N. T. Rama Rao Biography: Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996), commonly known by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, filmmaker, and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for a total of seven years and three mandates. He starred in over 300 films, primarily in Telugu cinema, and was referred to by the media as Viswa Vikhyatha Nata Sarvabhouma (trans. world-famous acting sensation). Rao received three National Film Awards for co-producing Thodu Dongalu (1954) and Seetharama Kalyanam (1960) under the Madras National Art Theater[3] and for directing Varakatnam (1970).Rao won the Nandi Award for Best Actor for Kodalu Diddina Kapuram in 1970 and the Inaugural Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu for Badi Panthulu in 1972 for his breakthrough performances in Raju Peda (1954) and Lava Kusa (1963).
Early Years
N. T. Rama Rao was born in the Andhra Pradesh village of Nimmakuru on May 28, 1923. Despite the fact that his father was a farmer, his family was quite wealthy and lived an extravagant lifestyle. N. T. Rama Rao completed his primary education in Nimmakuru before moving to Vijayawada, where he resided with an adoptive uncle. He attended a school in Vijayawada beginning in the sixth grade. N. T. Rama Rao’s family could no longer be considered wealthy.
However, as their fortunes soon changed. This is when he started his first work in Vijayawada as a milk delivery boy. Additionally, he became the clerk of a nearby provisional store. N. T. Rama Rao continued his education until he was twenty years old, when he enrolled at Andhra University. It is said that N. T. Rama Rao had a beautiful singing voice and could frequently be found singing to himself in his adolescence. However, fate had other plans for the actor who quit his first position in the Indian civil service to enter the Telugu film industry.
N. T. Rama Rao Career
N. T. Rama Rao was always interested in acting, and he actively participated in college plays and other stage productions while in college. According to reports, the first character offered to N.T.R. in a college production was a female role. Although he consented to play the role, he resisted shaving off his moustache! The purpose of the majority of the plays he organised at this time was to raise funds for the impoverished and sick in society. The young man in his twenties had just began his journey to stardom.
The events that followed made N. T. Rama Rao a legend, cementing his position in the annals of Andhra Pradesh’s history. In 1942, the future legendary Tollywood actor had already married the passion of his life, his maternal uncle’s daughter Basava Tarakam. Despite being an excellent student during his school years, he failed a number of college courses due to his early marriage. Despite repeated failures, N. T. Rama Rao was a determined student who never gave up on his education.
N. T. Rama Rao debuted in Telugu cinema in 1947 when he was contracted by South Indian film producer B. A. Subba Rao for ‘Palleturi Pilla’. His first film role was a police officer in “Mana Desam.” Despite his achievement, Rao struggled financially and went days without food. N.
T. Rama Rao’s roles in films such as ‘Paathala Bhairavi’ and ‘Malleeswari’ contributed to his rise to fame in Tollywood. In 1958, he portrayed Ravana Brahma in ‘Bhoo Kailas’, one of many films in which he portrayed a hero. In 1960, he starred in the first mythological film, ‘Sri Madvirata Parvam’, attracting fans to observe him. N. T. Rama Rao, an actor with more than 40 years of experience, became famous for his record-breaking box office successes, such as ‘Lava Kusa’ and ‘Maya Bazar.
His Telugu Desam Party, which posed a threat to the Congress party, became a powerful, well-organized party. In 1994, despite his ailment, he was elected Prime Minister.
Personal Life
N. T. Rama Rao was married twice. Basava Tarakam, his first wife, died of cancer in 1985, after 43 years of marriage. N. T. Rama Rao and his first wife had seven sons and four daughters. In 1993, when he was 70 years old, the actor-turned-politician remarried. His second wife, Lakshmi Parvathi, subsequently assumed control of the Telugu Desam Party. The majority of N. T. Rama Rao’s children and descendants are either Andhra Pradesh politicians or members of the Telugu film industry.
Wiz Khalifa Biography: Age, Height, Birthday, Early Life, Career, Girlfriend, Net Worth
Ravi Shastri Biography: Birthday, Early Life, Career, Achievements
Honours and Commendations
N. T. Rama Rao won ten Filmfare Awards for Best Actor in Telugu cinema, beginning in 1954 and continuing through 1958, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1968, and 1972. In 1968, his film ‘Varakatnam’ was awarded the National Film Award for Best Telugu Feature Film. In 1968, the Government of India also presented N. T. Rama Rao with the Padma Shri in recognition of his contributions to Telugu cinema. In 1978, Andhra University awarded the actor an honorary doctorate.
N. T. Rama Rao Death
N. T. Rama Rao passed away on January 18, 1996, at the age of 72. He resided in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, at the time of his passing. Not only is he still mourned in Tollywood, but also in the politics of Andhra Pradesh.