Nandam

Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996), often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, film editor, philanthropist, and politician who served as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh over three terms for seven years. In 1982, he founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the first regional party of Andhra Pradesh. He is regarded...

Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996), often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, film editor, philanthropist, and politician who served as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh over three terms for seven years. In 1982, he founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the first regional party of Andhra Pradesh. He is regarded as one of the most influential figures of Indian cinema. 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). He was one of the earliest method actors of 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. Rama Rao has received numerous honours and accolades, including the Padma Shri in 1968. He also received three National Film Awards for co-producing Thodu Dongalu (1954) and Seetharama Kalyanam (1960) under National Art Theater, Madras, and for directing Varakatnam (1970). 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. Rama Rao made his debut as an actor in a Telugu social film Mana Desam, directed by L. V. Prasad in 1949. His breakthrough performance was in Raju Peda (1954) and he gained popularity in the 1960s, becoming well known for his portrayals of Hindu deities, especially Krishna, Shiva and Rama, roles which have made him a "messiah of the masses" and a prominent figure in cinema. He later became known for portraying antagonistic characters and Robin Hood-esque hero characters in films. He starred in such films as Pathala Bhairavi (1951), the only south Indian film screened at the first International Film Festival of India, Malliswari (1951), featured at Peking Film Festival, Beijing, China, the enduring classics Mayabazar (1957) and Nartanasala (1963), featured at the Afro-Asian Film Festival that was held in Jakarta, Indonesia. All the four films were included in CNN-IBN's list of "100 greatest Indian films of all time". He co-produced Ummadi Kutumbam, nominated by Film Federation of India as one of its entries to the 1968 Moscow Film Festival. Besides Telugu, he has also acted in a few Tamil films. He served four tumultuous terms as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh between 1983 and 1995. He was a strong advocate of a distinct Telugu 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. His political career brought vast changes in the polity and political landscape of India since its independence. Early life Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao was born on 28 May 1923 in a Telugu Hindu agrarian family to Nandamuri Lakshmaih Chowdary and Nandamuri Venkata Ramamma, in Nimmakuru, a small village in Gudivada taluk of Krishna district, which was a part of the erstwhile Madras Presidency of British India. He was given in adoption to his paternal uncle because his uncle and aunt were childless. He was first educated by a teacher who came from a nearby village, whom he would attribute his command of Telugu to, as well as his father, an aspiring thespian and patron of the arts. Although children were normally pulled out of school after completing their primary education in that time and place, on account of being the first male child in the family, his father sent him to Vijayawada to continue his education, matriculating in 1940 before studying at SRR & CVR College and completing a bachelor's degree from Andhra Christian College in Guntur. After qualifying for the civil service during the Madras Presidency under British India, he took a job as a sub-registrar in Madras Service Commission at Mangalagiri, northeast of Guntur. Rao quit within three weeks to pursue a career in acting. He developed a baritone singing voice as a young man. Personal life In May 1942, at the age of 18, while still pursuing his Intermediate, Rao married Basava Rama Tarakam, his cousin and the daughter of his maternal uncle. The marriage resulted in twelve children; including eight sons and four daughters, namely: Ramakrishna Sr., Jayakrishna, Saikrishna, Harikrishna, Mohana Krishna, Balakrishna, Ramakrishna Jr., Jayashankarakrishna, Lokeswari, Purandeswari, Bhuvaneswari, and Umamaheswari. Tarakam died of cancer in 1985. In her memory, Rao established the Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital in Hyderabad, in 1986. In 1993, NTR married Lakshmi Parvathi, a Telugu writer. Rao's sixth son, Nandamuri Balakrishna, has been one of the leading actors in Tollywood since the mid-1980s. He also started his career as a child artist. Rao's third daughter, Bhuvaneswari, is married to chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu. Rao's second daughter, Daggubati Purandeswari, is a politician, who has represented the Indian National Congress in the Lok Sabha and served as a Union Minister. She later shifted her allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Rama Rao died of a heart attack on 18 January 1996 at his residence in Hyderabad, aged 72. He was cremated, and his ashes were immersed at Srirangapatna by his second wife Lakshmi Parvathi, eight years later, in May 2004. Film career NTR made his debut as an actor in a Telugu social film Mana Desam, directed by L. V. Prasad in 1949. Following this, he appeared in Palletoori Pilla (1950), directed by B. A. Subba Rao. He got his breakthrough performances in Raju Peda (1954) His first religious film was in 1957, where he portrayed the Hindu god Krishna in the blockbuster film Maya Bazaar. He played Krishna in 17 films, including landmark films such as Sri Krishnarjuna Yudham (1962), the Tamil film Karnan (1964) and Daana Veera Soora Karna (1977). He was also known for his portrayal of the god Rama, performing in films including Lava Kusa (1963) and Sri Ramanjaneya Yuddham (1974). He has also portrayed other characters from the Ramayana, such as Ravana in Bhookailas (1958) and Seetharama Kalyanam (1961). He portrayed the god Vishnu in films such as Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam (1960) and the god Shiva in Dakshayagnam (1962). He has also enacted the roles of Mahabharata characters, such as Bheeshma, Arjuna, Bhima, Karna and Duryodhana. He gained popularity in the 1960s when he became well known for his portrayals of Hindu deities, especially Krishna, Shiva and Rama, roles and a prominent figure in the history of cinema. He starred in such films as Pathala Bhairavi (1951), the only south Indian film screened at the first International Film Festival of India, Malliswari (1951), featured at Peking Film Festival, Beijing, China, the enduring classics Mayabazar (1957) and Nartanasala (1963). In the later half of his career, Rao became a screenwriter. Despite having no formal training in scriptwriting, he authored several screenplays for his own movies as well as for other producers. He also produced many of his films as well as other actor's films through his film production house National Art Theater Private Limited, Madras. Rao founded the film studios Ramakrishna Studios initially in Musheerabad in memory of his eldest son, Nandamuri Ramakrishna Sr. who died in 1962. Later It was shifted to Nacharam. He co-produced Ummadi Kutumbam, nominated by Film Federation of India as one of its entries to the 1968 Moscow Film Festival. He actively campaigned for the construction of a large number of cinemas through this production house. He was influential in designing and implementing a financial system that funded the production and distribution of movies. He was so dedicated to his profession that he would often learn new things to portray a particular character on-screen perfectly and realistically. At the age of 40, he learnt dance from the Kuchipudi dancer Vempati Chinna Satyam for his role in the film Nartanasala (1963). Later in his career, he transitioned from portraying princely characters in commercial films to roles featuring working-class heroes who challenged societal structures. These films resonated with a broad audience. Some of these films are Devudu Chesina Manushulu (1973), Adavi Ramudu (1977), Driver Ramudu (1979), Vetagadu (1979), Sardar Papa Rayudu (1980), Kondaveeti Simham (1981), Justice Chowdary (1982) and Bobbili Puli (1982). He also portrayed fantasy roles, his notable film in that genre being Yamagola (1977). His film Lava Kusa, in which he starred as Rama, collected ₹10 million in 1963. He directed and acted in the hagiographical film Srimadvirat Veerabrahmendra Swami Charitra (1984). He also acted in films such as Brahmashi Viswamitra (1991) and Major Chandrakanth (1993). His last film was Srinatha Kavi Sarvabhowmudu, a biographical film on the Telugu poet Srinatha, which released in 1993. 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). He was one of the earliest method actors of Indian cinema. Rao received three National Film Awards for co-producing Thodu Dongalu (1954) and Seetharama Kalyanam (1960) under National Art Theater, Madras, and for directing Varakatnam (1970). Political career Rao's political career with the Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh brought tremendous changes in the polity and political landscape of India since its independence. Nadendla Bhaskara Rao, a politician belonging to Congress (I) contemplated forming a new political party after he was dropped as a minister. He came in contact with Rao, who also expressed his interest to do public service after his 60th birthday. Rao announced the launch of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on 29 March 1982 in Hyderabad in a meeting with the enthusiastic supporters and delegates of the proposed party, which included N. Bhaskara Rao, who by then had resigned from Congress(I). He said that this decision was based on a historic need to rid Andhra Pradesh of the corrupt and inept rule of the Indian National Congress, which had governed the state since its formation in 1956. After general body meeting of party named Mahanaadu in May 1982, he travelled to tell people of his mission while the elections were several months away. He used a modified 1950s Chevrolet van for his campaign. Some of the modifications included a sunroof to climb up for addressing the public, along with a public address system and focus lights. The vehicle was named Chaitanya Ratham (Chariot of Awakening), and this style of campaigning became an innovation that was followed by several others later. He wore khaki pants and a bush shirt. He lived his life on the road avoiding guest houses or luxury houses of his fans, even performing daily activities such as shaving and bathing by the roadside. His food was a simple meal prepared by a roadside assistant. Eenadu, an upcoming Telugu daily newspaper, supported Rao's campaign by providing information on local issues for use in his speeches and by extensive coverage in the paper with reports from an accompanying reporter and photographer. The paper's circulation jumped from 2.3 lakh to 3.5 lakh during June - December 1982 coinciding with campaign period. In the elections, the TDP allied with the newly formed Sanjaya Vichara Manch (SVM) party. The TDP manifesto projected itself as the real alternative to the Congress (I). It fielded ordinary persons who had integrity, competence and loyalty as its candidates. Rao himself decided to contest from two assembly constituencies, Gudivada and Tirupati. In his Chaitanya Ratham, Rao travelled across the state of Andhra Pradesh, travelling through all the districts while his son Nandamuri Harikrishna drove the van. He drove over 75,000 kilometres during his campaign, a distinctive sight with the v