Akkineni Nageswara Rao

Early life and background

Akkineni Nageswara Rao was born into a lower-middle-class Telugu family on 20 September 1923 in Ramapuram, Krishna District, of present-day Andhra Pradesh. He was the youngest of five brothers. His parents Akkineni Venkataratnam Chowdary and Akkineni Punnamma, were from the farming community. His formal education was limited to primary schooling due to his parents' poor economic condition.

He began working in theatre at the age of 10. He became a stage actor, specialising in playing female characters, since women at that time were mostly prohibited from acting. His most famous roles were in notable dramas Harishchandra, Kanakatara, Vipranarayana, Telugu Talli, Aasajyoti and Satyanveshanam. The turning point of his career was when Ghantasala Balaramayya, a prominent film producer at that time, discovered him at the Vijayawada railway station. He was cast in the lead role of Rama in Sri Seeta Rama Jananam (1944). This was after his debut in a supporting role in the film Dharmapatni (1941).

Career

He starred in over 255 films, spanning the Telugu, Tamil and Hindi languages. A majority of his films were both commercial and critical successes.

Though he is known for playing mythological figures such as Rama and Krishna, he was notably an atheist.

He is fondly called Natasamrat by his fans. In 1953, Akkineni played the titular role in Devadasu (1953), which is based on the novel of the same name. Deccan Herald reported that several critics had considered Rao's portrayal to be the best among all language versions. Navaratri (1966) made Akkineni the second actor after Sivaji Ganesan to play nine different roles in a film.

Akkineni is known for his romantic roles in films such as Laila Majnu (1949), Anarkali (1955), and Prema Nagar (1971). He also played several mythological characters in Mayabazar (1957), Mahakavi Kalidasu (1965), Bhakta Tukaram (1973), and Sri Ramadasu (2006).

Some of his many commercially successful films are Maya Bazaar, Samsaram, Bratuku Theruvu, Aradhana, Donga Ramudu, Dr. Chakravarthi, Ardhaangi, Mangalya Balam, Illarikam, Shantinivasam, Velugu Needalu, Dasara Bullodu, Bharya Bhartalu, Dharmadata, Batasari and College Bullodu. Sitaramayyagari Manavaralu was released in 1991, almost 50 years after his debut, and was a success at the box office.

Philanthropy

Akkineni was very active in social service. Regarding the existence of God, he once said, "If there's a presence there, I'm sure he'll want us to perform our earthly duties well and be a good human being rather than blindly worship him".

Akkineni set up the Akkineni Janmabhoomi trust under the Janmabhoomi programme to foster development in his home town, Ramapuram. He was instrumental in the construction of the Akkineni Varadhi (a bridge named after him), which improved his village's economy by facilitating easy connectivity. In Ramapuram, Akkineni contributed towards the construction of a water filtration plant.

He instituted the Akkineni International Foundation in 2005 to honour those who contributed to the Film Industry. The Annapurna College of Film and Media, founded by his family in 2011, was set up as a non-profit entity. Rao donated to educational institutions since the beginning of his career and created scholarships at GITAM University (Vizag). He was the Chief Donor and President of Akkineni Nageswara Rao College, which was named after him. Rao was a Life member of the board and an adviser to the Department of Dramatics and Theatre Arts of Andhra University. He instituted gold medals for students who excelled in Acting and Direction. In 2012, he instituted the Akkineni Annapurna Educational Trust in memory of his wife Annapurna.

Personal life

Akkineni married Annapurna on 18 February 1949. Annapurna Studios (established 1975) is named after her, and she was also credited as a presenter for several of the studio's productions. Annapurna died in 2011 after a prolonged illness. The couple had five children: Sathyavathi, Venkat Rathnam, who is a producer, Naga Susheeila, Saroja and Nagarjuna Akkineni, who is an actor and producer.

Akkineni has five grandsons and two granddaughters. While, Sumanth, Supriya Yarlagadda, Naga Chaitanya, Sushanth and Akhil Akkineni are all actors, Annapurna and Adhithya do not work in the film industry.

Death

On 19 October 2013, Akkineni was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He continued shooting for his final film Manam two weeks after a major laparoscopic surgery, which some doctors feared he wouldn't survive. His last public appearance was at the foundation day celebrations of Annapurna Studios on 14 January 2014. Akkineni died a week later, on 22 January 2014. He was cremated on 23 January 2014, at Annapurna Studios with full state honours amid a 21-gun salute. Thousands were present to pay their last respects.

Awards and recognitions

Civilian Honors

[[National Film Awards]]

• Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1991)

[[Filmfare Awards South|Film fare awards]]

• Filmfare Award for Best Film – Telugu – Sudigundalu (1968) (shared with Adurthi Subba Rao)
• Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu – Marapurani Manishi (1973)
• Best Actor – Telugu – Aatma Bandhuvulu (1987)
• Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South (1988)
• Best Actor – Telugu – Seetharamayya gari Manavaralu (1991)

[[Nandi Awards]]

• Raghupathi Venkaiah Award (1989)
• NTR National Award (1996)

;Nandi Award for Best Actor

• Doctor Chakravarthy (1964)
• Antastulu (1965)
• Sudigundalu (1967)
• Meghasandesam (1982)
• Bangaru Kutumbam (1994)

Other State honours

• Kalidasu Kaustubh from Madhya Pradesh State
• Appointed as an adviser to the State Film Development Corporation.
• Tamil Nadu State Film Honorary Award – Arignar Anna Award in 1992
• Department of India Post released a commemorative postal stamp on his 100th birth anniversary at Dak Sadan in Hyderabad.

Filmography

Main article: Akkineni Nageswara Rao filmography

Legacy

The ANR National Award is instituted by the Akkineni International Foundation in the honor of Akkineni Nageswara Rao. The award is given annually to recognize people for their lifetime achievements and contributions to the Indian film industry.

Akkineni played an instrumental role in shifting the base of Telugu cinema from Madras to Hyderabad. During the late 1970s, he made a point to work only in the films that were produced in Andhra Pradesh (except for Vijaya Vauhini Studios and Venus Studios films). In 1976, he established Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad as part of his efforts to provide the necessary infrastructure to produce films there. It was established in 1976 on the 22-acre site allotted to him by the Andhra Pradesh government in Banjara Hills. It was inaugurated by the then President of India, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed.

In popular culture

• In the 2018 biopic Mahanati, his character was portrayed by his grandson Naga Chaitanya.
• In the 2019 biopics: NTR: Kathanayakudu and NTR: Mahanayakudu, his character was portrayed by his grandson Sumanth.

References

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