N.T. Rama Rao

N.T. Rama Rao (born May 28, 1923, Nimmakuru, near Machilipatnam, India—died January 18, 1996, Hyderabad) was an Indian actor and director, politician, and government official, popularly called NTR. He founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1982 and served three terms (1983–84, 1984–89, and 1994–95) as chief minister (head of government) of Andhra Pradesh state in southeastern India. In 1983 he became the first non-Indian National Congress (Congress Party) chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. In a film career spanning nearly five decades, he starred in approximately 300 films and was regarded for his portrayal of mythological characters. As an actor he rose to superstardom among the country’s Telugu-speaking people and parlayed his fame into a successful political career.

Early life

Rao was born in a small village near the coastal city of Machilipatnam (now in Andhra Pradesh) to a poor farming family. He completed a bachelor’s degree from Andhra Christian College in nearby Guntur. After qualifying for civil service in what was then the Madras Presidency under British India, he took a job as a sub-registrar at Mangalagiri, northeast of Guntur. He soon left that post, however, to pursue a career in acting.

Film career

In his first film, Mana Desam (1949; “Our Country”), Rao played the supporting role of a police officer. He was cast as the protagonist in the 1951 fantasy Pathala Bhairavi (1951; “Goddess of the Underworld”). The film was commercially successful, featuring popular melodies, some rendered by the well-known Telugu singer Ghantasala. One of Indian cinema’s greatest achievements, Pathala Bhairavi made history by becoming the first Telugu production to enjoy a direct silver jubilee (25-week theatrical run) and a 200-day screening.

Britannica Quiz

Pop Culture Quiz

Rao quickly demonstrated enormous popular appeal and soon attained a cult-figure status. He often portrayed Hindu gods—particularly Krishna, as he did in the 1957 epic Mayabazar (“Market of Illusions”), which is often regarded as one of the greatest Indian films. He played the demon god Ravana in Bhookailas (1958; “Heaven on Earth”) and the deity Venkateshwara in the film Sri Venkateswara Mahathyam (1960; “The Greatness of Venkateshwara”). In Daana Veera Soora Karna (1977; “The Generous, Heroic, and Valiant Karna”) he portrayed three different roles—the widely revered Krishna; Karna, a great warrior in the Indian epic Mahabharata; and Duryodhana, the primary antagonist.

Rao directed and produced several films, winning three National Film Awards—two for coproducing the films Todu Dongalu (1954; “Partners in Crime”) and Seetha Rama Kalyanam (1961; “The Marriage of Sita and Rama”) and one for directing Varakatnam (1968; “Dowry”). He received the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 1968 and continued to act until 1982.

Political career

In March 1982 Rao founded the TDP with the goal of protecting the interests of Telugu-speaking people. Riding on his popularity, the TDP presented itself as a fresh political alternative to the dominant Congress Party and vowed to combat corruption. Although the TDP was an unrecognized party at the time of the 1983 Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly elections, TDP-affiliated candidates, contesting as independents, won a majority of seats in the elections, forming the government with Rao as chief minister.

Rao’s first term, however, was short-lived. In August 1984, while he was recovering from heart surgery, the Congress-led central government removed him from office through the governor of Andhra Pradesh. His finance minister, Nadendla Bhaskara Rao, was appointed as the new chief minister. The move was criticized by Rao and the TDP, and several political parties called it a coup. In September, after Rao returned, he mobilized support among the TDP members in the assembly, reclaimed the office of chief minister, and began his second term. Following the TDP’s strong performance in the 1984 elections to the Lok Sabha (lower house of the Indian Parliament), he sought a fresh popular mandate in Andhra Pradesh by calling assembly elections in 1985. The TDP won a commanding 202 of 294 seats, and he remained as chief minister.

Are you a student?

Get a special academic rate on Britannica Premium.

Subscribe

Rao’s time as chief minister was marked by a number of populist initiatives such as free midday meals for school students, clothing subsidies, and food and affordable housing for the poor.

In the 1989 state assembly elections, the TDP won only 74 seats, paving the way for another Congress Party-led government. Rao led the opposition in the assembly and worked to strengthen the political base of the party. His efforts bore fruit, as the TDP won 216 seats in the 1994 assembly elections, and Rao started his third term as chief minister.

Rao’s first wife, Basavatarakam Nandamuri, died in 1985, and in 1993 he married Lakshmi Parvathi, who he hoped would become his political successor. His actions sparked dissent within the TDP, particularly from his son-in-law Nara Chandrababu Naidu, a senior leader of the party. Within months Naidu orchestrated the successful ouster of Rao from the party. In August 1995 Naidu took over both as leader of the TDP and as chief minister of the state.

Death

Rao died at age 72 on January 18, 1996, of a heart attack. In January 2025, TDP leader and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Naidu called Rao “a great man who brought prosperity to the lives of the poor.” Naidu has also demanded that Rao be conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.