With elections for Andhra Pradesh state assembly just a year away, it appears to be a season of biopics on popular political leaders. Producers are flagging off projects to bring electoral advantage to their respective political parties.
On Thursday, Telugu Desam Party MLA and popular film actor Nandamuri Balakrishna launched a biopic on his late father N T Rama Rao, a doyen of Telugu films who founded the TDP and later became the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.
Indian Vice President, M Venkaiah Naidu gave the clap for the film titled NTR at Ramakrishna Cine Studios at Nacharam in Hyderabad. Balakrishna is playing the lead role in the biopic which is being directed by young director Teja. The Muhurat shot saw Balakrishna in the attire of Duryodhana from Mahabharata, taken from NTR’s popular film Dana Veera Sura Karna.
“The film unit chose March 29 for the launch as several blockbusters of NTR were launched on the same day. Lavakusa, Patala Bhairavi and Desodharakulu were some of them,” Venkaiah Naidu, an avid fan of NTR, recalled.
Incidentally, March 29 also happens to be the TDP’s foundation day and the biopic is being made ostensibly to secure political mileage for the party in the next elections. The film is expected to be completed by the end of this year so that the TDP could invoke NTR image to attract the voters, who still revere NTR as their favourite matinee idol and politician.
{{/usCountry}}Incidentally, March 29 also happens to be the TDP’s foundation day and the biopic is being made ostensibly to secure political mileage for the party in the next elections. The film is expected to be completed by the end of this year so that the TDP could invoke NTR image to attract the voters, who still revere NTR as their favourite matinee idol and politician.
{{/usCountry}}The biopic would encapsulate the life of NTR right from his humble beginning as a son of a farmer in Nimmakuru of Krishna district, till his final days.
“I thank my father for this life he gave. This is in a way is a thanksgiving to my father my mentor and idol,” Balakrishna said. He later shot few scenes with MGR look alike actor.
Interestingly, another political biopic is also being made in Andhra. Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, who brought the Congress party to power in the state twice as chief minister– in 2004 and 2009 will be the subject of the film.
The film titled Yatra (Journey), will focus on the circumstances that led YSR to undertake a 1,500 km long padayatra in 2003. The fill will also showcase other events in his life.
Yatra is also aimed at fetching political mileage for his son, Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who left the Congress party and floated his own outfit, YSR Congress party, after the untimely demise of his father in a tragic helicopter crash in September 2009. “Since Jagan is also undertaking padayatra right now, the film on his father with special focus on his padayatra would give him the advantage,” a YSRC leader said.
Director Mahi Raghav, who is making the film, confirmed to the media recently that popular Malayalam actor Mammotty would play the role of YSR. He clarified that there were no political motives behind making the film. “There is not going to be any political bashing of YSR’s opponents in the film. It is going to be purely an inspirational movie,” he explained.
The film is expected to go on to the sets shortly and it is also expected to be completed by the year-end.
Follow @htshowbiz for more