1983 – 16 August 1984
Governor
CabinetNTR I
Preceded byKotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy
Succeeded byNadendla Bhaskara Rao
10th Leader of the Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly
In office
1989–1994
Governor
Chief Minister
Preceded byMogaligundla Baga Reddy
Succeeded byP. Janardhan Reddy
Member of Legislative Assembly, Andhra Pradesh
In office
1985–1996
Preceded byPamishetty Ranganayakulu
Succeeded byNandamuri Harikrishna
ConstituencyHindupuram
In office
1983–1985
Preceded byKatari Satyanarayana Rao
Succeeded byRaavi Sobhanadri Chowdary
ConstituencyGudivada
1st President of Telugu Desam Party
In office
29 March 1982 – 1 September 1995
General SecretaryN. Chandrababu Naidu
(1983-1995)
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byN. Chandrababu Naidu
Personal details
Born
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao

(1923-05-28)28 May 1923
Nimmakuru, Madras Presidency, British India
(now in Andhra Pradesh, India)
Died18 January 1996(1996-01-18) (aged 72)
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Cause of deathCardiac arrest
Political partyTelugu Desam Party
Spouses
  • Nandamuri Basavatarakam
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1943; died 1985)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1993)​
Parents
  • Nandamuri Lakshmayya (father)
  • Nandamuri Venkata Ramamma (mother)
Occupation
AwardsPadma Shri (1968)
SignatureNTR's signature

Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996),[1] often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, film editor, philanthropist and politician who served as a former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for seven years over four terms. He is regarded as one of the most influential actors of Indian cinema.[2] He starred in over 300 films, predominantly in Telugu cinema, and was referred to as "Viswa Vikhyatha Nata Sarvabhouma" (transl. Universally-renowned star of acting).[3] Rao received three National Film Awards for co-producing Thodu Dongalu (1954) and Seetharama Kalyanam (1960) under National Art Theater, Madras,[4] and for directing Varakatnam (1970).[5] In 1968, The Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award, for his contributions to Indian cinema. In 2013, Rao was voted as "Greatest Indian Actor of All Time" in a CNN-IBN national poll conducted on the occasion of the Centenary of Indian Cinema.[6][7]

Known for his breakthrough performances in Raju Peda (1954) and Lava Kusa (1963),[8][9][10] Rao garnered the Nandi Award for Best Actor for Kodalu Diddina Kapuram in 1970, and the Inaugural Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu in 1972 for Badi Panthulu.[8][10]

Rama Rao made his debut as an actor in a Telugu social film Mana Desam, directed by L. V. Prasad in 1949. He gained popularity in the 1960s when he became well known for his portrayals of Hindu deities, especially Krishna, Shiva and Rama,[11] roles which have made him a "messiah of the masses" and a prominent figure in the history of cinema.[11][12] He later became known for portraying antagonistic characters and Robin Hood-esque hero characters in films.[13][14][15][16] He starred in such films as Pathala Bhairavi (1951), the only south Indian film screened at the first International Film Festival of India,[17][18] Malliswari (1951), featured at Peking Film Festival, Beijing, China,[19] the enduring classics Mayabazar (1957) and Nartanasala (1963), featured at the Afro-Asian Film Festival that was held in Jakarta, Indonesia.[20] All the four films were included in CNN-IBN's list of "100 greatest Indian films of all time".[21] He co-produced Ummadi Kutumbam, nominated by Film Federation of India as one of its entries to the 1968 Moscow Film Festival.[13][22] Besides Telugu, he has also acted in a few Tamil films.[23] Widely recognised for his portrayal of mythological characters, Rao was also one of the earliest method actors of Indian cinema.[11]

He founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1982 and served three tumultuous terms as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh between 1983 and 1995. He was known as an advocate of Andhra Pradesh's distinct cultural identity, distinguishing it from the erstwhile Madras State with which it was often associated. At the national level, he was instrumental in the formation of the National Front, a coalition of non-Congress parties which governed India in 1989 and 1990.[24]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference TheHindu DOB was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "NTR, India's greatest ever actor, says survey". 29 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Remembering Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao on his 24th death anniversary: The life and legacy of Doctor Viswa Vikhyatha Nata Sarvabhouma". The Times of India. 18 January 2020. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  4. ^ Eenadu Daily, Eenadu cinema – 17 July 2013, National art theater, Page 10
  5. ^ "2nd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
  6. ^ "NTR greatest actor in India". CNN-IBN. 9 March 2013. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  7. ^ "NTR is the greatest Indian actor – Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  8. ^ a b The Times of India directory and year book including who's who. Times of India Press. 1984.
  9. ^ Narasimham, M. L. (16 May 2014). "RAJU-PEDA (1954)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  10. ^ a b Ramachandran, T.M. (1973). Film world. Vol. 9.
  11. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference I96 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Burns, John F. (19 January 1996). "N. T. Rama Rao, 72, Is Dead; Star Status Infused His Politics". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  13. ^ a b Eenadu Daily, Eenadu cinema – 17 July 2013, National art theater, Page 10
  14. ^ "N.T. Rama Rao (1923–1995): A messiah of the masses". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 14 March 2003. Retrieved 9 December 2002.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. ^ Sashidhar AS (13 August 2012). "Donga Ramudu was included in FTII". The Times of India (Press release). Archived from the original on 4 May 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  16. ^ "Nostalgia – Pathala Bhairavi". CineGoer.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  17. ^ "::Directorate Of Film Festivals". Archived from the original on 28 May 2015.
  18. ^ "4th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  19. ^ Eenadu Daily, Eenadu Sunday – 28 April 2013, 100 years of Indian Cinema, Early Tollywood, Page 9
  20. ^ "Directorate of Film Festival" (PDF). Iffi.nic.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 May 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  21. ^ "News18.com: CNN-News18 Breaking News India, Latest News, Current News Headlines". News18. Archived from the original on 24 April 2013.
  22. ^ "Cinema News – Movie Reviews – Movie Trailers – IndiaGlitz". Archived from the original on 13 June 2011.
  23. ^ Democratic Process and Electoral Politics in Andhra Pradesh, India Archived 20 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine (1997)
  24. ^ "Regionalism and sub-regionalism". frontline.thehindu.com. 22 April 2004. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.