A good human being, a gifted actor and a great inspiration – Akkineni Nageswara Rao was all these and much more. Today on his 93rd birth Anniversary, we take a look back at the legendary journey of 75 years of A.N.R., in the film industry.
Right from when he made his debut in “Dharmapatni” at the tender age of 17 years to his last ever acting venture “Manam,” A.N.R., was a part of over 200 films (244 to be precise.) Nageswara Rao was an artist of diverse genres and his films ranged from skilled comedy, to tragic romance, to social oriented message propaganda. He was a pioneer of the Telugu film industry and indeed helped in forming the foundations of the organization in Hyderabad. Unsurprisingly, he founded the Annapurna Studios that has now come to see many acting talents being produced within its walls.
A.N.R., was also felicitated with the Padma Shri (1968,) Padma Bhushan (1988) and Padma Vibhushan (2011) during his tenure apart from the many many other film awards that were conferred upon him. All these commendable achievements aside, A.N.R., also did his bit for society. He built the Akkineni Janmabhoomi trust to bring about the development of his home town, Ramapuram. Not only this, he even instituted the Akkineni International Foundation to honor the major contributors of the Telugu film industry. Many such more incidents can be quoted here embellishing the man that Nageswara Rao was. But sadly, the body was laid to rest in January 2014 after he was detected with colon cancer.
Although the flesh has floated, his spirit remains behind in the industry. He taught us how to be good, spread kindness and take everything the way it comes. His last movie “Manam,” certainly sums up his life and ideals – that we are all in this together and as basic human beings, it is our duty to support each other. Akkineni Nageswara Rao, truly, lives on.
Remembering A.N.R., on his 93rd Birthday, watch the video here:
