ANR: The icon who shaped Telugu cinema’s legacy

Much of the success of Telugu cinema today can be credited to the pioneering spirits who laid its foundation. One such icon is Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR), who was a revolutionary figure who turned the fortunes of Telugu Cinema in its journey to the present glory.

Born to a modest family with five brothers as the youngest in the village of Ramapuram, Krishna District, ANR's journey to stardom can be said to be nothing less than inspirational. His connection with the world of acting began in his childhood years, as he acted in stage plays such as Harishchandra, Telugu Talli, and Satyanveshanam. It is during one of these stage performances that director GhantasalaBalaramayya finds him at Vijayawada Railway Station, launching into a legendary film career for ANR which ran over 250 films in three languages.

He acted in many mythological films, essaying characters that range from Vishnu in Chenchu Lakshmi (1958), Narada in Bhookilas (1958), and Arjuna in Sri KrishnarjunaYuddhamu (1963). His Abhimanyu in the mythological master work Maya Bazaar (1957) is imprinted on the minds of people. ANR's versatility also extended to biographical roles where he portrayed historical figures like Vipra Narayana, Tenali Ramakrishna, and Sant Tukaram. Not only mythological characters, ANR was also a romantic hero. He acted in cult classics like Laila Majnu (1949) and Anarkali (1955). His pairings with NTR Sr. as well as acting with the great heroine Savitri resulted in some splendid film outputs such as Mayabazaar, Gundamma Katha (1962), and Missamma (1955).

ANR transformed the Telugu film industry from within and outside the silver screen. For six decades, Telugu cinema stayed within the confines of the city of Madras, now Chennai. ANR fought for the industry to be moved to Andhra Pradesh, and his dream finally came to pass when he formed Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad in 1976. With time, the whole industry moved base to this city.

Never having received formal training in acting, ANR was a strong believer in education and hence, his legacy would live on in the form of the Annapurna College of Film and Media (ACFM), one of the first private media schools in India. Philanthropy came through organizations like Akkineni Janmabhoomi Trust and Akkineni Annapurna Educational Trust in rural development and education.

The legacy of ANR lives on today in the sons and grandsons of this cinematic vocation: a filmmaker, educator, and philanthropist. No cinestas, past or present, can match his stature in the history of Telugu cinema, marking the formation of future generations.