On September 20, Akkineni Nageswara Rao's bronze monument was erected at Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad to commemorate the iconic actor and producer's 100th birthday. The intricately crafted statue, created by artist Vineesh Vijayan of Chennai, brings back memories of ANR in his prime. In front of the doyen's family members, including Nagarjuna, Naga Susheela, Amala, Naga Chaitanya, Akhil, Sumanth, Supriya, Sushanth, and numerous dignitaries, the statue was unveiled by Venkaiah Naidu, a former vice president of India.
Vineesh and his crew spent five months designing the monument after carefully studying images and videos that Naga Susheela, Sumanth, and family members provided with them. According to Naga Susheela, the sculptor watched Nageswara Rao's 1961 film Velugu Needalu in order to study the characters' subtle facial expressions. The statue was designed using a variety of techniques, including 3D modelling, 3D printing, clay modelling, and bronze casting.
The monument is prominently displayed at the Nageswara Rao-founded studio, which was given the name Annapurna in honour of his wife. The veteran actor-producer's 100th birthday celebrations officially begin with the unveiling. He was born on 20 September 1923.
It was an opportunity for those gathering on the studio lawns on Wednesday morning to remember Akkineni Nageswara Rao's contribution to Indian cinema. Actor-producer Nagarjuna Akkineni remarked, "This studio is naana (father) garu's favourite place and it is fitting to have the statue here." He claimed that he avoided looking at the statue until it was unveiled because doing so would force him to acknowledge the death of his father. "I think ANR continues to exist in our memories."
He enjoyed a great life, Nagarjuna reflected on his father's life and times. He is renowned as a superb performer who produced beloved films and garnered numerous honours. He is still adored by Telugu people. We knew him as a family as someone who made our hearts full of love. In both good and terrible times, we would visit him and find solace in his company.
DGP Anjani Kumar, T Subbirami Reddy, director SS Rajamouli, music composer MM Keeravani, producers Allu Aravind, Dil Raju and Ashwini Dutt, actors Mohan Babu, Brahmanandam, Mahesh Babu and Namrata, Ram Charan, Nani, Vishnu Manchu, Jagapathi Babu, Jayasudha, Anupam Kher, Nasser, Rajendra Prasad and several personalities were part of the event.
When Brahmanandam performed a conversation from Prem Nagar (1974) while mimicking ANR's mannerisms, including a raised eyebrow, he garnered fans. Rajamouli recalled an encounter with ANR in which he had questioned the illustrious performer about his decision to play a supporting role in Missamma despite being a celebrity. ANR had stated that he wanted to play the part since he was tired of playing leading men who drank after Devadasu and wanted a change of image. Rajamouli further emphasised how ANR gave life to mythological and religious tales despite being an atheist.
The actor Naga Chaitanya, who appeared alongside his grandfather ANR in Manam and also played ANR in a cameo in the biopic of Savitri, said that his grandfather's willingness to take creative risks serves as an example for students in film schools, and that he himself is a student who is learning from his grandfather's career and films. The studio serves as evidence of how one man's incredible vision came to pass. It teaches me to dream without fear. His legacy is honoured by the statue.
Numerous movie lovers who had journeyed from various cities to honour ANR attended the ceremony.
