As Andhra Pradesh inches closer to elections to the Assembly and Lok Sabha in 18 months, two biographical films made on the life of legendary actor and late Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) by different producers with rival political backgrounds are expected to clash at the box office early next year.
Interestingly, even before their full details are announced, the two films have triggered political heat in Andhra Pradesh which is known for film-based politics. One of the two films is from the point of view of NTR’s second wife, Lakshmi Parvati, while the other focuses on his life from the standpoint of his sons and son-in-law and Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu.
NTR, who dominated the Telugu film industry for over four decades from 1949 to early 1990s, is still popular among the masses who adored him in mythological characters Rama and Krishna. He was born on 28 May 1923 and died on 18 January 1996, after being dethroned by his son-in-law Naidu on 1 September 1995.
The major reason for removal of NTR from the Chief Minister’s post by Naidu was the thespian’s second marriage to Lakshmi Parvati, already a divorcee in 1994. The entire family of NTR by the first wife, Basava Tarakam, who died a decade before, had opposed his second marriage to Lakshmi Parvati and stayed away from him till he died.
Now, the two films are expected to present different views and contrasting versions of NTR’s political life as well as filmy days. Lakshmi Parvati, who continued the TDP (Anna) faction led by NTR till he died for several years without much success, had joined Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy when he started YSR Congress five years ago. Currently, she is a bitter critic of CM Naidu and his TDP.
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) has announced this week that he would be making a film on the life and times of NTR with the title of “Lakshmi’s NTR” to be released by the first half of next year. As the name suggests, this film will focus on the late Chief Minister’s political life from the perspective of his controversial second wife, Lakshmi Parvati.
RGV’s project, which is estimated to cost around Rs 40 crore, is being produced by businessman and YSR Congress leader P. Rakesh Reddy. On the other hand, NTR’s son and TDP MLA from Hindupur N. Balakrishna will be playing the role of his father in a biopic to be directed by Teja. Sources close to Teja said that at least three producers were in talks to make the film and Sai Korrapati was the most likely choice. Teja, himself a great fan of NTR, would be focusing more on the late actor’s film career than his political life. The two films will start and end at different stages of NTR’s life. Teja’s film will begin with NTR’s entry into Telugu cinema through “Mana Desam” film in 1949 and end with his removal from CM post by his finance minister Nadendla Bhaskara Rao in 1984 August and resuming the post a month later as then Governor Shankar Dayal Sharma invited him to become CM after a “save democracy movement”. In this film, the role of Chandrababu Naidu will be limited.
RGV’s film begins with entry of Lakshmi Parvati into NTR’s life in 1992-93 as a biographer and ends with his death on 18 January 1996, after he was removed from the CM post by his own son-in-law. If Balakrishna’s film projects Bhaskara Rao as the “backstabber”, RGV’s film will portray Naidu as the “backsabber”.