The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu released the commemorative coin on Late Shri NT Rama Rao on his centenary year at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre on August 28, 2023.

The President said that Late Shri NT Rama Rao has enriched Indian cinema and culture through Telugu films. He breathed life into the prominent characters of Ramayana and Mahabharata through his acting.

The characters of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna played by him became so alive that people started worshiping NTR. She noted that NTR also expressed the pain of the common people through his acting. He spread the message of social justice and equality through one of his films 'Manushulanta Okkate' i.e. All human beings are equal.

Who was NT Rama Rao?

Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, byname NTR, was born in May 28, 1923, Nimmakuru, near Machilipatnam, and died in January 18, 1996, Hyderabad.

He was an Indian motion-picture actor, director, politician, and government official.

He founded the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and served three terms (1983–84; 1984–89; and 1994–95) as chief minister (head of government) of Andhra Pradesh state in southeastern India.

He was the first non-Congress chief minister since the establishment of Andhra Pradesh in 1956.

He was awarded with Padma Shri in 1968.

Note: Andhra Pradesh was formed on November 1, 1956. Through the States Reorganization Act of 1956, the state of Hyderabad was split up, and its Telugu-speaking districts (constituting Telangana) joined with the Andhra state. Andhra was the first state to be formed on Linguistic Basis.

The state of Telangana separated from Andhra was officially formed on 2 June 2014.