It is no secret that Sr NTR was an actor par excellence who became an inseparable part of the Telugu film industry with his enviable body of work. ‘Annagaru’, as fans loved to call him, enjoyed a massive fan following due to his charming screen presence, remarkable range as a performer and rich baritone. While almost everyone is familiar with his contribution to Tollywood, not many might remember that he paid tribute to the Indian freedom movement in the Punyabhumi Nadesham song from the cult classic Major Chandrakanth (1993).
Sr NTR portrayed the character of Alluri Seetharamaju, a freedom fighter from Andhra Pradesh, in the MM Keeravani-composed song much to the delight of the audience. He also essayed ‘Netaji’ Subhash Chandrabose, Chhatrapati Shivaji and Veerapandiya Kattabomman (a chieftain from Tamil Nadu) in the same song.
Interestingly, Sr NTR wanted to play Alluri Seetharamaju in a full-fledged film based on the braveheart’s life but that did not happen as actor Krishna made a film on the life of ‘Manyam Veerudu’ around the same time. Many feel, playing the legendary character briefly in Major Chandrakanth was the mass leader’s way of fulfilling his wish.
Major Chandrakanth, helmed by K Raghavendra Rao, was a hard-hitting drama that revolved around what happens when a retired army officer locks horns with a political bigwig. The film, which is often mistaken to be Sr NTR’s last movie, emerged as a blockbuster and received rave reviews from all corners. The cast included ‘Collection King’ Mohan Babu, Nagma, Ramya Krishnan and Bollywood actor Amrish Puri.
Coming back to the present, the late matinee idol lives on through his work. The Krish-directed NTR Kathanayakudu (starring 'Nata Simha' Balakrishna) revolved around Sr NTR’s contribution to the film industry. On the other hand, its sequel NTR Mahanayakudu focused on his political achievements. A third biopic Lakshmi’s NTR, helmed by Ram Gopal Varma, revolved around Sr NTR’s relationship with his second wife Lakshmi Parvathi.