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Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996), often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who served as
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh is the chief executive of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the ch ...
for seven years over three terms. He starred in over 300 films, predominantly in
Telugu cinema Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu cinema is based in Film Nagar, ...
, and was referred to as ''Viswa Vikhyatha Nata Sarwa Bhouma'' (). Rao received three
National Film Awards The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate ...
for co-producing '' Thodu Dongalu'' (1954) and '' Seetharama Kalyanam'' (1960) under National Art Theater, Madras, and for directing ''
Varakatnam ''Varakatnam'' () is a 1969 Indian Telugu-language drama film, produced by N. Trivikrama Rao under the banner Ramakrishna & NAT Combines and directed by his older brother N. T. Rama Rao. It stars Rama Rao, Savitri and Krishna Kumari, with ...
'' (1970). Known for his breakthrough performances in '' Raju Peda'' (1954) and ''
Lava Kusa ''Lava Kusa'' (also spelled as ''Lava Kusha'') is a 1963 Indian Hindu mythological film directed by C. S. Rao and his father C. Pullayya. The film was scripted by Sadasivabrahmam, Samudrala Sr. along with C. S. Rao and C. Pullayya. The fi ...
'' (1963), Rao garnered the
Nandi Award for Best Actor The Nandi Award for Best Actor was commissioned by the Nandi Awards committee in 1977. The winner is awarded a "Silver Nandi", "Sri Rajendra Prasad Gold Medal", cash award and a commendation certificate. Venkatesh has won the most Best Actor awa ...
for '' Kodalu Diddina Kapuram'' in 1970, and the Inaugural
Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu The Filmfare Best Actor Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Telugu films. The awards were extended to "Best Actor" in 1972. Film world, p 43 The year indicates the year of release of the ...
in 1972 for ''
Badi Panthulu ''Badi Panthulu'' () is a 1972 Indian Telugu-language drama film, produced by P. Perraju under the Triveni Productions banner and directed by P. Chandrasekhara Reddy. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Anjali Devi, with music composed by K. V. Mahade ...
''. Rao made his debut as an actor in a Telugu social film ''
Mana Desam ''Mana Desam'' () is a 1949 Indian Telugu-language drama film directed by L. V. Prasad. It was produced by Raja Saheb of Mirzapur under the Sobhanachala Pictures banner, and presented by Krishnaveni. It stars V. Nagayya, C. H. Narayana Rao ...
'', directed by
L. V. Prasad Akkineni Laxmi Vara Prasada Rao (17 January 1907 – 22 June 1994), known professionally as L. V. Prasad, was an Indian film director, producer, actor, and businessman. He was one of the pioneers of Indian cinema and is the recipient of the Dad ...
in 1949. He gained popularity in the 1950s when he became well known for his portrayals of
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
deities, especially
Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one o ...
,
Karna Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-raja, and Radheya, is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic ''Mahābhārata''. He is the son of the sun god Surya and princess Kunti (mother of the Panda ...
and
Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bei ...
, roles which have made him a "messiah of the masses", and a prominent figure in the history of cinema. He later became known for portraying antagonistic characters and
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archery, archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he ...
-esque hero characters in films. N. T. R. was voted "Greatest Indian Actor of All Time" in a
CNN-IBN CNN-News18 (originally CNN-IBN) is an Indian English-language news television channel founded by Raghav Bahl based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is currently co-owned by Network18 Group and Warner Bros. Discovery. CNN provides internationa ...
national poll conducted in 2013 on the occasion of the Centenary of Indian Cinema. He starred in such films as ''
Pathala Bhairavi ''Pathala Bhairavi'' () is a 1951 Indian fantasy film directed by K. V. Reddy who co-wrote the film with Pingali and Kamalakara Kameswara Rao. Shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil languages, the film was produced by Nagi Reddi and Chak ...
'' (1951), the only south Indian film screened at the first
International Film Festival of India The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually, currently in the state of Goa, on the western coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common pl ...
, '' Malliswari'' (1951), featured at Peking Film Festival, Beijing, China, the enduring classics ''
Mayabazar ''Mayabazar'' () is a 1957 Indian epic Hindu mythological film directed by K. V. Reddy. It was produced by Nagi Reddi and Chakrapani under their banner, Vijaya Productions. The film was shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil languages, ...
'' (1957) and ''
Nartanasala Nartanasala may refer to: * Nartanasala (1963 film), an Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film * Nartanasala (2018 film), an Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film {{dab ...
'' (1963), featured at the Afro-Asian Film Festival that was held in
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
,
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea. In ...
. All the four films were included in
CNN-IBN CNN-News18 (originally CNN-IBN) is an Indian English-language news television channel founded by Raghav Bahl based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is currently co-owned by Network18 Group and Warner Bros. Discovery. CNN provides internationa ...
's list of "100 greatest Indian films of all time". He co-produced '' Ummadi Kutumbam'', nominated by
Film Federation of India The Film Federation of India (FFI) is an apex body of the Indian film producers (around 18,000), distributors (around 20,000), exhibitors (around 12,000) and studio owners, headquartered in Mumbai.Shahid Alikhan, R. A. Mashelkar, "Intellectual pro ...
as one of its entries to the 1968
Moscow Film Festival The Moscow International Film Festival (russian: Моско́вский междунаро́дный кинофестива́ль, translit. ''Moskóvskiy myezhdunaródniy kinofyestivál''; abbreviated as MIFF) is the film festival first h ...
.
Eenadu ''Eenadu'' () is the largest circulated Telugu-language daily newspaper of India sold mostly in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...
films. Widely recognised for his portrayal of mythological characters, Rao was one of the leading
method actor Method ( grc, μέθοδος, methodos) literally means a pursuit of knowledge, investigation, mode of prosecuting such inquiry, or system. In recent centuries it more often means a prescribed process for completing a task. It may refer to: *Scien ...
s of
Indian cinema The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ko ...
. Rao was awarded the
Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conferre ...
by the
Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
in 1968, recognizing his contribution to Indian cinema. After his career in films, Rao entered politics. He founded the
Telugu Desam Party The Telugu Desam Party (; TDP) is an Indian regional political party operating in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana at the state and central level. Since its founding by N. T. Rama Rao (often referred to as NTR) on 29 March 1982, the party has fo ...
(TDP) in 1982 and served three tumultuous terms as
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh is the chief executive of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the ch ...
between 1983 and 1995. He was known as an advocate of Andhra Pradesh's distinct cultural identity, distinguishing it from the erstwhile
Madras State Madras State was a state of India during the mid-20th century. At the time of its formation in 1950, it included the whole of present-day Tamil Nadu (except Kanyakumari district), Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema, the Malabar region of North and ce ...
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 A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
parties which governed India from 1989 until 1990.


Early life

Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao was born in a Hindu agrarian family on 28 May 1923 in
Nimmakuru Nimmakuru is a village in Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Pamarru mandal of Gudivada revenue division. It is the birth place of former and the first non-Congress Chief minister of Andhra Pradesh and Tel ...
, a small village in
Gudivada Gudivada is a city in Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Gudivada mandal in Gudivada revenue division. It is one of the cities in the state to be a part of Andhra Pradesh Capit ...
taluk of
Krishna district Krishna district is district in the coastal Andhra Region in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, with Machilipatnam as its administrative headquarters. It is the coastal district of Andhra Pradesh. Machilipatnam is the most populated city in the di ...
, which was a part of the erstwhile
Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency, or the Presidency of Fort St. George, also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision (presidency) of British India. At its greatest extent, the presidency included most of southern India, including the ...
of
British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
. 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, on account of being the first male child in the family, his father sent him to
Vijayawada Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises NT ...
, where he continued his education, matriculating in 1940 before studying at SRR & CVR College and at the
Andhra Christian College The Andhra Christian College or A.C. College is one of the oldest colleges in India located in Guntur Andhra Pradesh. It started in 1885. AC College is part of the education enterprise of the Protestant churches. It admits intermediate, undergr ...
in
Guntur Guntur () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Guntur district in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Guntur is spread across 168.49 km square and is the third-largest city in the state. ...
. In 1947, he joined the Madras Service Commission as a sub-registrar at Prathipadu of Guntur district, a much-coveted job that he nevertheless quit within three weeks to devote himself to acting. He developed a
baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...
singing voice as a young man.


Film career

Rama Rao started his film career with a walk-on role as a policeman in ''
Mana Desam ''Mana Desam'' () is a 1949 Indian Telugu-language drama film directed by L. V. Prasad. It was produced by Raja Saheb of Mirzapur under the Sobhanachala Pictures banner, and presented by Krishnaveni. It stars V. Nagayya, C. H. Narayana Rao ...
'' (1949). Following this, he appeared in '' Palletoori Pilla'' (1950), directed by B. A. Subba Rao. His first mythological film was in 1957, where he portrayed the
Hindu god Hindu deities are the gods and goddesses in Hinduism. The terms and epithets for deities within the diverse traditions of Hinduism vary, and include Deva, Devi, Ishvara, Ishvari, Bhagavān and Bhagavati. The deities of Hinduism have evolv ...
Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one o ...
in the blockbuster film ''
Maya Bazaar ''Mayabazar'' () is a 1957 Indian epic Hindu mythological film directed by K. V. Reddy. It was produced by Nagi Reddi and Chakrapani under their banner, Vijaya Productions. The film was shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil languages, ...
''. He played Krishna in 17 films, including some landmark films such as ''
Sri Krishnarjuna Yudham ''Sri Krishnarjuna Yuddhamu'' () is a 1963 Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film, produced and directed by K. V. Reddy under the Jayanthi Pictures banner.Naati 101 Chitralu, S. V. Rama Rao, Kinnera Publications, Hyderabad, 2006, pp: ...
'' (1962), the Tamil film '' Karnan'' (1964) and ''
Daana Veera Soora Karna ''Daana Veera Soora Karna'' () is a 1977 Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film co-written, produced and directed by N. T. Rama Rao under his banner, Ramakrishna Cine Studios. Based on the life of Karna from the ''Mahabharata' ...
'' (1977). He was also known for his portrayal of the god
Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bei ...
, essaying that role in films such as ''
Lava Kusa ''Lava Kusa'' (also spelled as ''Lava Kusha'') is a 1963 Indian Hindu mythological film directed by C. S. Rao and his father C. Pullayya. The film was scripted by Sadasivabrahmam, Samudrala Sr. along with C. S. Rao and C. Pullayya. The fi ...
'' (1963) and ''
Sri Ramanjaneya Yuddham ''Sri Ramanjaneya Yuddham'' () is a 1975 Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film, produced by Potluri Venkata Narayana and SBK Uma Maheswara Rao under the Lakshmi Narayana Pictures banner and directed by Bapu. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, ...
'' (1974) to name a few. He has also portrayed other characters from the
Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages ...
, such as
Ravana Ravana (; , , ) is a rakshasa king of the island of Lanka, and the chief antagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' and its adaptations. In the ''Ramayana'', Ravana is described to be the eldest son of sage Vishrava and rakshasi Kaikesi. He ab ...
in '' Bhookailas'' (1958) and '' Seetharama Kalyanam'' (1961) among others. He portrayed the god
Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
in films such as '' Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam'' (1960) among others and the god
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hi ...
in ''
Dakshayagnam Dakṣayajña is an important event in Hindu mythology that is narrated in various Hindu scriptures. It refers to a yajna (ritual-sacrifice) organised by Daksha, where his daughter, Sati, immolates herself. The wrath of the god Shiva, Sati's ...
'' (1962). He has also enacted the roles of
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
characters, such as Bheeshma,
Arjuna Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hinduism, Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third a ...
,
Karna Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-raja, and Radheya, is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic ''Mahābhārata''. He is the son of the sun god Surya and princess Kunti (mother of the Panda ...
and
Duryodhana Duryodhana ( sa, दुर्योधन, ) also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and his queen Gandhari. Being ...
. Later in his career, he stopped playing a prince in his commercial films and began to play roles of a poor yet heroic young man fighting against the existing system. These films appealed to the sentiments of the common man. Some of these films are '' Devudu Chesina Manushulu'' (1973), '' Adavi Ramudu'' (1977), '' Driver Ramudu'' (1979), ''
Vetagadu ''Vetagadu'' () is a 1979 Indian Telugu-language action film, produced by M. Arjuna Raju and K. Sivarama Raju under the Roja Movies banner and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Sridevi, with music composed by Chakrava ...
'' (1979), '' Sardar Papa Rayudu'' (1980), '' Kondaveeti Simham'' (1981), ''
Justice Chowdary ''Justice Chowdary'' is a 1982 Indian Telugu-language action drama film, produced by T. Trivikrama Rao and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Sridevi, with music composed by Chakravarthy. The film was remade in Hindi ...
'' (1982) and '' Bobbili Puli'' (1982). He also portrayed
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama. ...
roles, his notable film in that genre being ''
Yamagola ''Yamagola'' ( Havoc in Hell or The Great Havoc) is a 1977 Indian Telugu-language fantasy comedy film directed by T. Rama Rao who co-wrote the film with D. V. Narasa Raju. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Jaya Prada, with music composed by Chak ...
'' (1977). His film ''
Lava Kusa ''Lava Kusa'' (also spelled as ''Lava Kusha'') is a 1963 Indian Hindu mythological film directed by C. S. Rao and his father C. Pullayya. The film was scripted by Sadasivabrahmam, Samudrala Sr. along with C. S. Rao and C. Pullayya. The fi ...
'', in which he starred as Rama, collected 1
crore A crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes ten million (10,000,000 or 107 in scientific notation) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local 2,2,3 style of digit group separators (one lakh is ...
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
biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docu ...
on the Telugu poet Srinatha, which released in 1993. In the later half of his career, Rao became a
screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. T ...
. 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 and later Ramakrishna Studios, Hyderabad. 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 in order to portray a particular character on-screen perfectly and realistically. At the age of 40, he learnt dance from the renowned
Kuchipudi Kuchipudi () ( Telugu: ) is one of the eight major Indian classical dances. It originates from a village named Kuchipudi in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance, with its roots in the ancient Hindu S ...
dancer
Vempati Chinna Satyam Vempati Chinna Satyam (15 October 1929 – 29 July 2012) was an Indian dancer and a guru of the Kuchipudi dance form. Chinna Satyam was born in a brahmin family at Kuchipudi, Andhra Pradesh. He was taught by Vedantam Lakshmi Narayana Sast ...
for his role in the film ''
Nartanasala Nartanasala may refer to: * Nartanasala (1963 film), an Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film * Nartanasala (2018 film), an Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film {{dab ...
'' (1963).


Political career

Naadendla Bhaskara Rao,a veteran politician joined
Telugu Desam Party The Telugu Desam Party (; TDP) is an Indian regional political party operating in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana at the state and central level. Since its founding by N. T. Rama Rao (often referred to as NTR) on 29 March 1982, the party has fo ...
(TDP) founded by Rama Rao, on 29 March 1982 in
Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. ...
. 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 The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British ...
, which had governed the state since its formation in 1956 and whose leadership had changed the Chief Minister five times in five years.


First term as Chief Minister, 1983

In the elections, the TDP allied with the Sanjaya Vichara Manch party and decided to field educated candidates who had a good name in the society and were not indulging in corruption, which was an innovative political concept at the time. Rao himself decided to contest from two assembly constituencies, Gudivada and
Tirupati Tirupati () is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirupati district. The city is home to the important Hindu shrine of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and other historic temples and is ref ...
. He used many innovative ways of campaigning, such as being the first politician in India to use rath yatras for campaigning. However, it was MGR who had started the open top van campaigning for elections, as it was felt that he can address the roadshows as an alternative to the mammoth meetings, which involves large amount of money as well as manpower. For this, he used a modified Chevrolet van which was given the name of ''Chaitanya Ratham''. In this, Rao travelled across the state of Andhra Pradesh, crisscrossing all the districts. With his son
Nandamuri Harikrishna Nandamuri Harikrishna (2 September 1956 – 29 August 2018) was an Indian actor, producer, and politician. He served as the Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house the Indian Parliament representing the state of Andhra Pradesh ...
, also a film actor, driving the van, Rao notched up over 75,000 kilometres during his campaign, a distinctive sight with the van's yellow party flags and banners and Rao sitting on top of the vehicle hailing the crowds. He campaigned for restoring the dignity of the Telugu people and advocated forming a closer bond between the government and the common people, going into the elections with the slogan, ''Telugu Vari Atma Gauravam'' (lit. ''Telugu people's self-respect''). In the 1983 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, TDP won by an absolute majority winning 202 out of the 294 seats in the state assembly, with Rao himself winning both the seats he contested. Their alliance with the Sanjaya Vichara Manch fetched 202 seats. Rao was sworn in as the 10th and the first non-Congress Chief Minister of the state on 9 January 1983 with ten cabinet ministers and five ministers of State.


Loss of power, 1984

On 15 August 1984, Rao was removed from office by the then Governor of Andhra Pradesh
Thakur Ram Lal Thakur Ram Lal (7 July 1929 – 6 July 2002) was an Indian politician and a leader of the Indian National Congress in Himachal Pradesh. He was elected to the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha from Jubbal Kotkhai constituency in 1957. Later, ...
, while Rao was in the US to undergo
open heart surgery Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to corr ...
. His finance minister,
Nadendla Bhaskara Rao Nadendla Bhaskara Rao (born 23 June 1936) is an Indian politician who served as the Chief minister of Andhra Pradesh for a brief period in 1984. He served the shortest term yet, as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh – 31 days. His son Nad ...
, a former Congressman, was made the Chief Minister by the Governor Thakur Ram Lal. Bhaskar Rao purportedly had the support of majority of the TDP MLAs which was never the case.


Return to power, 1984

Rama Rao returned to India immediately after his surgery, disputed the claims by Bhaskara Rao and demonstrated his strength by bringing all the MLAs supporting him, which was a majority in the 294 member assembly, to the Raj Bhavan (Governor's Office). Ramlal did not relent, as a result of which Rama Rao relaunched his ''Chaitanya Ratham'' campaign, this time campaigning for the restoration of democracy by mobilizing the support of people and various anti-Congress political parties in the country including the
Janata Party The Janata Party ( JP, lit. ''People's Party'') was a political party that was founded as an amalgam of Indian political parties opposed to the Emergency that was imposed between 1975 and 1977 by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of the Indian Nati ...
(JP), the
Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Mod ...
(BJP), the Left Front, the
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; DMK) is a political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu where it is currently the ruling party having a comfortable majority without coalition support and the union territory of Puducherry (union territory) ...
(DMK), and the National Conference (NC). During the one-month crisis, the MLAs supporting Rama Rao were secured in a secret place to avoid horse-trading. This was achieved with the support of Ramakrishna Hegde, Chief Minister of Karnataka. Ramakrishna Hegde moved all the TDP MLAs to a Budget Hotel, Das Prakash, in Mysuru (
Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
). As Congress (I) was known for poaching MLAs regularly and was felt necessitated. This was the first time in Indian Politics that MLAs were secured at a safe place from poaching. Also, due to mobilization of several political parties and the people and due to press, the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi unwillingly removed Governor Ramlal and appointed a Congress veteran,
Shankar Dayal Sharma Shankar Dayal Sharma (; 19 August 1918 – 26 December 1999) was an Indian lawyer and politician from the state of Madhya Pradesh who served as the ninth President of India, from 1992 to 1997. Born in Bhopal, Sharma studied at Agra, Allahaba ...
, as the governor of Andhra Pradesh to pave the way for restoring Rao.


Campaigning in Tamil Nadu, 1984

In 1984, when the then
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu The chief minister of Tamil Nadu is the chief executive of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In accordance with the  Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with t ...
and fellow actor
M. G. Ramachandran Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (17 January 1917 24 December 1987), also popularly known as M.G.R., was an Indian politician, actor, philanthropist, and filmmaker who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987 ...
(M.G.R.) was unable to campaign in the state assembly election due to his being hospitalized in the US. N.T.R., who was a close friend of M.G.R. and R. M. Veerappan who was handling the party affairs, campaigned for the
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (; AIADMK) is an Indian regional political party with great influence in the state of Tamil Nadu and the  union territory of Puducherry. It is a Dravidian party founded by the former chief min ...
(AIADMK), despite the fact that party was an ally of the
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
at the time. As leader of the National Front, he campaigned extensively for the constituent parties when they faced elections, again using his ''Chaitanya Ratham'' campaigning concept.


General elections, 1984

A month later,
Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (; Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was elected as third prime minister of India in 1966 ...
was
assassinated Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...
and was succeeded as prime minister by her son,
Rajiv Gandhi Rajiv Gandhi (; 20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991) was an Indian politician who served as the sixth prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the 1984 assassination of his mother, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, to beco ...
. In the ensuing national elections to the
Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past- ...
, the Congress, riding on the sympathy wave caused by Gandhi's assassination, won convincingly all over the country except in Andhra Pradesh where the TDP secured a landslide victory. TDP became the first regional party to serve as the main opposition party in the Lok Sabha.


Second term as Chief Minister, 1985

Meanwhile, in the state, Rao recommended dissolution of the Assembly and called for fresh elections the following year in the state to ensure that the people had a fresh choice to elect their representatives. The TDP again won with a massive majority in those elections, with Rao winning from 3 seats;
Hindupur Hindupur is a city in Sri Sathya Sai district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located to the edge of the Andhra–Karnataka border and is the headquarters of Hindupur mandal. Hindupur is the biggest Parliamentary Constituency i ...
,
Nalgonda Nalgonda is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the Nalgonda district, as well as the headquarters of the Nalgonda mandal in the Nalgonda revenue division. It is located about from the state ca ...
and Gudivada, thus marking the beginning of his second term as Chief Minister. Senior Leaders of the Congress in the state including former Chief Ministers
Kasu Brahmananda Reddy Kasu Brahmananda Reddy (28 July 1909 – 20 May 1994) was the Chief Minister of United Andhra Pradesh, India, from 29 February 1964 to 30 September 1971. On 3 June 1977, he was elected president of the Indian National Congress. Early life Kasu ...
and
Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy (16 August 1920 – 27 September 2001) served as the chief minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in 1983 and then from 1992 to 1994. Reddy was a member of the Indian National Congress and was elected to ...
lost in their constituencies of
Narasaraopet Narasaraopet is a city and district headquarters of Palnadu District of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The town is a municipality and mandal headquarters of Narasaraopet mandal and Headquarters of Narasaraopet revenue division. The town a ...
and
Kurnool Kurnool is a city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It formerly served as the capital of Andhra State (1953–1956). The city is often referred to as "The Gateway of Rayalaseema".Kurnool is also known as The City of Gem Stones. It also se ...
respectively to the TDP. Rao completed his five-year term as Chief Minister.


Leader of opposition, 1989

In the December 1989 assembly elections however, he was voted out of power due to a wave of anti-incumbency sweeping the state as a result of which the Congress returned to power. Rao himself lost from
Kalwakurthy Kalwakurthy is a city and revenue division in Nagarkurnool district of Telangana, India. It is the second largest town in Nagarkurnool district after Nagarkurnool by area.And also it is one of the major cities in combined mahbubunagar district ...
by a narrow margin to the Congress, but retained the Hindupur assembly seat. During this time, he suffered a mild
stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop funct ...
, as a result of which he was unable to campaign, which, according to some political analysts and TDP supporters, was the reason for the TDP's loss.


National politics, 1989

During 1989, he established himself in national politics, forming a coalition of non-Congress parties opposed to the Congress known as the National Front. It included parties, besides the TDP, such as the
Janata Dal Janata Dal (“People’s Party”) was an Indian political party which was formed through the merger of Janata Party factions, the Lok Dal, Indian National Congress (Jagjivan), and the Jan Morcha united on 11 October 1988 on the birth annive ...
, the DMK, the
Asom Gana Parishad Asom Gana Parishad (translation: ''Assam People's Council'', AGP) is a state political party in Assam, India. The AGP was formed after the historic Assam Accord of 1985 and formally launched at the Golaghat Convention held from 13–14 Octobe ...
(AGP) and the
Indian Congress (Socialist) Indian Congress (Socialist) (IC(S)) also known as Congress (Secular) was a political party in India between 1978 and 1986. The party was formed through a split in the Indian National Congress. Initially the party was known as the Indian Natio ...
. This alliance governed India between 1989 and 1990 with support from the Left Front and the BJP. Meanwhile, Rao assumed the position as the Leader of Opposition in the state. His National Front government at the centre led by
V. P. Singh Vishwanath Pratap Singh (25 June 1931 – 27 November 2008), shortened to V. P. Singh, was an Indian politician who was the 7th Prime Minister of India from 1989 to 1990 and the 41st Raja Bahadur of Manda. He is India's only prime minister to ...
was at the forefront of social justice by implementing the provisions in the ''
Mandal Commission The ''Mandal Commission'' or the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission (SEBC), was established in India in 1979 by the Janata Party government under Prime Minister Morarji Desai with a mandate to "identify the socially or educa ...
'' for providing 27% reservation for
Other Backward Class The Other Backward Class is a collective term used by the Government of India to classify castes which are educationally or socially backward. It is one of several official classifications of the population of India, along with Forward caste, Gen ...
es (OBC's).


Third term as Chief Minister, 1994

Rao returned to power for a third and final time in the December 1994 state assembly elections with his party in alliance with the Left Front. This alliance won 269 seats in the 294 seat Assembly, with the TDP alone winning 226. The Congress, which once again had multiple Chief Ministers in the state during its five-year rule between 1989 and 1994, won only 26 seats. Rao contested again from Hindupur and won the seat for the third consecutive time, achieving a rare hat-trick of wins from the same assembly constituency. He also won from another assembly constituency, Tekkali.
Chandra Babu Naidu Nara Chandrababu Naidu ( born 20 April 1950) is an Indian politician and current leader of opposition of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. He was also the leader of the opposition of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 2004 to ...
led a revolt in the party against Rao, showing his 2nd wife
Lakshmi Parvathi Nandamuri Lakshmi Parvathi is an Indian politician and widow of N. T. Rama Rao. She was previously married to a harikatha artist Veeragandham Venkata Subba Rao. Later, she was separated from him and started living together with N. T. Rama Rao w ...
's interference in the administration as a reason and that led to his becoming the CM on 1 September 1995 replacing Rao.


Personal life

In May 1943, at the age of 20, while still pursuing his Intermediate, Rao married Basava Rama Tarakam, the daughter of his maternal uncle. The couple had eight sons and four daughters. His eldest son, Nandamuri Ramakrishna Sr., died in 1962, soon after Rao completed shooting of the film '' Irugu Porugu''. Rao founded the film studios '' Ramakrishna Studios'' in
Nacharam Nacharam is a neighbourhood of Hyderabad in the Indian state of Telangana. It falls under Uppal Mandal. It forms Ward No. 6 of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. Demographics of Nacharam Telugu is the Local Language here. Hindi and En ...
in his memory. His third son, Nandamuri Saikrishna, who was a theatre owner, died in 2004 following diabetic complications. His fourth son,
Nandamuri Harikrishna Nandamuri Harikrishna (2 September 1956 – 29 August 2018) was an Indian actor, producer, and politician. He served as the Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house the Indian Parliament representing the state of Andhra Pradesh ...
, who died in a car accident on 29 August 2018, was a child actor-turned-politician elected to the
Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using ...
, representing the TDP. Harikrishna's sons
Nandamuri Kalyan Ram Nandamuri Kalyan Ram (born 5 July 1978) is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Telugu cinema. He is the son of actor-politician Nandamuri Harikrishna. Ram is best known for his roles in action films such as '' Athanokkade'', '' Hare ...
and
N. T. Rama Rao Jr. Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Jr. (born 20 May 1983), also known as Jr. N.T.R. or Tarak, is an Indian actor who primarily works in Telugu cinema. One of the highest paid Telugu film actors, Rama Rao Jr. has won several accolades, including two Fi ...
are also actors in the Telugu film industry (Tollywood). His sixth son,
Nandamuri Balakrishna Nandamuri Balakrishna (born 10 June 1960), simply known as Balakrishna or Balayya or NBK, is an Indian actor, producer and politician. He appeared in more than 100 Telugu films over forty years in a variety of roles and established himself as ...
, has been one of the leading actors in Tollywood since the mid-1980s. He also started his career as a child artist. Balakrishna contested 2014 assembly elections as a TDP candidate. He won the Hindupur Assembly Constituency. His seventh son, Nandamuri Ramakrishna Jr. is a film producer. Rao's second daughter,
Daggubati Purandeswari Nandamuri Purandareswari (born 22 April 1959) is an Indian politician from the state of Andhra Pradesh. She represented the Visakhapatnam constituency of Andhra Pradesh as a Member of Parliament in the 15th Lok Sabha of India. She had previous ...
, has represented the Indian National Congress in the
Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past- ...
and was a Union Minister. She shifted her allegiance to the
Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Mod ...
. His youngest daughter, Uma Maheshwari, was found dead at her home in Hyderabad's Jubilee hills on 1 August 2022. According to Police, her death appears to be suicide and no suicide note was found. Basava Tarakam died of cancer in 1985. In her memory, Rao established the Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital in Hyderabad in 1986. In 1993, he married
Lakshmi Parvathi Nandamuri Lakshmi Parvathi is an Indian politician and widow of N. T. Rama Rao. She was previously married to a harikatha artist Veeragandham Venkata Subba Rao. Later, she was separated from him and started living together with N. T. Rama Rao w ...
, a Telugu writer. She was the author of his two-volume biography, published in 2004. The first volume, ''Eduruleni Manishi'' (), covers his childhood and his entry into films. The second volume, ''Telugu Tejam'' (), deals with his political career.


Awards and honors


Civilian honours


Other honours


Filmfare Awards South


Nandi Awards


National Film Awards


Legacy

The
NTR National Award The NTR National Award is an annual award presented by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to recognize people for their lifetime achievements and contributions to the Cinema of India. The NTR National Award is an honorary Nandi Award in the honour ...
is a national award in honour of Rao. It was instituted in 1996 by the
Government of Andhra Pradesh Government of Andhra Pradesh, abbreviated as, GOAP, or, Andhra Government, is the subnational government for the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is an elected government with 175 MLAs elected to the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh fo ...
to recognise notable film personalities for their lifetime achievements and contributions to the
Indian film industry The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, ...
. The NTR National Literary Award was instituted by the NTR Vignan Trust, as an annual award to recognise people for their lifetime achievements and contributions to Indian
literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
. Dr. N.T.R. University of Health Sciences, Vijayawada was established as University of Health Sciences by the
Government of Andhra Pradesh Government of Andhra Pradesh, abbreviated as, GOAP, or, Andhra Government, is the subnational government for the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is an elected government with 175 MLAs elected to the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh fo ...
and was inaugurated on 9 April by N. T. Rama Rao, the then
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh is the chief executive of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the ch ...
in the city of
Vijayawada Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises NT ...
,
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It started functioning on 1 November 1986. After the death of Rama Rao, it was decided to rename the university after him, and this was carried out on 2 February 1998. The university celebrated its silver jubilee from 1–3 November 2011. His life and acting career, and later life and political career, are showcased in the films '' N.T.R: Kathanayakudu'' and '' N.T.R: Mahanayakudu'', respectively, with his son
Nandamuri Balakrishna Nandamuri Balakrishna (born 10 June 1960), simply known as Balakrishna or Balayya or NBK, is an Indian actor, producer and politician. He appeared in more than 100 Telugu films over forty years in a variety of roles and established himself as ...
playing the title character. His later life after his wife Nandamuri Basavatarakam's death and his marriage to
Lakshmi Parvathi Nandamuri Lakshmi Parvathi is an Indian politician and widow of N. T. Rama Rao. She was previously married to a harikatha artist Veeragandham Venkata Subba Rao. Later, she was separated from him and started living together with N. T. Rama Rao w ...
is showcased in Ram Gopal Varma's film '' Lakshmi's NTR'' with P. Vijay Kumar playing his role.


Legislative career


As Assembly member


Death

Rao died of a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
on 18 January 1996 at his residence in
Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. ...
, aged 72. He was cremated and his ashes were immersed at
Srirangapatna Srirangapatna is a town and headquarters of one of the seven Taluks of Mandya district, in the Indian State of Karnataka. It gets its name from the Ranganthaswamy temple consecrated at around 984 CE. Later, under the British rule the city w ...
by his second wife Lakshmi Parvathi, eight years later, in May 2004.


See also

*
List of chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh is the chief executive of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the ch ...
*
Government of Andhra Pradesh Government of Andhra Pradesh, abbreviated as, GOAP, or, Andhra Government, is the subnational government for the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is an elected government with 175 MLAs elected to the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh fo ...
* Elections in Andhra Pradesh *
Politics of Andhra Pradesh The Politics of Andhra Pradesh take place in the context of a bicameral parliamentary system within the Constitutional framework of India. The main parties in the state are the YSR Congress Party, Telugu Desam Party and Jana Sena Party. Other p ...
* '' Maverick Messiah'', a 2021 book about Rao


References


Bibliography

*


External links

*
Article on NTR in BBC Telugu
, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Rama Rao, Nandamuri Taraka 1923 births 1996 deaths Andhra University alumni Telugu film directors Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh V. P. Singh administration People from Krishna district Telugu male actors Filmfare Awards South winners Recipients of the Rashtrapati Award 20th-century Indian male actors Indian actor-politicians Telugu Desam Party politicians Indian socialists Indian political party founders Telugu Desam Party Chief ministers from Telugu Desam Party Leaders of the Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Film directors from Andhra Pradesh 20th-century Indian film directors