Mr N T Rama Rao was born on 28th May in the year 1923 in the village Nimmakur in Andhra Pradesh. He was born in a Farmer’s family. He was born to Lakshmaiah and Venkatravamma, but later he was adapted to Chandramma and Ramayya. He was popularly known as NTR. He did his Matriculation in the year 1940. He did his graduation fro Andhra-Christian College in Guntur. From the very young age he had an interest in singing.
He got married to his maternal uncle’s daughter ‘Basava Tarakamma’ when he was in intermediate in the year 1942. He had 11 children, seven sons and four daughters.
His sons ‘Hari Krishna’ and ‘Bala Krishna’ are also actors. His son Hari Krishna is an actor turned politician. His daughter ‘Purandeswari’ married to ‘Nara Chandra Babu Naidu’ who is a politician and other daughter ‘Bhuvaneshwari’ married to a politician D Venksteswara Rao and even she is a politician.
His grandsons ‘Jr NTR’, ‘Taraka Ratna‘ and ‘Kalayan Ram‘ are also actors. His wife died in the year 1985. She suffered with cancer and a cancer hospital was established in her memory in Hyderabad. Later He married Lakshmi Parvathi in the year 1993.
He started his career in the tollywood in the year 1949 from the movie ‘Mandesam’, directed by L V Prasad, in that movie his role was a police officer. His second movie was ‘Palleturi Pilla’ (1950) directed by B A Subba Rao. This was the first movie in which he acted with ANR (Akkineni Nageswara Rao). “Palleturi Pilla” was his first movie as hero. He was paired against ‘Anjali Devi‘. He acted nearly in 320 movies and became the prominent figure in the Telugu film history. He gained popularity from the film ‘Pathala Bhairavi‘. This film was even screened at the India International Film Festival in the year 1952. He was popular for his mythological roles like ‘Lord Rama’, ‘Lord Krishna’, etc.
He was very popular for the Mythological role of ‘Krishna’. He became very popular with the role of ‘Gireesam’ in the movie ‘Kanyasulakam‘ (1955). Both ANR and NTR acted together in many movies. His first dual role movie ‘Ramudu Bheemudu’ (1964). He acted in three role in the movie ‘Dana Veera Soora Karna’ (1977) as Karna. Duryodhana and Krishna in 1979, he acted in the movie ‘Sri Madvirat Parvam’ in which he did five roles as ‘SriKrishna’, ‘Arjuna’, ‘Bruhannala’, ‘Duryodhana’ and ‘Keechaka’.
In the year 1952 N T R started his own production called ‘N A T’ along with his brother ‘Trivikram’and produced the movie “Pitchi Pullayya” in which he acted the title role. In 1954 he produced another movie ‘Todhu Dongalu’, which won the President Award. After his son Rama Krishna died he changed his banner name into ‘Rama Krishna –NAT Combines and he even constructed film studios in his son’s memory in Hyderabad. Even he constructed Theatres in the memory of his son. Later he started direction. NTR directed his first film (Sita Rama Kalyanam) in the year 1961 in his own banner N A T productions.
Later he directed and produced many movies. In the year 1958, he acted as ‘Ravana’ in the movie ‘Bhookailas‘. In this movie he did a tremendous job as Ravana, he lived in the role. He got many awards and rewards for several roles in the films. He acted even at the age of ‘seventy’ in his last movie ‘Sri Naadha Kavi SaarvaBhauma’.
He won the hearts of the Telugu audience by his action, dialogue delivery and handsome personality. He did many Mythological roles expect ‘Narada’ and ‘Anjaneya‘. He created a history by acting in fifteen films in the year 1964. He acted in the film ‘Malliswari’ with Bhanumati Ramakrishna in the year1951. This was the first telugu film which was screened Abroad. The movie “Lavakusa” released in the year 1963 made a record by running with houseful collections for about 75 weeks unintrupteddly, till today no other movie had beaten this record.
He was called as “Vishwa Vikhyatha Nata SaarvaBhauma”. He appeared in nine roles in the song “Siva Sankari” in the movie “Jagadekaveeruni Katha” (1961). He even acted in Tamil and Hindi movies. He acted with almost all the heroines of those decades. He even acted with ‘Sri Devi’ in many movies. He was dedicated artist of the era. He is an icon of Discipline and Self Pride. Even he is not with us in this world physically but he is remembered by everyone for his contribution to the Telugu Film Industry. He is the Kaliyuga Krishna of Telugu Film Industry.
List of films (selected) acted by N T Rama Rao:
- Manadesam (1949)
- Shavukaru (1950)
- Pathalabhaiavi (1951)
- Malleeswari (1951)
- Palletooru (1952)
- Picchi pullaiah (1953)
- Raju Peda (1954)
- Missamma (1955)
- Kanyasulkam (1955)
- Chiranjeevulu (1956)
- Missamma (1956)
- Bhagyarekha (1957)
- Mayabazar (1957)
- Panduranga mahathyam (1957)
- Bhookailas (1958)
- Appuchesi pappukoodu (1959)
- Bandaramudu (1959)
- Batti Vikramarka (1960)
- Devanthakudu (1960)
- Rani Rathnaprabha (1960)
- Jagadekaveeruni katha (1961)
- Gulebakavali katha (1962)
- Bheeshma (1962)
- Gundammakatha (1962)
- Sri Krishnarjuna Yuddham (1963)
- Lava kusa (1963)
- Bandipotu (1963)
- Narthanasala (1963)
- Lakshadhikari (1963)
- Ramudu Bheemudu (1964)
- Gudugantalu (1964)
- Dagudumoothalu (1964)
- Babruvahana (1964)
- Desadrohulu (1964)
- Aggipidugu (1964)
- Bobbiliyuddham (1964)
- Pandavavanavasam (1965)
- Sathyaharischandra (1965)
- Mangamma sapadham (1965)
- Dorikithe dongalu (1965)
- Devatha (1965)
- Adabrathuku (1965)
- Srikrishnapandaveeyam (1966)
- Palnatiyuddham (1966)
- Sakunthala (1966)
- Paramanandayya sishyula katha (1966)
- Sri Krishna Thulabharam (1966)
- Gopaludu bhoopaludu (1967)
- Nirdoshi (1967)
- Kanchukota (1967)
- Adapaduchu( 1967)
- Ramu (1968)
- Uma chandi goerisankarula katha (1968)
- Kathanayakudu (1969)
- Gandikota Rahasyam (1969)
- Ekaveera (1969)
- Vichitrakutumbam (1969)
- Mathrudevatha (1969)
- Chittichellelu (1970)
- Kodalu diddina kapuram (1970)
- Srikrishna Vijayam (1971)
- Srikrishna sathya (1971)
- Badipanthulu (1972)
- Desoddharakulu (1973)
- Nippulanti manishi (1974)
- Sri Ramanjaneya yuddham (1975)
- Maya maschindra (1975)
- Annadammula anubhandam (1975)
- Aaradhana (1976)
- Maadaivam (1976)
- Magadu (1976)
- Dana veera soora karna (1977)
- Adavi Ramudu (1977)
- Yamagola (1977)
- Yedureetha (1977)
- Lawer Vishwanath (1978)
- Simhabaludu (1978)
- Yugapurushudu (1978)
- Vetagadu (1979)
- Yugandhar (1979)
- Srimadvirataparvam (1979)
- Sardar Paparayudu (1980)
- Viswaroopam (1981)
- Gajadonga (1981)
- Justice Chowdhary (1982)
- Bobbilipuli (1982)
- Brahmarshi vishwamithra (1991)
- Major Chandrakanth (1993)
- Srinadha kavi sarvabhauma (1993)
Awards:
National Award: He won the National Award for two times for the movies “Todhu Dongalu” (1955) (Best
Producer) and the other movie “Varakatnam” (1969) (Best Director).
Film Fare Award (Telugu): He won the Best Actor Film Fare Award for the movie ’Badi Pantulu’ in the year
1972.
Rasthrapathi Awards: He won awards for best acting in the movies ‘Lava Kusa’, ’Nartanasala’ and ’Karna’.
Padmasri Award: He got the Padmasri award from the Government of India.
Doctrate: The Andhra University honored him with Doctrate in the year 1978.
NTR National Award: It is a national level award instituted by the government of Andhra Pradesh it is given to those people for their lifetime achievements and contributions to the Indian Film Industry. This award is considered to be the prestigious award next to ‘Dada Saheb Phalke Award’. This Award carries an amount of Rs 5,000.00/- and a memento. This award is been given since 1996.
Political Life of N T R: Mr N T Rama Rao founded the Telugu Desam Party in the year 1982. Rama Rao was unanimously elected leader of Telugu Dasam Legislature Party on 8 January 1983 with 10 cabinet ministers and five ministers of State. He became the 10th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and was reelected three times between 1983 and 1994.
He was called as ‘Annagaru” by the telugu people. He was responsible for the development of the Andhra State. He was a very good administrator.
Dr N T Rama Rao died at his residence in the early hours of January18th in the year1996.
This is an 89 film salute to Vishwa Vikhyatha Nata Sarvabhauma on his 89th birth anniversary from the businessoftollywood.com.
