The statue of legendary Telugu actor late Akkineni Nageswara Rao was unveiled amidst much fanfare at Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad on Wednesday, 20 September.
Former vice-president of India M Venkaiah Naidu unveiled the statue in the presence of the Akkineni family members Nagarjuna, Amala, Naga Chaitanya, Akhil, Sumanth, and Naga Susheela.
Addressing a large gathering of celebrities, industrialists, political leaders, and Akkineni fans, Venkaiah Naidu stressed the need to inculcate values in the film industry.
Film celebrities like Ram Charan, Mahesh Babu and his wife Namrata Shirodkar, Nani, Mohan Babu, SS Rajamouli, and MM Keeravani attended the ANR’s centenary year celebrations.
Akkineni Nageswara Rao born on 20 September 1924 in Ramapuram, Andhra Pradesh started his film career as a teenager in Dharmapatni in 1941 and never looked back.
Politician-industrialist Subbarami Reddy recalled his close association with ANR. He also recollected ANR’s vision and idea behind setting up Annapurna Studios.
A recipient of Padma Vibhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke award, Akkineni Nageswara Rao contributed immensely to the Telugu film industry in his 76 years of an illustrious film career.
His portrayal as Telugu poet Tenali Ramakrishna, Kalidas, Kabir, and Marathi sant Tukaram earned him the name Natasamrat. He passed away on 22 January 2014.