N T Rama Rao's statue unveiled in Parliament

Actor and former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh N T Rama Rao's statue was honoured today after his statue was unveiled in the Parliament on Tuesday. Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar unveiled the statue in the presence of Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and several Union Ministers and Members of Parliament. The statue was donated by NTR's daughter and Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Dr. D Purandeswari. Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao was born on May 28,1923 and died on January 18, 1996. He was popularly known as N. T. Rama Rao or NTR. He was a actor, director, producer, and politician who also served as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for three terms. NTR 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 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" in Andhra Pradesh. He later became known for portraying antagonistic characters and Robin Hood-esque hero characters in films. In total he starred in over 320 Telugu films. After his career in films, NTR entered politics. 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 from 1989 till 1990.