NT Rama Rao Lord Rama (left) and Ravana (right) in incarnation
Dussehra is celebrated all over India as the victory of good over evil. According to Hindu tradition, this day marks the auspicious occasion when Lord Rama defeated the Lankan king Ravana by defeating his pride. This is the essence of Ramayana which has been seen many times on screen. He became famous in every household by becoming Lord Krishna 17 times. The actor became an icon by playing the roles of both Lord Ram and Ravana, after which people started worshiping him. But, this has happened only once when he has played the role of both Ram and Ravana. After these characters, he got so much name fame that people built temples in his name.
This actor has played the role of Lord Ram and Ravana
For Gen Z, NTR may mean Junior, but for Telugu cinema fans, their superstar since the beginning has been NT Rama Rao, one of the biggest icons of Indian cinema. Sr. NTR is the actor who has played the roles of both Lord Ram and Ravana on the big screen. He even played the role of Lord Krishna in 17 films and created a new record. NTR first played the role of Lord Ram in the 1963 film ‘Luv Kush’ and repeated the role in several films thereafter. But before that, he had played the role of Ravana in ‘Bhookailas’ released in 1958.
People worship this actor
However, the film ‘Bhookailaas’ was not successful and NTR played the demon king in the cult classic ‘Seetharama Kalyanam’ (1961). NTR, who has mastered the genre of mythological dramas, is a messiah for the Telugu audience, who is worshiped as a god. He made a tremendous impact with his characters in the 1960s and 70s. Later he started playing characters like Robin Hood and then later he entered politics.
When temples were built for NTR
NTR achieved tremendous stardom in Telugu cinema in the 1960s. He was also given the status of ‘Divya’ due to his roles as Lord Rama, Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna and Lord Vishnu. His home in Hyderabad was considered a pilgrimage site with many fans offering prayers there before visiting temples. In the 1970s, half a dozen temples were built in his name in different parts of Andhra Pradesh, depicting him in his Rama and Krishna incarnations. Whereas NTR wanted to remain in the hearts of fans only as a good actor.
NTR’s legacy
In 1982, NTR distanced himself from films and founded the Telugu Desam Party. The party won the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections and NTR became the Chief Minister of the state. He remained on this post for three terms till 1995. The actor-politician died in January 1996 at the age of 72. However, his legacy in cinema is much more than just his roles. He was also the patriarch of the Nandamuri family of Telugu cinema. He has two sons – Chaitanya Krishna and Sai Krishna who are film producers. His fifth son Nandamuri Balakrishna is one of the most famous actors of his generation. His fourth son Harikrishna was an actor, who died young. Junior NTR is the son of Harikrishna.
