Akkineni Nageswara Rao’s 100th birth anniversary to be celebrated nationwide

Fondly known as ANR or Nata Samrat, Akkineni Nageswara Rao’s illustrious career spanned 71 years and over 250 films, earning him numerous accolades, including the Padma Vibhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Hyderabad: Commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of legendary actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao, a specially curated film festival titled “ANR 100 – King Of The Silver Screen” will be held from September 20 to 22, across 25 cities in India. The festival is organized by the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) in association with the National Film Archive of India (NFDC) and PVR INOX.

The curated selection will showcase ten restored classics from the legendary actor’s extensive filmography including iconic films like ‘Devadasu’ (1953), ‘Missamma’ (1955), ‘Mayabazar’ (1957), ‘Bharya Bharthalu’ (1961), ‘Gundamma Katha ‘(1962), ‘Doctor Chakravarthi’ (1964), ‘Sudigundalu’ (1968), ‘Prem Nagar’ (1971), ‘Premabhishekam’ (1981), and ‘Manam’ (2014).

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“The selection of films in this retrospective include some of his biggest hits that will give people a chance to see his remarkable range as an actor and why these films continue to have resonance with people decades after they were made and why it is so important to preserve our film heritage,” said Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Filmmaker and FHF director.

Highlighting the legend’s contribution to the Telugu film industry, including the establishment of Annapurna Studios, Akkineni Nagarjuna, son of the late actor, expressed his delight: “My father was rightly called Natasamrat for his ability to play a range of roles. Through this festival, audiences across the country will celebrate not just a Telugu cinema icon, but of Indian cinema.”

Fondly known as ANR or Nata Samrat, Akkineni Nageswara Rao’s illustrious career spanned 71 years and over 250 films, earning him numerous accolades, including the Padma Vibhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

The festival will be held across 25 cities, including major metros like Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Bengaluru, as well as smaller cities such as Vadodara, Jalandhar, Rourkela, Warangal, Kakinada, and Tumkur.