N. T. Rama Rao | |
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![]() Rao on a Commemorative Stamp dated 2001. | |
10th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh | |
In office 12 December 1994 – 1 September 1995 | |
Governor | Krishan Kant |
Cabinet | NTR III |
Preceded by | Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy |
Succeeded by | N. Chandrababu Naidu |
In office 16 September 1984 – 2 December 1989 | |
Governor | |
Cabinet | NTR II |
Preceded by | Nadendla Bhaskara Rao |
Succeeded by | Marri Chenna Reddy |
In office 9 January 1983 – 16 August 1984 | |
Governor | |
Cabinet | NTR I |
Preceded by | Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy |
Succeeded by | Nadendla Bhaskara Rao |
5th Leader of the Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly | |
In office 1989–1994 | |
Governor | |
Chief Minister | |
Preceded by | Mogaligundla Baga Reddy |
Succeeded by | Vacant |
Member of Legislative Assembly, Andhra Pradesh | |
In office 1985–1996 | |
Preceded by | Pamishetty Ranganayakulu |
Succeeded by | Nandamuri Harikrishna |
Constituency | Hindupuram |
In office 1983–1985 | |
Preceded by | Katari Satyanarayana Rao |
Succeeded by | Raavi Sobhanadri Chowdary |
Constituency | Gudivada |
1st President of Telugu Desam Party | |
In office 29 March 1982 – 1 September 1995 | |
General Secretary | N. Chandrababu Naidu |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | N. Chandrababu Naidu |
Personal details | |
Born | Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao 28 May 1923 Nimmakuru, Madras Presidency, British India (now in Andhra Pradesh, India) |
Died | 18 January 1996 Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India | (aged 72)
Cause of death | Cardiac arrest |
Political party | Telugu Desam Party |
Spouses |
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Parents |
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Awards | Padma Shri (1968) |
Signature | ![]() |
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996),[1] often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, film editor and politician who served as a former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for seven years over three terms. He is regarded as one of the most influential actors of Indian cinema.[2] 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).[3] Rao received three National Film Awards for co-producing Thodu Dongalu (1954) and Seetharama Kalyanam (1960) under National Art Theater, Madras,[4] and for directing Varakatnam (1970).[5] In 1968, The Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award, for his contributions to Indian cinema. In 2013, NTR 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.[6][7]
Known for his breakthrough performances in Raju Peda (1954) and Lava Kusa (1963),[8][9][10] 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.[8][10]
Rama Rao made his debut as an actor in a Telugu social film Mana Desam, directed by L. V. Prasad in 1949. He gained popularity in the 1960s when he became well known for his portrayals of Hindu deities, especially Krishna, Shiva and Rama,[11] roles which have made him a "messiah of the masses", and a prominent figure in the history of cinema.[11][12] He later became known for portraying antagonistic characters and Robin Hood-esque hero characters in films.[13][14][15][16] He starred in such films as Pathala Bhairavi (1951), the only south Indian film screened at the first International Film Festival of India,[17][18] Malliswari (1951), featured at Peking Film Festival, Beijing, China,[19] the enduring classics Mayabazar (1957) and Nartanasala (1963), featured at the Afro-Asian Film Festival that was held in Jakarta, Indonesia.[20] All the four films were included in CNN-IBN's list of "100 greatest Indian films of all time".[21] He co-produced Ummadi Kutumbam, nominated by Film Federation of India as one of its entries to the 1968 Moscow Film Festival.[13][22] Besides Telugu, he has also acted in a few Tamil films.[23] Widely recognised for his portrayal of mythological characters, Rao was also one of the earliest method actors of Indian cinema.[11]
He founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1982 and served three tumultuous terms as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh between 1983 and 1995. He was known as an advocate of Andhra Pradesh's distinct 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.[24]
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