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N. T. Rama Rao Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth28 May 1923

AgeDeceased (aged 72)

BirthplaceNimmakuru, Madras Presidency, British India (now Andhra Pradesh, India)

ProfessionActor, Producer, Director, Editor, Politician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseBasavatarakam Nandamuri (m. 1942–1985), Lakshmi Parvathi (m. 1993–1996)

FamilyEight sons and four daughters (names include Nandamuri Harikrishna, Nandamuri Balakrishna, Daggubati Purandeswari)

N. T. Rama Rao Biography

Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, known as NTR, was a towering figure in Telugu cinema and Andhra Pradesh politics. A prolific actor, filmmaker and the founder of

Early life and background
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao was born on 28 May 1923 in Nimmakuru, then part of the Madras Presidency under British India. He grew up in a farming family and received his early schooling in a village shed before his family moved to Vijayawada in 1933. He completed his higher schooling in Vijayawada and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree after attending SRR & CVR College in Vijayawada and Andhra-Christian College in Guntur.

He married at a young age in 1942 and was a father to a large family. Personal tragedies and family responsibilities influenced his life and later philanthropic work.

Career
Rama Rao entered films in 1949, making his acting debut in Mana Desam. Over the following decades he became one of Telugu cinema’s most prolific and versatile performers, appearing in more than 300 films and taking on roles as actor, producer, director and editor. He also established production concerns including National Art Theater Private Limited and Ramakrishna Studios, the latter founded in memory of his eldest son who died in 1962.

On screen, he was especially known for mythological portrayals and for heroic roles that resonated with mass audiences. He played deities and legendary figures—Krishna, Rama, Ravana, Shiva and Vishnu—across a string of notable films. His first major mythological success came with Maya Bazaar (1957), where he played Krishna. He learned Kuchipudi dance in his forties to prepare for Nartanasala (1963), evidencing a sustained commitment to his craft.

As a producer and director he received national recognition: his productions won several National Film Awards in the 1950s and 1960s, and a film he directed was honored with a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu. He also earned acting prizes including Rashtrapati Awards and a Nandi Award, a Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actor, and an honorary doctorate from Andhra University. The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 1968.

Transition to politics
In 1982 Rama Rao launched the Telugu Desam Party. He used innovative campaign methods, including a Rath Yatra tour across Andhra Pradesh, to build support for regional pride under the slogan Telugu Vari Atma Gauravam (Telugu people’s self-respect). In the 1983 state elections he won two assembly seats and became the first non-Congress Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. He served multiple terms as chief minister through the 1980s and early 1990s, returning to power in 1994 to lead the state for a third time.

Health, challenges and later years
In 1984 Rama Rao underwent coronary bypass surgery in the United States. While recovering that year he was briefly removed from office, and political upheaval followed at various points in the 1990s. His first wife died in 1985; he founded the Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital in her memory.

He remarried in 1993 to Lakshmi Parvathi, a writer and his biographer. In January 1996 Rama Rao died of a cardiac arrest in Hyderabad at the age of 72.

Public profile
Beyond cinema and government office, Rama Rao was active in cultural and social causes. He supported laws strengthening women’s inheritance rights and remained a prominent public presence through both his films and his political campaigns. His cinematic legacy includes a wide array of mythological and socially themed films—later decades saw him shift toward portrayals of common people fighting injustice, in titles such as Devudu Chesina Manushulu, Driver Ramudu, Bobbili Puli, Kondaveeti Simham, Adavi Ramudu and Vetagadu.

Rama Rao’s life and work have continued to be commemorated. A biopic produced decades after his death portrayed members of his family and life events on screen, and in 2023 the Government of India issued a commemorative coin marking his 100th birth anniversary.

Latest updates
As of the centenary in 2023 a Rs. 100 commemorative coin was unveiled to honor Rama Rao’s legacy. His influence endures in Telugu popular culture, regional politics and the institutions he founded, including a film studio and a cancer hospital established in his wife’s memory.
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Recent Work

Maya Bazaar

Played Lord Krishna in this influential mythological film (first major mythological success).

1957
Nartanasala

Undertook Kuchipudi dance training for his role in this 1963 film.

1963
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Career Highlights

  1. Prolific actor with appearances in over 300 films
  2. Founder of the Telugu Desam Party in 1982
  3. First non-Congress Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (elected 1983)
  4. Recipient of the Padma Shri (1968) and multiple national and regional film awards
  5. Founder of Ramakrishna Studios and producer under National Art Theater Pvt. Ltd.
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was N. T. Rama Rao born?

28 May 1923

What is N. T. Rama Rao known for?

Actor, Producer, Director, Editor, Politician

What is N. T. Rama Rao’s marital status?

Married

Who is N. T. Rama Rao married to?

Basavatarakam Nandamuri (m. 1942–1985), Lakshmi Parvathi (m. 1993–1996)