NTR or Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao was an Indian politician, actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and editor. He was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for 3 terms over a period of 7 years. NTR is mainly known for his portrayal of Hindu mythological characters and was fondly called as ‘Viswa Vikhyatha Nata Sarvabhouma’ by the media.
The upcoming multi-lingual biopic movie titled ‘N.T.R. Kathanayakudu’ is based on the life of NTR. The film is directed by Krish and stars NTR’s son Nandamuri Balakrishna in the role of NTR. The movie is the first part of the two-part biopic series. The second part has been titled ‘N.T.R: Mahanayakudu’. The movie also stars Vidya Balan as the first wife of NTR. The movie is slated to release in theaters in the USA on 9th Jan 2019.
Contents
Early Life and Education
NTR was born on May 28, 1923, in a small village called Nimmakuru, in Gudivada taluka, Krishna District, which was then a part of the Madras Presidency of British India. His parents Venkata Ramamma and Nandamuri Lakshmaih were farmers, but they gave him up for adoption to his paternal uncle.
NTR did his initial schooling in his village and later at Vijayawada. In 1940, he completed his matriculation and then attended Vijayawada’s SRR & CVR College and then Guntur’s Andhra-Christian College.
Career
After graduating from college, NTR began working as a sub-registrar at the Madras Service Commission located in Prathipadu in Guntur District. He however quit the job to pursue a career in acting.
Movie career
NTR’s first role in a film was that of a policeman in the 1949 film Mana Desam. After that he did a few movies. He found fame and widespread recognition in 1957 after essaying the role of Lord Krishna in his first mythological superhit movie ‘Maya Bazaar’. NTR played the role of Lord Krishna in over 15 films. NTR also played the role of Lord Rama in many films such as 1963’s Lava Kusha and 1974’s Shri Ramanjaneya Yuddham. Besides Lord Rama and Lord Krishna, he essayed the role of other Hindu gods like Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, and as different mythological characters like Arjuna, Bheesma, Duryodhana, Karna, and even Ravana.
After a few years in the Telugu film industry, NTR stopped portraying a prince on screen and started to essay the roles of heroic poor men in constant struggle against the system, which included films like Adavi Ramudu, Devudu Chesina Manushulu, Driver Ramudu, Sardar Papa Rayudu, Vetagadu, Justice Chowdhary, and Kondaveeti Simham. His last film as an actor was the 1993 biopic about Srinatha, a Telugu poet, titled Srinatha Kavi Sarvabhowmudu. He starred in over 290 films throughout his movie career.
NTR also wrote many screenplays, directed and produced many movies, and created an advanced system of distributing films. He founded the film studio company Ramakrishna Studios in the memory of his eldest son who had passed away. He also worked towards increasing the number of theaters/cinemas in the state.
Political Career
NTR launched his own political party, i.e., the TDP or Telugu Desam Party, in March 1982. NTR campaigned extensively across the state and the party won the 1983 assembly elections with a huge majority. He subsequently became the first non-Congress Party Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. In August 1984, NTR went to the USA for heart surgery and the Governor removed NTR and appointed Bhaskara Rao as the CM. After returning to India, NTR launched a campaign across the state with the help of other parties against his removal from office. He was reinstated as CM in September 1984.
In the 1984 general elections, the Congress won a landslide victory due to sympathy wave created by assassination of Indira Gandhi. The TDP however won in Andhra and became the main opposition party in the Parliament.
NTR dissolved the assembly in 1985 and called for elections. The TDP won again with a huge majority and NTR became the CM once again. NTR however lost the 1989 assembly elections to Congress and lost the CM’s post. NTR however joined the non-Congress coalition front at the center which governed India from 1989 to 1990. He also became the leader of the opposition in the assembly. NTR won the 1994 assembly elections and became the CM for the third time. He was removed from office in August 1995 after an internal in-party coup by NTR’s son-in-law, N. Chandrababu Naidu. The latter stated that he had to take over as NTR was planning to hand over the reins of the party to Lakshmi Parvathi, his second wife. The coup was successful, due to help from NTR’s sons and NTR’s other son in law Venkateswara Rao. NTR stated that the coup was treachery and called Naidu as an untrustworthy and power hungry person.
Personal Life
- NTR married Basava Tarakam in May 1943 when he was 20 years old and still studying. They had 4 daughters and 8 sons. All of them, or their families, are involved in the Telugu film industry or Andhra/Telangana politics.
- Basava passed away in 1985 due to cancer. NTR got married to writer Lakshmi Parvathi in 1993.
- NTR died on 18th Jan 1996 in Hyderabad due to a heart attack. His memorial is at NTR Gardens in Hyderabad.
Trivia
- NTR was awarded the Padma Shri by the Indian Government in 1968.
- He has won many acting awards, such as the Rashtrapati Awards in 1954 and 1963; Nandi Awards in 1970; and Filmfare Awards South award in 1972. He also won 2 National Film Awards as co-producer and 1 National Film Awards as director.
- NTR trained under Kuchipudi dancer Vempati Chinna Satyam and learnt dancing when he was 40 years old, for his role in the 1963 movie Nartanasala.
- In 1996, the Andhra government established the NTR National Award as recognition for lifetime achievements of movie personalities to Indian cinema.
- Many of the movies starring NTR has featured in the list of different media houses as being the best movies in Indian Cinema. For example, Mayabazar, Patala Bhairavi, Malliswari, and Nartanasala were listed in the ‘Hundred greatest Indian films of all time’ by CNN-IBN.
- NTR had campaigned for Tamil-actor politician MGR, when MGR was unwell and in US for surgery, during the 1984 Tamil Nadu assembly elections.
N T Rama Rao – Young Pictures
