NT Rama Rao

NT Rama Rao ( Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao ; Telugu నందమూరి తారక రామారావు ; born May 28, 1923 in Nimmakuru , Krishna District , Andhra Pradesh ; † January 18, 1996 in Hyderabad ) was an Indian film actor , film director , film producer and politician of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), who was Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh three times . It is often referred to simply by the abbreviation NTR .

Life

Film actor, director and producer

Rama Rao came from a farming family and, after attending school, completed an undergraduate degree , which he completed with a Bachelor of Arts (BA). He then entered the government service as a clerk.

Shortly thereafter, however, he began his acting career in the Indian film industry and made his debut in the film drama Mana Desam (1949) directed by LV Prasad , in which he played a police officer. He played one of the leading roles in his third film, the successful action adventure Palletoori Pilla (1950) by Subba Rao BA. Subsequent films such as Shavukaru (1950), Pataal Bhaivari (1951), Malliswari (1951) and Chandraharam (1953) established his reputation as one of the leading actors in the Telugu film industry . In 1957 he played the role of the god Krishna for the first time in Maya Bazaar and later also played in Tamil films about the national epics Mahabharata and Ramayana .

Due to its popularity, he also began his political commitment in the early 1960s and collected donations to support the Indian armed forces in the Indo-Chinese border war in October 1962 and in the Second Indo-Pakistani War in August 1965 . In 1968 he was awarded the Badmashri Order by President Zakir Hussain .

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Rama Rao suffered some setbacks in his career before he was able to build on his old successes again from the mid-1970s with box office hits such as Yamagola (1975), Adavi Radu (1977) and Vetagadu (1979). The most notable films of the early 1980s included Papa Rayudu (1980), Kondaveeti Simham (1981) and Bobbili Puli (1982). He starred in a total of around 250 films and thus became the first superstar in Telugu films before Chiranjeevi .

In addition to his acting career, after founding a film studio, he also began working as a film director and film producer .

Founder of the Telugu Desam Party and three-time Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh

A statue of the TDP founder Nandamuri Taraka "NTR" Rama Rao near Hyderabad

On March 21, 1982, NT Rama Rao founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to promote the interests of the Telugu, which won 201 of the 294 parliamentary seats in the elections for the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh in 1983. Previously, he had campaigned for nine months, covering over 35,000 kilometers and speaking in front of around 30 million people.

Thereupon, on January 9, 1983, Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy became Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for the first time and held this office until he was replaced by Somappa Royappa Bommai from the Indian National Congress on August 16, 1984. The reason for his resignation was a conflict with Indira Gandhi , the Prime Minister of India .

Just a month later, on September 16, 1984, he followed Somappa Royappa Bommai again in the office of Chief Minister and held the office of Chief Minister of the state until December 2, 1984. While the TDP was able to slightly increase its absolute majority in the elections to the legislative assembly in 1985 and won 202 of the 294 seats, it suffered a serious defeat in the subsequent elections to the legislative assembly in 1989 and only achieved 72 of the 294 seats, so that on 3. December 1989 M. Chenna Reddy of the Indian National Congress became the new Chief Minister.

In the elections to the legislative assembly in 1994, NT Rama Rao led his TDP to another election victory and again won an absolute majority with 216 of the 294 parliamentary seats. He then became Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for the third time on December 12, 1994 as the successor to Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy. After an intra-party conflict, he was overthrown on August 31, 1995 by his son-in-law Nara Chandrababu Naidu , who took over the post of chief minister a day later on September 1, 1995. A few months later he died on January 18, 1996 of complications from a myocardial infarction .

Rama Rao was married three times. His marriages resulted in three daughters and six sons, including Balakrishna , who also became a well-known actor in Telugu films.

Filmography (selection)

R = director; P = producer, otherwise actor

• 1949: Mana Desam
• 1952: Pelli Chesi Choodu
• 1954: Vaddante Dabbu
• 1955: Missamma
• 1956: Charana Daasi
• 1957: Bhagya Rekha
• 1959: Raja Makutam
• 1961: Sati Sulochana
• 1961: Sri Seetha Rama Kalyanam (R)
• 1962: Bhishma
• 1962: Rakta Sambandham
• 1963: Irugu - Porugu
• 1963: Manchi Chedu
• 1964: Ramadasu
• 1965: Satya Harishchandra
• 1966: Paramanandayya Shishyula Katha
• 1967: Bhama Vijayam
• 1968: Baghdad Gajadonga
• 1970: Vijayam Manade
• 1971: Rajakota Rahasyam
• 1973: Pandav Banvas
• 1974: Ammayi Pelli
• 1974: Tatamma Kala (R)
• 1976: Manushulanta Occate
• 1977: Daana Veera Shura Karna (P)
• 1978: Shri Rama Pattabhishekham
• 1979: Shri Tirupati Venkateswara Kalyanam (R)
• 1980: Saradaa Ramudu
• 1981: Maha Purushudu
• 1984: Sri Madvirat Veera Brahmendra Swamy Charitra
• 1992: Samrat Ashok (P, R)
• 1993: Major Chandrakant
• 1993: Shrinatha Kavi Sarvabhowma (P)

Web links

• NT Rama Rao in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Short biography in rulers.org