10 Films – 25 Cities: ANR's 100th Anniversary Celebrations Planned Grandly!

Late Akkineni Nageswara Rao is a legendary personality who left a lasting impact on Telugu cinema. Born in Madras in 1923, the great actor passed away in 2014. In these 90 years, he created a legacy for himself that it untouchable and stood as one of the main pillars of Telugu cinema. He played a pivotal role in bringing the Telugu film industry to Hyderabad in the 70s and sowed the seeds of the tree from which everyone are reaping the benefits.

Over his 75-year career, he did numerous landmark films and did remarkable roles that stood as reference points in acting even today. He won seven Nandi Awards and five Filmfare Awards in his time. He is the recipient of Dada Saheb Phake Award and was given Padma Vibhushan which is India's second highest civilian award by the government. With his 100th birth anniversary arriving on 20th September, not-for-profit organisation Film Heritage Foundation announces a retrospective film festival titled 'ANR 100 – King Of The Silver Screen'.

It is to pay tribute to one of the pioneers of Indian cinema. 10 restored classics of Nageswar Rao will be screened from September 20 – 22, 2024 across 25 cities, including major metros like Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru and smaller cities like Vadodara, Jalandhar, Rourkela, Warangal, Kakinada and Tumkur. The list of movies include '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).

Akkineni Nagarjuna says, “I am delighted that the Film Heritage Foundation is celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of my father with a festival of his landmark films across the country. He was rightly called Natasamrat for his amazing ability to play a range of roles from a saint to an alcoholic to a romantic hero in a way that has stayed in people's hearts and minds for decades. His performance in Devadasu has been acknowledged as one of the best across all versions of the film over the years and his films like Premabhishekam, Doctor Chakravarthi and Sudigundalu are loved even today. He was a pioneer who established Annapurna Studios, laying the first foundation for the Telugu film industry in our state. We are very proud of his legacy and through this festival audiences across the country will remember an icon not just of Telugu cinema but of Indian cinema. We would like to preserve this legacy so that people will remember him for another hundred years. The entire Akkineni family would like to thank the NFDC-NFAI and PVR-Inox for partnering with us to make this festival possible.”

Legendary Amitabh Bachchan stated, “I am delighted that Film Heritage Foundation will be celebrating the legacy of Shri Akkineni Nageswara Rao – a pioneer of the Telugu film industry and an icon of Indian cinema –by releasing his restored films all over India to mark his 100th birth anniversary. I had the good fortune to meet him on several occasions and I was always struck by his humility and simplicity. This is the first time a retrospective on this scale has been done for Telugu cinema in a manner befitting his stature. The festival is in keeping with Film Heritage Foundation's commitment to bringing the heritage of Indian cinema back on the big screen the way these films were meant to be seen. This will give contemporary audiences an amazing opportunity to experience the tremendous screen presence, the versatility and the range of a legendary actor in Telugu classics like Devadasu, Sudigundalu, and Doctor Chakravarthy.”

Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Filmmaker and Director, Film Heritage Foundation states, “After the huge success of our Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand retrospectives, we are thrilled to present another first-of-its-kind film festival of Telugu classics to honour the memory of a doyen of Telugu cinema - Shri Akkineni Nageswara Rao. The selection of films in this retrospective beginning from 1953 to 2014 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. This is in keeping with our commitment to showcase the diversity of India's rich film heritage from every region of the country and we have seen the enthusiasm of contemporary audiences for classic cinema during these retrospectives with many of the screenings going house full.”

ANR established Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad that grew as a hub for the Telugu film industry. Not just that but he started Annapurna International School of Film and Media in 2011. ANR passed away on January 22, 2014 leaving behind two generations of actors, including his son the superstar Nagarjuna and grandsons Naga Chaitanya and Akhil Akkineni to carry forward the mantle.