Akkineni Nageswara Rao

Born September 20, 1923 · Ramapuram, Madras Presidency, British India

Akkineni Nageswara Rao (September 20, 1923 – January 22, 2014), known by the initialism ANR, was an Indian actor and film producer who worked predominantly in Telugu cinema alongside appearances in Tamil films. After starting in theatre and making his screen debut in *Dharmapatni* (1941), he achieved his breakthrough as a leading man in the folklore fantasy *Balaraju* (1948) and the romance *Keelu Gurram* (1949). Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, he established himself as a central figure in South Indian cinema, headlining the tragic romance *Devadasu* (1953), the social comedies *Missamma* (1955) and *Gundamma Katha* (1962), the mythological drama *Mayabazar* (1957), and the drama *Doctor Chakravarthy* (1964). In the 1970s and 1980s, Rao continued as a commercial lead in the romantic drama *Prema Nagar* (1971), the musical drama *Meghasandesam* (1982), and the romance *Premabhishekam* (1981). Beginning in the 1990s, he transitioned into senior character roles, starring in the family drama *Seetharamaiah Gari Manavaralu* (1991), *Bangaru Kutumbam* (1994), and the devotional features *Sri Ramadasu* (2006) and *Sri Rama Rajyam* (2011). His final screen appearance was in the fantasy drama *Manam* (2014), which he also co-produced. Beyond acting, he established Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad. For his contributions to cinema, he was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1990, followed by the Padma Vibhushan in 2011.