A FESTIVAL OF NINE TELUGU CLASSICS IN 25 CITIES ACROSS INDIA
SEPTEMBER 20 – 22, 2024
FILM HERITAGE FOUNDATION JOINS HANDS WITH THE FAMILY OF AKKINENI NAGESWARA RAO, NFDC – NATIONAL FILM ARCHIVE OF INDIA AND PVR-INOX TO PRESENT “ANR 100 – KING OF THE SILVER SCREEN” – A FIRST-OF-ITS- KIND COUNTRYWIDE FILM FESTIVAL OF RESTORED TELUGU CLASSICS TO MARK THE 100th BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF AN ICON OF INDIAN CINEMA FROM SEPTEMBER 20 – 22, 2024.
To mark the 100th birth anniversary of the legendary Telugu actor, Natasamrat Akkineni Nageswara Rao, popularly known as ANR, on September 20, 2024, Film Heritage Foundation and the family of Akkineni Nagewara Rao in collaboration with the NFDC – National Film Archive of India and PVR-Inox are delighted to announce “ANR 100 – King of the Silver Screen” – a festival of nine ANR classics that will be screened from September 20 – 22, 2024 in 25 cities from major metros like Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru to smaller cities like Vadodara, Jalandhar, Rourkela, Warangal, Kakinada and Tumkur.
ANR fans and contemporary audiences across the country will have the opportunity to see the remarkable versatility and powerful performances of the icon back on the big screen in a curated festival of nine landmark films including “Devadasu” (1953), “Bharya Bharthalu” (1961), “Gundamma Katha” (1962), “Doctor Chakravarthi” (1964) and “Sudigundalu” (1968).
ANR – A DOYEN OF INDIAN CINEMA
Actor-producer Akkineni Nageswara Rao (commonly known as ANR), was a doyen of Telugu cinema and also played a pivotal role in shifting the base of Telugu cinema from Madras to Hyderabad. He began his career with a supporting role in the film ‘Dharmapatni’ (1941) followed by the film ‘Seeta Rama Jananam’ (1944) where he played his first lead as the character of Lord Rama.
The early part of his career saw him do mostly fantasy and folklore films, but it was acclaimed performance in ‘Devadasu’ (1953) that broke him out of this mould and launched him into stardom. In an incredible career spanning over seven decades, ANR acted in 256 films including landmark films like ‘Missamma’ (1955), ‘Batasari’ (1961), ‘Premabhishekam’ (1981) and countless other hits. He ruled the box office and became an icon of Telugu cinema.
In 1975, ANR founded Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad that is an impressive hub for television and film production in the heart of the city even today. ANR won innumerable awards and accolades over the years including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the Padma Vibhushan.
ANR passed away on January 22, 2014 leaving behind two generations of actors, including his son the superstar Nagarjuna, to carry forward his legacy.
AKKINENI NAGARJUNA, SUPERSTAR AND SON OF ANR:
“I am thrilled that 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.”
AMITABH BACHCHAN:
“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:
“After the huge success of our Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand retrospectives in small cities and big metros across India, Film Heritage Foundation is thrilled that we are presenting another first-of-its-kind film festival of Telugu classics on a massive scale to honour the memory of a doyen of Telugu cinema and recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award – Shri Akkineni Nageswara Rao.
He acted in over 250 films and the selection of films in this retrospective beginning from 1953 to his last film “Manam” in 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. Shri Akkineni Nageswara Rao was not just a beloved actor, but a pioneer who established Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad that grew as a hub for the Telugu film industry. We are so pleased that his family has joined hands with us to commemorate an extraordinary legacy on the occasion of Shri Akkineni Nageswara Rao’s 100th birth anniversary.”
STATEMENT FROM NFDC – NATIONAL FILM ARCHIVE OF INDIA:
“NFDC-NFAI is deeply honoured to collaborate in commemorating the birth centenary of Shri. Akkineni Nageswara Rao, by presenting seven timeless classics, restored in 4K from prints and negatives held in the archive’s collection. This event is not just a tribute to a legendary actor but also a testament to our commitment to preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of Indian cinema. By bringing these masterpieces back to the big screen, we hope to evoke a deep sense of pride and nostalgia, allowing audiences to reconnect with the golden era of our film history. Our sincere thanks go to PVR-INOX for providing the platform to share these films with the nation, to Annapurna Studios and FHF for their curation and planning, and to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for funding this endeavour under the National Film Heritage Mission.”
- Devadasu (1953) – Directed by Vedantam Raghavayya
- Missamma (1955) – Directed by L. V. Prasad
- Mayabazar (1957) – Directed by K. V. Reddy
- Bharya Bharthalu (1961) – Directed by K. Pratyagatma
- Gundamma Katha (1962) – Directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao
- Doctor Chakravarthi (1964) – Directed by Adurthi Subba Rao
- Sudigundalu (1968) – Directed by Adurthi Subba Rao
- Prem Nagar (1971) – Directed by K. S. Prakash Rao
- Premabhishekam (1981) – Directed by Dasari Narayana Rao
- Manam (2014) – Directed by Vikram Kumar
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