N.T. Rama Rao, an Indian politician and actor who served as the 10th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, was born on May 28, 1923, in Nimmakuru, Madras Presidency, British India. And, on this day in 2023, take a moment to know more about this popular politician and actor, widely referred to by his initials ‘NTR’, and honour his contributions to Indian cinema and the wider political landscape.
All you need to know about N.T. Rama Rao:
Born into a Hindu agrarian family, he was adopted by his childless paternal uncle and aunt and educated first in his village after which he was sent to Vijaywada to complete his secondary and high school studies before attending the SRR & CVR College and the Andhra Christian College in Guntur in 1940.
Left his government job to pursue acting and made his debut with the 1949 film Mana Desam and in 1950 in Palletoori Pilla with his first major blockbuster coming in 1957 with the film Maya Bazaar where he portrayed Lord Krishna.
When his first-born son, Nandamuri Ramkrishna Sr. died in 1962, he founded Ramkrishna Cine Studios in his memory and continued acting until 1982 by which time he had appeared in over 300 films and had directed more than 12.
Attaining a cult-figure status due to his immense popularity as an actor, he decided to venture into politics and founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1982 where he decided to rid his beloved home state of the corrupt and inefficient rule of the various Congress governments since the state was formed in 1956.
He lost his first wife, Smt. Basava Tarakam, in 1985 to cancer and established the Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital in Hyderabad in 1986.
His popularity led his party and other candidates to victory in 1983 and became the first non-Congress CM of Andhra Pradesh where he overcame tremendous obstacles, including attempts by Congress to remove him from power, and remained a highly popular CM until a revolt in his party forced him to give up his post to N. Chandrababu Naidu in 1995.
He passed away in 1996 in Hyderabad and left an unforgettable legacy behind in the form of his children and grandchildren, some of whom are highly successful actors and politicians themselves.
