NTR remembered on his 91st birth anniversary

Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao more aptly known as NTR was born on May 28, 1923 at Nimmakuru in Krishna District. He was popular among the masses as N. T. Rama Rao and also by his initials NTR. He was a popular Tollywood hero of his times who later turned a politician. He served as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for three terms. As an actor, he received three National Film Awards for co-producing Thodu Dongalu (1954) and Seetharama Kalyanam (1960) under National Art Theater, Madras, and directing Varakatnam (1970). Also, he garnered the Inaugural Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu in 1954.

NTR made his debut into Telugu Films with the 1949 Telugu social film, Mana Desam directed by L. V. Prasad. He gained popularity in the 1950s when he became well known for his portrayals of Hindu deities, especially Krishna and Rama, roles which have made him a "messiah of the masses". NTR has made his appearance in a total of 274 Telugu movies, 15 Tamil movies and 3 Hindi movies. NTR was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1968, recognizing his contribution to Indian cinema.

After his career in films, NTR entered politics. He founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1982 and served three turbulent terms as the 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 from 1989 until 1990. He breathed his last on January 18, 1995.