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N. T. Rama Rao

Updated: 12/11/2025, 10:21:51 AM Wikipedia source

Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996), often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, film editor, philanthropist, and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for seven years over four terms. He is regarded as one of the most influential figures of Indian cinema. 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). He was one of the earliest method actors of Indian cinema. In 2013, Rao 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. Rama Rao has received numerous honours and accolades, including the Padma Shri in 1968. He also received three National Film Awards for co-producing Thodu Dongalu (1954) and Seetharama Kalyanam (1960) under National Art Theater, Madras, and for directing Varakatnam (1970). 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. Rama Rao made his debut as an actor in a Telugu social film Mana Desam, directed by L. V. Prasad in 1949. he got his breakthrough performances in Raju Peda (1954) and gained popularity in the 1960s when he became well known for his portrayals of Hindu deities, especially Krishna, Shiva and Rama, 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-esque hero characters in films. He starred in such films as Pathala Bhairavi (1951), the only south Indian film screened at the first International Film Festival of India, Malliswari (1951), featured at Peking Film Festival, Beijing, China, the enduring classics Mayabazar (1957) and Nartanasala (1963), featured at the Afro-Asian Film Festival that was held in Jakarta, Indonesia. All the four films were included in CNN-IBN's list of "100 greatest Indian films of all time". He co-produced Ummadi Kutumbam, nominated by Film Federation of India as one of its entries to the 1968 Moscow Film Festival. Besides Telugu, he has also acted in a few Tamil films. He founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1982, the first regional party of Andhra Pradesh. He served four tumultuous terms as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh between 1983 and 1995. He was a strong advocate of a distinct Telugu 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. His political career brought vast changes in the polity and political landscape of India, since its independence.

Infobox

Governor
Kumudben Joshi Krishan Kant
Cabinet
NTR I
Preceded by
Position established
Succeeded by
N. Chandrababu Naidu
Chief Minister
Marri Chenna Reddy Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy
Constituency
Gudivada
General Secretary
N. Chandrababu Naidu(1983–1995)
Born
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao(1923-05-28)28 May 1923Nimmakuru, Madras Presidency, British India(now in Andhra Pradesh, India)
Died
18 January 1996(1996-01-18) (aged 72)Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India(now in Telangana, India)
Resting place
NTR Gardens
Political party
Telugu Desam Party
Spouses
mw- Nandamuri Basavatarakam (m. 1943; died 1985) Lakshmi Parvathi (m. 1993)
Relations
Nandamuri family
Children
12
Occupation
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Awards
Padma Shri (1968)
Party
Telugu Desam Party

Tables

Election results · Political career
1983
1983
Year
1983
Office
MLA
Constituency
Tirupati
Party
Telugu Desam Party
Party
Votes
64,688
%
77.01
Opponent
Agarala Eswara Reddy
Party
Indian National Congress
Party
Votes
17,809
%
21.2
Result
Won
Gudivada
Gudivada
Year
Gudivada
Office
53906
Constituency
64.94
Party
Katari Satyanarayan Rao
Party
27368
Votes
32.97
%
Won
1985
1985
Year
1985
Office
49,600
Constituency
53.64
Party
Uppalapati Suryanarayana Babu
Party
42,003
Votes
45.42
%
Won
Hindupur
Hindupur
Year
Hindupur
Office
56,599
Constituency
75.64
Party
E. Adimurty
Party
16,070
Votes
21.48
%
Won
Nalgonda
Nalgonda
Year
Nalgonda
Office
49,788
Constituency
66.54
Party
Mandadi Ramchandra Reddy
Party
18,201
Votes
24.32
%
Won
1989
1989
Year
1989
Office
Kalwakurthy
Constituency
50,786
Party
47.59
Party
Chittaranjan Dass
Votes
54,354
%
50.94
Opponent
Lost
Hindupur
Hindupur
Year
Hindupur
Office
63,715
Constituency
61.6
Party
G. Soma Sekhar
Party
39,720
Votes
38.4
%
Won
1994
1994
Year
1994
Office
88,058
Constituency
74.04
Party
J. C. Prabhakar Reddy
Party
28,008
Votes
23.55
%
Won
Tekkali
Tekkali
Year
Tekkali
Office
66,200
Constituency
70.9
Party
Vajja Babu Rao
Party
25,310
Votes
27.1
%
Won
Year
Office
Constituency
Party
Votes
%
Opponent
Party
Votes
%
Result
Ref
1983
MLA
Tirupati
Telugu Desam Party
64,688
77.01
Agarala Eswara Reddy
Indian National Congress
17,809
21.2
Won
Gudivada
53906
64.94
Katari Satyanarayan Rao
27368
32.97
Won
1985
49,600
53.64
Uppalapati Suryanarayana Babu
42,003
45.42
Won
Hindupur
56,599
75.64
E. Adimurty
16,070
21.48
Won
Nalgonda
49,788
66.54
Mandadi Ramchandra Reddy
18,201
24.32
Won
1989
Kalwakurthy
50,786
47.59
Chittaranjan Dass
54,354
50.94
Lost
Hindupur
63,715
61.6
G. Soma Sekhar
39,720
38.4
Won
1994
88,058
74.04
J. C. Prabhakar Reddy
28,008
23.55
Won
Tekkali
66,200
70.9
Vajja Babu Rao
25,310
27.1
Won
· External links
Preceded byKotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy
Preceded byKotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy
Political offices
Preceded byKotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy
Political offices
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh 1983–1984
Political offices
Succeeded byNadendla Bhaskara Rao
Preceded byNadendla Bhaskara Rao
Preceded byNadendla Bhaskara Rao
Political offices
Preceded byNadendla Bhaskara Rao
Political offices
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh 1984–1989
Political offices
Succeeded byMarri Chenna Reddy
Preceded byKotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy
Preceded byKotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy
Political offices
Preceded byKotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy
Political offices
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh 1994–1995
Political offices
Succeeded byNara Chandrababu Naidu
Political offices
Preceded byKotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh 1983–1984
Succeeded byNadendla Bhaskara Rao
Preceded byNadendla Bhaskara Rao
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh 1984–1989
Succeeded byMarri Chenna Reddy
Preceded byKotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh 1994–1995
Succeeded byNara Chandrababu Naidu

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