Shreya Mukherjee (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 6, 2020)

Actor Meera Chopra was in for a shock when N T Rama Rao fans started a hate campaign against her on social media. It began after her recent chat session on Twitter, when a user asked her to describe the Telugu actor in one word and she replied, “I don’t know him. I’m not his fan.” Having worked in the southern film industry, she also expressed her admiration for Telugu actor Mahesh Babu, which further irked the trolls.

“This cyber bullying needs to stop. I can be anybody’s fan in the world, it’s my choice. They (Jr NTR fans) threatened me with gang rape, throwing acid on my face, murder and even wished my parents die of Coronavirus. All this when I hadn’t said anything hurtful,” says Chopra, 36, adding, “Social media has become such a scary and toxic place. It’s amusing how people can stoop this low.”

After getting some “30,000 abuses”, the Section 375 (2019) actor decided to take legal action. “I’ve always stood up for what’s right. I’d be a hypocrite if I don’t raise my voice now. I’ve filed a complaint with Hyderabad City Police and Cyber Crime Cell. They’re looking into it and have asked me to file a complaint with Delhi Police since I’m at home now. That’s also done,” she tells us.

She even tagged Jr NTR in some tweets to bring to his notice the behaviour of his fans, hoping he’d take a stand. “Actors must be aware of their fan clubs. They must address such extreme behaviour. Fans treat actors as gods, I’m sure they’d listen to them,” says Chopra, who is planning to start a campaign to get stars to talk about such issues openly.

Actor Meera Chopra subjected to cyberbullying by Jr NTR's admirers after she claims 'not his fan'; hopes Telugu star will intervene
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 4, 2020)

A harmless chat session with her fans on Twitter, on Tuesday, snowballed into cyber bullying for Section 375 actor Meera Chopra. The actor had little idea that she would be at the receiving end of rape threats for stating that she was not a fan of Telugu star N T Rama Rao Jr, popularly known as Jr NTR.

It started innocuously when Chopra named Mahesh Babu on being asked about her favourite actor from the South film industry. Following her response, a user asked her if she liked Jr NTR. "I said I don't know him, and I'm not a fan. As soon as I said that, I was bombarded with abuses, murder and rape threats. I didn't know it was a crime to not be somebody's fan," she recounts.

With her timeline being flooded with abusive tweets since then, the actor — cousin to Priyanka Chopra Jonas — urged Twitter to take stringent action against the cyber bullies. She also filed a complaint with the National Commission for Women (NCW), which took cognizance of the situation. Refusing to take things lying down, the actor further wrote to Jr NTR on Twitter, hoping he will request his fan clubs to refrain from such appalling behaviour.

"I have tagged Jr NTR on the abusive tweets where I have been called a wh**e, adult star and threatened with gang rape and acid attack. His fans also wished that my parents die of Coronavirus. I hope he asks his fans to refrain from such cyber bullying. It also reflects the state of women in our society — how is any woman to feel safe when people are openly threatening her? This misogynistic behaviour needs to be called out. I asked Twitter to suspend the accounts, but no action has been taken so far."

Ismat Tahseen (BOMBAY TIMES; May 23, 2019)

Jaya Prada is speaking to us right after a temple visit, which is exactly how she wanted her day to begin, she tells us. “Before I leave for any conferences, I like to go to the temple to pray,” says the actress-turned-politician. The way the exit polls are shaping up, it shows a clear win for her party, the BJP. “Exit polls suggest that people have immensely supported Modi ji. In UP, particularly Rampur, they are indicating a positive report,” she says.

In a chat, Jaya talks about the elections, being thankful for the support from Amar Singh and how her acting career has been an advantage for her political career. Excerpts:

‘AMAR SINGHJI CAME TO RAMPUR FROM THE ICU TO SUPPORT ME’
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for her, as she joined the BJP only recently, and jumped headlong into the fray — with canvassing, election-related work, meetings, etc. “Mere liye bahut kam time mila. I just got 17 days for campaigning. I joined the party on April 28 and on May 3, I went for the nomination. I joined the party in the afternoon and within two hours, they announced my candidature from Rampur,” she informs.

That must have been a huge challenge? “Yes, it was (laughs). But maybe, it is because I have worked for 10 years and provided my services to the people of Rampur, that I didn’t have to be introduced to them. However, I was new to the party and it was the first time that I was in a national party. In the 17 days that I got, I managed to do some rigorous campaign work, but due to lack of time, there were certain places I could not visit. I had complete support from the party, especially Amar Singh ji. Even though he was in the ICU, he came directly to Rampur to support me. I am also thankful to Modi ji. If I win, it will be due to the Modi wave.” Does she think it will be a landslide victory? “Yes, for Modiji, it will be a landslide victory,” she states.

‘PEOPLE KNOW ME FROM MY FILMS, AND THAT HELPED ME IN POLITICS’
From being a well-known actress in Bollywood and the south, was it a huge change for her to join politics? “Yes, I belong to a glamorous world, but I have to say, it is a blessing to be able to go out and meet needy people,” she replies.

She also credits Bollywood for helping her get this far. “I am from the south, but people know me from my films, and that helped me adjust to the politics in the north,” she says.

‘OFFENSIVE COMMENTS HAVE BEEN DIRECTED AT ME REPEATEDLY, RIGHT FROM 2009’
Jaya Prada has also faced a barrage of sexist and offensive comments from rival Azam Khan. When we ask how she manages to move past it, she says, “Earlier, I used to be very sensitive about these things, but I think my experience made me strong. Having said that, yes, it is hurtful, because at the end of the day, I am a lady first and an MP later. These comments have been directed at me repeatedly, right from 2009. It’s 2019 now and I am still facing such remarks.”

She adds, “It’s time men changed their mentality. Why should we celebrate Women’s Day and 33% reservation for women? We engage in debates on this subject, but the reality is very different. You either need heritage of politics or strong support from a political family, which I don’t have. So, it is a struggle for a woman to establish herself.”

‘NOW, EVERYONE HAS TO WORK FOR THEIR CONSTITUENCIES, OTHERWISE, PEOPLE WILL NOT SPARE THEM’
Jaya is very clear about her reasons to be on the political turf. “Mujhe koi swarth nahi hai,” she says. “I entered politics to help NTR (Telugu matinee idol-turned-politician NT Rama Rao) and it was then that my career shifted towards politics. Also, when I was with NTR or Chandrababu (Naidu), I never expected to be a minister or be given a post. But, in public life, once people make a name for themselves, they easily forget others, particularly those from the film fraternity. Abhi hum party mein rehte hain aur hum party ke liye prachaar karte hain. Chandrababu or NTR had no time to think about a worker who did so much… jo jhanda leke chalta hai. Unko yaad karna unke liye bahut mushkil kaam hota hai shayad,” she says.

For someone who is well-versed with politics, what would she call her greatest learning? “Earlier, people would get elected and then not do anything for their constituencies. But these days, everyone has to work for their constituencies, otherwise, people will not spare them,” she says.

‘I HAVE TO WIN THE ELECTION TO PROVE A POINT’
With several hits to her credit in Bollywood and the south film industry, does she miss the world of acting? “Actually, I never really left films,” says Jaya, “Last year, six of my films released in the south and I have two projects in the pipeline. I was also doing the TV show, Perfect Pati.” If she’s elected, does she plan to take a break from acting? “Right now, my only focus is to win the election. I have to win the election to prove a point.”

‘FILM FRATERNITY HAS A POWERFUL REACH TO THE COMMON PEOPLE’
For someone who hails from the film fraternity, is she happy that Bollywood has become politically vocal? “Definitely. But this is not a recent development. It’s been happening from the time of Jayalalithaa ji and NTR, all of them knew what the people wanted. Artistes from the film fraternity have a powerful reach to the common people, whose support we need,” she explains. 

Three movie theatres in Solapur cater primarily to the Telugu migrants who have lived in Maharashtra for generations

Priyanka Kakodkar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; April 14, 2019)

Solapur: Padma Chitra Mandir in the heart of Solapur city has just finished screening NTR’s biopic. More than 70 years old — its stunning art deco facade still intact — the theatre shows mainly Telugu films.

Its among the three theatres that cater to the large population of Telugu migrants in Maharashtra city, which is close to both Telangana and Karnataka. Though fewer in numbers than Kannada speakers, Telugu migrants account for 2-3 lakh people. Nearly 70% belong to the weaving community of Padmashalis.

“When there is a big release of our favourite heroes like Pawan Kalyan, Chiranjeevi or Junior NTR, we garland their posters with marigold flowers and lemons,” says Naresh Konda, who works in a garment factory.

In the past, for big-ticket releases, the police were called in for crowd control and fans would set up large cardboard cutouts of their heroes. Today, a large section watches Telugu films on TV though there is a dedicated theatre audience.

“Telugu speakers form a sizeable voter base. Solapur has had three Telugus peaking MPs,” says Ashok Indapure, former general secretary of the Padmashali jati sanstha.

Earlier, the Padmashalis voted mainly Congress but now they have shifted towards BJP, says Indapure. CPM has a following among the beedi workers, with its leader Narsayya Adam winning assembly polls thrice from here.

The Telangana migrants made their way to the state more than 175 years ago, escaping a fierce drought. They settled mainly in Solapur, Icchalkaranji, Nanded, Jalna, Pune and Bhiwandi.

Since Solapur was historically a textile town, Telugu migrants worked mainly in its mills and handloom enterprises. Later, they moved to powerlooms, ready-made garments and beedi trade.

In the beedi-workers colony in Shastri Nagar, locals retain much of Telangana culture including food and customs. Many even arrange marriages in Telangana or find partners for their children from there. “I got my daughter married in Telangana because of its Re 1 rice scheme,” says Laxmibai Vashi, whose family has been in Solapur for generations.

“We eat traditional Telangana food. The only difference is we started eating chapatis in Solapur. Earlier it was only rice,” says Vithalbai Enganti.

The religious jatras in Telangana draw many from Solapur. “At least 10,000 people from Solapur travel each year for the jatra at the Edupayala Durgamma temple in Telangana,” says Srinivas Dasari, reporter with a local paper.

While the migrants speak Telugu, most cannot read or write it. “Since there were no Telugu schools here, they find it difficult to read and write,” says Dasari.

Now, the community is undergoing reverse migration. The educated younger generations no longer wants to work in beedi or garment trade. “They’re migrating to Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad,” says Indapure. “The need to work and fill their stomachs brought them to Solapur. Now, it’s taking them away.”

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; January 25, 2019)

For the Hindi cinema audience, he may be Ileana D’Cruz’s silent-but-determined husband from Barfi!, Rani Mukerji’s supportive husband in Mardaani or Deepika Padukone’s friend-cum-confidante in Piku. But, the truth is, Jisshu Sengupta is one of Bengali cinema’s most popular actors and he’s fast gaining a foothold in Bollywood, too. As he gears up for his next release, Manikarnika — The Queen Of Jhansi, Jisshu tells BT how much critical acclaim matters to him, why we don’t see more Bengali actors in Hindi cinema and much more. Excerpts...

You are known for getting into the skin of every character you play. What sort of effort did it require to step into the shoes of a king, Gangadhar Rao Newalkar?
At one point, I had to say ‘no’ to Manikarnika because the dates were not matching with the Bengali film I was shooting with Srijit Mukherji. However, we managed to work it out, and the next thing I knew, I was on the set wearing the costume in front of the camera. Honestly, I didn’t get much time to prepare for the part. I followed what Krish (the original director) told me and based on whatever I could gather from the Internet. I had learnt horse riding while shooting for a Bengali film earlier and was trained in sword fighting on the set of Manikarnika.

You must have seen the transition as Kangana Ranaut took over the direction duties from Krish. Did the vision for the film change after the change in leadership? Is Kangana a better director or an actor?
No, the vision never changed. Kangana was focused and knew exactly what she wanted, as she was attached with this project since day one. She was associated with it even before Krish came on board, as Kamal Jain (producer) approached her first, before everyone else. She was the best choice to replace Krish, as he got busy with the NTR biopic. She was the only one who could take over and make it happen. However, I believe that Kangana is a great actress. She transforms in front of the camera. So, right now, I would rate her as a better actor than a director.

Is there any difference in working on a film, in which actresses make up the majority of the cast?
I don’t think about these things. I just focus on my character and how pivotal it is to the narrative. I don’t mind even a 10-minute role, if it’s important to the script. Gangadhar played an instrumental role in Rani Lakshmibai’s life. Also, it doesn’t matter if a film is headlined by one woman or 10. I have no problem with that. All I care about is that the audience should remember me for the character I play. I want to be part of content driven films in any language.

Many Bengali filmmakers, actors and actresses have had a lasting legacy in Hindi cinema. But, of late, male stars from Bengal haven’t dabbled with Bollywood at all. What could be the reason for that?
I think nobody from my generation, apart from Param (Parambrata Chatterjee) and I have tried to foray into Hindi films. Also, the movies have come to us, instead of us going out and asking for work. One needs to be in the city and know the right people, but we haven’t done that. You need to reach out to people, something that our generation hasn’t done. They haven’t pushed themselves to grow in Mumbai and do some good work here. Apart from Mithun da (Chakraborty), who shifted to Mumbai because he wanted to work here and made a mark for himself, the rest of us have always been working in Bengali cinema. After him, I guess it’s me who has been pushing myself to work in Bollywood.

There has been a paradigm shift in the kind of cinema you are associating with today, as opposed to your earlier films. A star can take those chances. Is it easy or do you still worry about success and failure of a film?
I am 100-films old. In my heyday, I have done a lot of commercial films, including dancing around the trees with the heroine. But after working with Rituparno Ghosh, my understanding of cinema changed. Whatever good I am doing, it is because of him. If I am being called a good actor, it is only because of him. I was really depressed after he passed away. It’s not that I don’t want to do a commercial film, I'll do it if the role matches my sensibilities. There is no particular reason for the shift and I certainly don’t consider myself a star. I would rather call myself an actor who has become a star, and would appreciate if people called me that, too. We have a lot of superstars, who are not actors, which holds true in every industry. People can become stars with their mannerisms and a few hit films; it’s their luck. Look, this industry is about luck more than talent; it’s 80 percent luck and 20 percent talent. I personally know many fabulous actors in Mumbai, who didn’t get a chance to prove their talent. Besides, the success or failure of a film doesn’t bother me. What bothers me and I get really tense is when the director says, ‘action’. I still get goose-flesh and butterflies in my stomach. It’s like appearing for an examination and I worry more about it than the result, because the latter isn’t in my hand.

What do you enjoy more today — commercial success or critical acclaim?
It goes hand-in-hand. I won’t say the money which my producer is getting isn’t making me happy. Of course, it does and that takes me to my next film. I am also happy that I am being critically appreciated with people talking good things about me. Most of my films in the last six or eight years have been critically acclaimed and have won several awards, but they didn’t make money. I am used to it now. These are films, which have travelled to major film festivals across the globe and I’ve got great reviews. This gives me a kick as an actor and makes me feel that I need to push myself to do better.

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; October 29, 2018)

It’s not every day that one gets to impersonate and recreate the magic of India’s first female superstar on the big screen. So, when Rakul Preet was roped in to play Sridevi in the NTR biopic, the actress took special efforts to get the look right. She watched a lot of Sridevi’s films to understand her body language. If the picture from the shoot is anything to go by, Rakul seems to have got the look pitch perfect. In this particular scene, the makers recreated a dance sequence in the rain, featuring the legendary actress from Vetagadu (1979), one of her first films in Telugu.

Speaking about the shoot Rakul shares, “The look — white sari and the hair style — is from Sridevi’s song Aaku Chatu Pinde Tadise from Vetagadu where she had acted with NT Rama Rao, when she was just 16. Nandmuri Balakrishna sir (director of the NTR biopic) recreated the song, steps and the set; everything was the same as the original. We had a look test and we tried it all, from the shape of her eyebrows, her make-up to how her hair was in the song. The scene captures her as she was then, a newcomer, rather than what people know of her as today.”

Preparing for the part was not easy. Rakul had to conduct extensive research to get into the skin of the character. She says, “I watched some important films that had been suggested to me, to get a better understanding of her body language. There is pressure in trying to replicate the first ever Indian female superstar. I was both excited and nervous and I really hope I have done justice to the part.”

Rana Daggubati talks about his turn as Chandrababu Naidu in the biopic of his favourite actor
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 31, 2018) 

Mirror (August 6) had earlier reported that as a part of his prep Rana Daggubati had met the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu, in early August for his turn as the politician in Krish’s biopic on Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, featuring NTR’s son Nandamuri Balakrishna in the lead. Now, we have learnt that the 33-year-old actor filmed at the late actor-turned-politician’s residence in Abids, Hyderabad, earlier this week. Reportedly, Vidya Balan, who plays NTR’s wife Basavatarakam, also shot at the same residence where the Padma Shri recipient had lived in the ’80s.

“From the time I was a child I was fascinated by NTR, his films and politics, his influence on society and on Telugu as a language. So, getting an opportunity to recreate his life was a big deal for me. My excitement doubled when the first call sheet I received for this film read ‘Location: NTR residence, Abids’. From that day to walking into that house was like travelling through history and time for me. It was the same house where NTR lived, the room where he put on his make-up. It’s been left intact, just touched up a bit to show what it looked like back in the day. Recreating his story in his own home was surreal and probably will be my most memorable day in my life in films,” says Rana, adding since no one has ever shot in that house before and they are the first to do so it made them feel even more special.

Rana learnt history and mythology through NTR’s films, his favourite being the 1977 Telugu mythological, Daana Veera Soora Karna, in which his hero played the triple role of Karna, Krishna and Duryodhana, as also the 1951 fantasy, Patala Bhairavi. “I have grown up on his cinema, learnt reading and writing Telugu practicing his dialogues,” adds the actor.

He is grateful to Chandrababu Naidu for sparing a few hours from his busy schedule to spend with him, informing that their conversation revolved around his politics, the CM’s growth as a leader, historic incidents that he was a part of, which helped him understand the politician he was going to play on screen. Rana has simultaneously been working with images and videos from the archives, going back to Naidu’s days as a student leader and his early days in politics to the beginning of the Telugu Desam Party.

Meanwhile NTR’s 61-year-old actor-politician son Nandamuri Harikrishna, died in a road accident on August 29. The last rites were performed in Hyderabad on Thursday. Rana says he visited the family to pay his condolences and offer his support on Wednesday.

To lend authenticity to the NTR biopic, Vidya Balan shoots key portions in legend's Hyderabad house, meets former CM's family again
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; August 29, 2018)

In a bid to make NTR - the biopic on the former Andhra Pradesh chief minister NT Rama Rao - as authentic as possible, lead actor Nandamuri Balakrishna and Vidya Balan, who plays his wife Basavatarakam, filmed key sequences in the superstar's former house in Abids, Hyderabad, last week.

A source from the production reveals, "The shoot was conducted under complete secrecy. The crew was barred from carrying their mobile phones inside the house." A part of the Krish-directed venture chronicles NTR's rise in politics during the '80s. Since the Abids apartment served as his residence during the period, Nandamuri thought shooting in the original house would add to the film. Vishnu Induri, one of the producers, says, "When NTR shifted to Hyderabad to get into politics, he lived at this address. He resided here for 12 years before moving to Banjara Hills in the '90s. The house was subsequently sold off."

The bilingual marks Balan's foray into Telugu cinema. As part of her prep, she had met NTR's family in July to gain insights into her muse. Induri reveals that the family visited the location last week to meet Balan again. "NTR's daughters and grandchildren dropped in on the sets. They also gave her gifts, including a particular kind of South Indian saree, which Basavatarakam loved."

With director Krish busy with the NTR biopic, the actress is completing the patchwork with writers Vijayendra Prasad and Prasoon Joshi so that their film can keep its Republic Day date with the box-office next year
Rohit Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 20, 2018) 

Kangana Ranaut’s perioddrama, Manikarnika - The Queen of Jhansi, which has her playing Rani Lakshmibai, kicked off in Varanasi last year on May 4 with a 20-feet poster on the banks of the Ganges. Now, inching towards a Republic Day release, the film will be completed without its director. Mirror has learnt that Krish has got busy with the NTR biopic, featuring Nandamuri Balakrishnan in the title role of actor-politician NT Rama Rao and Vidya Balan as his wife Basavatarakam. And since the Hindi-Telugu bi-lingual is also targeting an early 2019 release, the director doesn’t have any dates to spare for the patchwork on Manikarnika. Being her most ambitious projects to date, the actress has stepped in to complete the film on schedule.

Confirming the news, the actress’s spokesperson told Mirror, “Yes, there is some patchwork still to be completed and Krish has got busy with the NTR biopic. He is not to be blamed, Manikarnika is a period drama and such movies takes time. Kangana speaks to Krish over the phone almost every day to discuss the filming. He is there in spirit with the team of K V Vijayendra Prasad (right) who has written the story and screenplay, and Prasoon Joshi (left) who has penned the dialogue and lyrics, working closely with Kangana to wrap up the film.”

The spokesperson adds that Kangana, who has undergone extensive training in sword-fighting and horse-riding to play the titular role, has given her undivided attention to the film. And along with the rest of the team, she has assured the studio that the film will not only make its January 25, 2019 deadline, but will be perfect in every way.

Producer Kamal Jain endorses this, saying, “The January 25, 2019, release date is set in stone. The film needs some post-edit patchwork and the team is working towards completing it soon. Post-production and VFX is on in full swing.”

The film also features Sonu Sood, Danny Denzongpa and Atul Kulkarni in pivotal roles and marks the Bollywood debut of Ankita Lokhande, who rose to fame with a leading role in the TV show Pavitra Rishta.

Given that little is known about her muse, NT Rama Rao’s wife, Balan says she’s enjoying creative freedom while playing the part, even as she continues to learn about her
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 18, 2018)

Even though she’s set to be part of a biopic, Vidya Balan enjoys sufficient creative leeway when enacting the character of N T Rama Rao’s wife in a film based on him. Basavatarakam Nandamuri, she argues, enjoyed a life away from the public domain, leaving little material for her to binge on to ape her, for Krish’s directorial venture. “She was an extremely private person. So, initially, I only had the script for reference. Yet, I wanted to get an idea of the person I was set to portray,” Balan tells mid- day, adding that she decided to interact with those who knew her muse.

While Balan had her co- star — the film’s leading man, also NTR’s son — Nandamuri Balakrishna to turn to, she also interacted with the actor-politician’s other children. “I met his daughter, Lokeshwari, who narrated many stories [of Basavatarakam]. I also spoke to her brother who currently resides in Chennai. It was via these conversations that I got a sense of who she was. I used the inputs that I got from them, but I am approaching the character with little information and more imagination.” Balan, who wrapped the first schedule of the Telugu-Hindi film last month, says that grabbing an opportunity to work in another industry was intriguing.

“I shot for five days, but it was a nice experience. The team is professional. We would commence the day at 9 am, and finish at 6 pm sharp. That’s a unique experience. It amazes me that, within India itself, there are so many independent film industries. I have never done a full-fledged role in another language, so I was excited for this one. The Telugu film industry needs no one. Their films are blockbusters, and they have a loyal audience.”

While the promising script instantly gripped her attention, Balan was also persuaded by the idea of working on a film based on NTR, a person, she knows, has been revered. “He is someone who has been loved and respected.”


NT Rama Rao and Basavatarakam Nandamuri

Makers of Sridevi biopic confirm Rakul Preet Singh their only choice to play Sridevi; actor working out dates to accommodate film
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; August 8, 2018)

In the weeks since the N T Rama Rao biopic was announced, the cast members have begun their prep on the Krish-directed venture that traces the journey of one of the most charismatic chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh. While Vidya Balan - who plays NTR's wife Basavatarakam - is taking harmonium lessons to perfect her act, Rana Daggubati met his muse Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu.

Amidst rumours that Rakul Preet Singh, Sonakshi Sinha and Shraddha Kapoor are in contention to play Sridevi — who was a frequent collaborator of NTR during his acting days — mid-day has now learnt that Singh has almost been finalised for the role.



Says a trade source, "Even though it is a small part in the biopic, Rakul is keen to play Sridevi. The makers have been in talks with her for long. Although Rakul has agreed to do the film in principle, she first needs to inform the producers of her other movies about this development. She will have to reshuffle her dates to accommodate the biopic before she can make a formal announcement about it."

Producer Vishnu Induri says that though the role is essentially a cameo — entailing a song and few scenes — one can't negate the fact that Rao was instrumental in shaping Sridevi's career. The duo had done over 14 films together. Naturally then, a biopic on the legend would be incomplete without a mention of the actor.

"We haven't approached Sonakshi, Kangana or Shraddha. Rakul Preet Singh is our only choice as she's popular in the South, especially in Telugu films. We have shot almost 30 per cent of the movie; Vidya has already shot for six days. We are working on Rakul's dates for now," says Induri.

When contacted, Singh's spokesperson confirmed that the actor has been approached for the bilingual. "Rakul would love to do the role as she's a big Sridevi fan. But she hasn't discussed the details of the film yet with the team, as she's busy shooting for four films. She needs to figure out her dates for the biopic."

The actor plays the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in the film which also features Nandamuri Balakrishna
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 6, 2018)

Mirror (July 3) had earlier reported that Rana Daggubati will play Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in the biopic on Telugu actor-turned-politician Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR) that will feature his son Nandamuri Balakrishna in the titular role. The Bahubali actor met the politician on Friday as a part of his prep.

Rana informs that when the film was still being scripted, Balakrishna had called to say he wanted him to play Chandrababu Naidu. He’s happy that Krish, a dear friend with whom he collaborated on the 2012 Telugu action drama, Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum, is on board as the director. “Both of us are huge NTR fans. His life journey is an important story as he was our first face and voice and struck a chord with every Telugu speaking person across the world,” asserts the 33-year-old actor.

Rana has never played a living person before and is excited to take on the challenge. “For 25 years, I’ve seen Mr Naidu reign as a politician. He has had a great influence on our people and society,” he avers, saying he doesn’t plan on aping Naidu. “We’ve been working with images and videos from the archives taking us back to his days as youth student leader and his early days in politics to the beginning of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).”

Rana’s grandfather D Rama Naidu had established his production house with the 1964 Telugu comedy Ramudu Bheemudu featuring NTR. That film was remade in Hindi as Ram Aur Shyam and in Tamil as Enga Veettu Pillai. “Even as an actor, I learnt the language, along with history and mythology, through his films so it’s an honour to be a part of his biopic,” says the actor whose favourite NTR film is the 1977 Telugu mythological Daana Veera Soora Karna in which his hero played the triple role of Karna, Krishna and Duryodhana. He also enjoyed the 1951 fantasy Patala Bhairavi.

Rana is also thrilled to work with Vidya Balan who plays NTR’s wife, Basavatarakam. “She is a fine actress and I’ve been hearing great things about her from Krish,” he smiles.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 16, 2018)

From Wednesday, July 18, Vidya Balan will start shooting for her first Telugu film, the NTR biopic. Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao was an actor, producer, editor and director who was an equally successful politician, serving as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for seven years over three terms. The actress plays Basavatarakam, the daughter of his maternal uncle whom NTR married at the age of 20 when still studying. His sixth son, Nandamuri Balakrishna, plays his father in the film being directed by Krish who has several successful Telugu films to his credit and has just wrapped up his period action-drama Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi which has Kangana Ranaut playing the warrior-queen.

Did she grow up on NTR’s films, some of them like Todu Dongalu (1954) and Seetharama Kalyanam (1961) being National Award winners? Vidya didn’t because she doesn’t speak Telugu. “But I remember visiting my mama and mami in Hyderabad when I was very young, and I think that’s when I heard the name NTR for the first time. Over time, I realised what a phenomenon he was,” she informs.

The actress who is a National Award winner herself, confides that she has always wondered what stardom does to the lives of the people around the star. How their equations with people change and how the loss of privacy affects them? “I have always been interested in this aspect, and how different people react differently to it. In this case, Basavatarakam was a very private person who held her own despite being the wife of a demi-god,” she points out.

Excited about her Telugu debut, Vidya goes on to add that while people knew her as NTR’s wife, Basavatarakam was not really a public figure. “People knew of her but they didn’t know her and that is interesting for me as an actor,” she shares, admitting that there is not much material on her in the public domain and getting to know Basavatarakam is basically what her prep has been about.

The film also marks the Telugu debut of Bengali actor Jisshu Sengupta who plays the late filmmamker and Dadasaheb Phalke winner, LV Prasad while Rana Duggubati is Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

From all the biopics she has been offered, what made her zero in on this one, you wonder. She says, “It’s a biopic on NTR and while Basavatarakam is not NTR, she is extremely integral to his story and that’s why I’m doing this film. I’m looking forward to the experience.”

While she is reticent on the subject, saying that’s all she’s at liberty to reveal for now, Vidya admits it took her a while to make up her mind about the film because she wanted to know a little more about the person she’d be playing. “Their storyline and screenplay were in place, but work is in progress yet. I still don’t know what it is about this film that interested me. Let’s say it was an instinctive decision,” she smiles. This is the first film she’ll be shooting for after Tumhari Sulu, which bagged her the Filmfare Best Actress Award.

The Krish-directed film being made on the late legend is expected to kick off this month
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 3, 2018)

Earlier this year, the hugely anticipated biopic on legendary Telugu actor-turned-politician Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR), to be directed by Krish, was launched by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu at the Ramakrishna Studios, Hyderabad. Now, Mirror has learnt that the film, that has Nandamuri Balakrishna in the titular role, will feature Vidya Balan as NTR’s wife, Basavatarakam (right), who he had married at the age of 20.

Meanwhile, the film marks the Telugu debut of Bengali actor Jisshu Sengupta as the late filmmaker and Dadasaheb Phalke awardee L V Prasad (right, below), and Rana Daggubati is on board to play Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu (left, below).

Vidya and Rana remained unavailable for comment but Jisshu, who is presently recuperating after a gall bladder surgery confirmed the news. This will be his second film with Krish after playing King Gangadhar Rao, Rani Lakshmibai’s husband, in Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, the upcoming Hindi film that has Kangana Ranaut in the lead. “As a producer, LV Prasad ji’s films revolved around catastrophic romances with theatrical characters and memorable music. As an actor and director, he chose subjects that were emotional, dramatic and driven by performances. I have begun my prep for the film as Krish has given me a lot of content to browse through. This will be my first ever stint in the South industry and I’m quite excited and nervous at the same time,” Jisshu said, adding that he has even shot at Prasad Studios and Prasad Film Labs in Hyderabad.

“But I never imagined I will get to play a pioneer filmmaker like him one day. He was the one to introduce NTR in the 1949 Telugu patriotic film Mana Desam and they were very close. I play a very important part in the film,” the actor added, further revealing that he starts shooting for the film on July 6.

As part of his prep, Jisshu is also learning Telugu. “I will reserve one week for extensive language training with my tutor when I reach Hyderabad. I have also told Krish that it would be great if I can meet anyone from Prasad ji’s family,” he informed.

The film marks his first collaboration with Vidya and Rana. “I am not sure about Rana’s part, but I am told that Vidya is playing NTR’s wife. I am looking forward to working with them. I have known Vidya for a while. In fact, she played the lead role in the Hindi version of my Bengali film, Rajkahini,” Jisshu said.

MID-DAY (October 13, 2017)

A proposed biopic on N T Rama Rao's life by filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has kicked off a controversy in Andhra Pradesh. Varma has announced the film on the Telugu film legend and TDP founder's last few years and it has not gone down well with the ruling Telugu Desam Party as certain episodes in NTR's life are historically uncomfortable for its current leadership.

The principal opposition, YSR Congress, is also caught in the controversy as the film is being produced by one of its leaders. NTR's son, actor Balakrishna had first announced a biopic on his late father. It was supposed to portray NTR's life from childhood to films and his ascent to the chief minister's chair. Varma's name had cropped up as the director of the film but nothing was made official.

Then Varma was no longer a part of the film. The director later announced that he would go ahead with a film on NTR and gave it the title Lakshmi's NTR, after the Telugu icon's second wife Lakshmi Parvathi. "I thought choosing that part of his life to film will give the most comprehensive understanding of the man," says Ramu.