Marking the birth centenary of the legendary thespian Akkineni Nageswara Rao, a statue of the icon was unveiled on the premises of the famous Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad. Former Vice-President of India M Venkaiah Naidu graced the occasion as the chief guest. Akkineni Nagarjuna was seen by Naidu's side.
The ANR 100th Birthday Celebrations were also made special by the attendance of SS Rajamouli, Mahesh Babu (who was there with his wife Namrata Shirodkar), Ram Charan, actor and MAA President Manchu Vishnu, and others. Many members of the Akkineni family made their reverential presence felt. Naga Chaitanya (who described his grandfather as an inspiring case study) and Akhil Akkineni were seen near the statue.
Speaking on the occasion, SS Rajamouli revealed that ANR once told him why he acted in a comedic role in 'Missamma'. "ANR garu, despite being a superstar, convinced the makers of 'Missamma' to cast him in a comedy role. The makers feared a backlash from ANR garu's fans. But he wanted to come out of a certain image afforded by 'Devadas'," the 'RRR' maker said.
Annapurna Studios, ANR's most concrete legacy in the Telugu film industry, joined the celebrations. "A legend in his own right. A pillar of Telugu cinema. A pioneer of Indian Cinema. He has entertained us, and made us laugh and cry. ANR garu is our Founder, Father, and our guiding force. Celebrating his life on this centenary birthday. In his light, we shine and spread joy (sic)," tweeted the official handle of the studio.
