| TRIBUTE | Dr Akkineni Nageswara Rao | ||
 |
r Akkineni Nageswara Rao was born on September 20, 1924 to Smt Punnamma and Sri Venkataratnam in Venkata Raghavapuram, Gudivada Taluk, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh. Hailing from a lower middle class farmer’s family, the matinee idol of Andhra Pradesh strode from the paddy field into the field of fine arts, the theatre. He became a rage on the stage, as a heroine in the dramas of the day: Harishchandra, Kanaka Tara, Vipranarayana, Telugu Talli, Aasajyoti and Satyanveshanam. He became the ‘Glamour Queen’ and from there made a quick jump to another extreme, playing the hero on big screen.
MIDBANNERNageswara Rao made his debut, as a 15 year old boy, in the film Dharma Patni which was released on January 10, 1941.
A unique feature in the career of Nageswara Rao that endeared him to the millions of art lovers and made him an unforgettable hero for more than five decades is that he lived in the roles of the greatest cultural and literary celebrities like Mahakavi Kalidas, Bhakta Jayadeva, Amarasilpi Jakkanna, Vipranarayana, Bhakta Tukaram, Mahakavi Kshetrayya, Chakradhari (Gora Kumbhar), Tenali Ramakrishna and many more that have become immortal. Making his first debut as the hero as Lord Rama in the film Sitarama Jananam, he excelled in mythological roles as Abhimanyu in Maya Bazar, Maha Vishnu in Chenchu Lakshmi, Arjuna in Krishnarjuna Yudham and every film was a great success. With an equal versatility, he proved himself as the tragedy king in the romantic and perceptible films like Laila Majnu, Anarkali, Batasari (Sarat’s Badi Didi), Mooga Manasulu, Prema Nagar, Premabhishekam, Meghasandesam, to name a few, and all have become ever memorable with his outstanding performance. He has also been acclaimed as the charming youth in rural oriented films like Balaraju, Rojulu Marayi, Nammina Bantu etc.
|
Celebration time
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Actor-filmmaker-studio
owner Dr Akkineni Nageswara Rao celebrated a diamond jubilee
run in the film industry at Mumbai’s Nehru Centre on March
24. Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde was the chief
guest at the celebration that was inaugurated by Deputy Chief
Minister Chhagan Bhujbal. Jaya Prada lit the ceremonial lamp
while Dr T Subbarami Reddy, MP and the chairman of the celebrations
committee, presided over the function. Johny Lever, Dr Yarlagadda
Laxmi Prasad, former member of the Rajya Sabha, actress Ralluri
Rameshwari, producer S Mallesham, film and industrialist Shrilal
Sarda were the guests of honour at the celebrations organised
by Cherala Narayana, founder secretary Kalayika, Mumbai and
Dr MK Ramu founder secretary, Rasayami Hyderabad.It is an interesting coincidence that in the Golden Jubilee Year of his film career, the film Sitaramaiah Gari Manavaralu was released on January 11, 1991 and Dr Akkineni Nageswara Rao, as the hero, received encomiums from one and all. So far he has acted in 246 films (219 Telugu, 26 Tamil and one Hindi) during his nearly six fruitful decades of film career. Most of them were box-office hits and acclaimed as outstanding in their aesthetic and entertainment values.
 |
|
MILESTONES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dr Akkineni Nageswara Rao was the first Chairman of the Board of Directors of Annapurna Pictures Private Limited which has produced many successful films, both in Telugu and Tamil. He was also the Founder of M/s Chakravarti Chitra which pledged to bring out mainly message, oriented, educational and experimental films and produced Sudi Gundalu and Maro Prapancham. One of his greatest achievements is the creation of Annapurna Studios, a synonym of beauty and a cynosure of all eyes, inaugurated by the then President of India, Dr Faqruddin Ali Ahmed. Under its banner, movies of healthy entertainment and social purpose are regularly being produced, both in Telugu and Hindi.
The farm boy, who never imagined that he would cross the borders of his village or district, toured all over the world as an ambassador of art and culture. Dr Nageswara Rao was invited as a State Guest by the United States of America, England, France and Germany in 1964 and USSR in 1972 besides some other countries in the continent to study the Film Craft and Theatre Arts in the respective countries. He had visited Australia in 1967 leading the delegation for the Indian Entry Film Antasthulu at the Sydney Film Festival. He also led a high level film delegation to Mauritius. All through the world the people felicitated Dr Akkineni with love and honour.
Apart from the artistic interest, his abiding concern for the industrialisation of our country for the welfare of its people prompted him to establish many industries. He has founded the Annapurna Pulverising Mills and Annapurna Flour Mills at Eluru. He was responsible for starting Annapurna Enterprises which comprises Luminiphor Grade Chemicals Division also. He was the founder of a once leading film distribution concern, Annapurna Films. He was responsible for starting Annapurna Lithographics at Hyderabad.
Dr Akkineni Nageswara Rao had also served as a Director on the Board of the National Film Development Corporation of India, besides the Boards of other esteemed institutions.
The idol has been generous towards educational institutions since the beginning of his career. All along, he was regretting that he could not go to school and college. Even at the pinnacle of all round success, he did not forget what education meant in one’s life. He wanted to create opportunities for any one who needed support for educational pursuits. As such he set apart a part of his income for promotion of education.
As far back as in 1957, he donated a considerable sum to the Andhra University. He was the Chief Donor and President of the College at Gudivada which was rightly named after him as Akkineni Nageswara Rao College. Being a Champion of the cause of education, he created scholarships in the Universities of Andhra, Madras, Sri Venkateswara, Osmania, Bangalore, Kerala and Mumbai for awarding the needy and deserving students. Apart from being a Life Member of the Senate of Andhra University, he is also an advisor to the Department of Dramatics and Theatre Arts. On many an occasion, he took initiative and gave many performances for raising funds to various college and schools.
The icon never lagged behind in the service of the nation. During the period of Chinese aggression, he took the lead and toured all over Andhra Pradesh along with other artistes and members of film trade and contributed his mite in a big way. At the time of Pakistani aggression, he was responsible for presenting a huge amount in aid of Jawan’s Benevolent Fund and during Bangladesh War, he presented considerable amount to the Prime Minister with the co-operation and participation of co-artistes, technicians and film producers.
Apart from being the leading hero for over five fruitful decades, Dr Nageswara Rao has been a prolific writer. The memories of his visit to USA (Nenu Chusina America), his autobiographical work (Nenu Naa Jeevitham), and books of lyrical expressions (Aa, Aa, Lu: Thoughts of Akkineni) mark him as an expressive writer with a stream of consciousness.
The nation showered all types of honours and awards on Dr Akkineni Nageswara Rao. He was awarded Nata Samrat (Supreme in acting talents, The Emperor of Artistes) in the year 1957 at Vijayawada from the hands of the then Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Dr Bezawada Gopala Reddy on behalf of the people of Andhra Pradesh before the elite. He was honoured by the President of India with the Padmasree in 1968. The Andhra University conferred on him an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Kalaprapoorna in the year 1977. He was again honoured by the President of India with the Award of Padmabhushan, a rare privilege, in the year 1988. The Government of Andhra Pradesh honoured him with the prestigious Raghupati Venkaiah Award for 1989 in the year 1990. Andhra Pradesh is proud of him as he was the first South Indian Artiste to have been honoured with the coveted Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 1990 for his outstanding service to the film field. For the year 1994, the Government of Andhra Pradesh elected him as best hero for the film Bangaru Kutumbam even at his advanced age. The year 1996 brought him many accolades. He was the first recipient of NTR National Film Award (highest cash award) instituted by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The Government of Madhya Pradesh honoured him with Kalidasa Kowsthubh Award. In 1997, the Telugu film industry felicitated him for his integrated contribution to film industry. All cultural associations of Hyderabad and Secunderabad joined together and honoured Dr Akkineni with all the grandeur for his distinguished and outstanding services to arts in particular and to society in general. His success story is not incidental, it is the fruit of seven decades’ dedicated service at the altar of art. The list that follows galores with what all he received till date.
Annapurna, daughter of K Venkatanarayana, a rich landlord, had the honour to garland him as his bride in the year 1949 and they became proud parents of five children, three daughters and two sons of whom Venkat Akkineni, MBA from USA is a film producer and businessman and Akkineni Nagarjuna, MS (Industrial Engineering) from USA is the leading hero in Telugu and is regarded as the craze of the new generation with astounding success in films. Smt Annapurna and Dr Akkineni Nageswara Rao are blessed with nine grandchildren.
Some, it is said, are born great. Some achieve greatness and on some, greatness is thrust. Of the three, the greatest is the man who achieves it; and greater still is the one who does so, turning every stumbling block into a stepping stone to progress and carving even marks of failure into contours of success. Dr Nageswara Rao belongs to this category of world personalities.
Dr Nageswara Rao has been on the highest ebb as an unrivalled and uncrowned evergreen hero for the past six decades and would scale more dizzy heights with his inimitable histrionic talents. His ideals, tenacity, hard work, discipline have brought respect name and fame to the institution of cinema itself and have endeared him to the millions of art lovers. The golden path that lay before him for many more years to come, goes a long way in the firmament of filmdom.