Maverick Messiah: A Political Biography of N.T. Rama Rao

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Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, widely known as NTR, was not merely a film star who strayed into politics and captured power in Andhra Pradesh The actor politician redefined the political culture in the state and scripted a new political idiom.

His rather dramatic entry into politics, the profound impact he left on the people of Andhra Pradesh and the vital role he played in national politics during his relatively short political life, however, have not received deserving recognition.

Maverick Messiah captures the different facets of NTR's life in all their varied hues and puts in perspective the significant contribution of the actor politician to the Indian political tapestry.

RAMESH KANDULA is a journalist based in Hyderabad. He holds an MA in English literature from Hyderabad Central University and an MA in politics from Andhra University. In a career spanning three decades across the media spectrum-print. television and the web-he has been associated with various organizations, including Eenadu. Deccan Chronicle and the Tribune.

Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (1923-96) was not just a film star who challenged the mighty Indira Gandhi and knocked out the one-party rule in Andhra Pradesh (AP). Elected thrice as the chief minister of united AP, the actor-politician redefined the political culture in the region and scripted a new political idiom.

His subnationalism was constructive, and his identity politics was devoid of parochial undertones. His brand of regionalism celebrated the pluralistic idea of India. A patriot to the core, NTR proudly wore his Teluguness on his saffron sleeve, but without privileging it over other identities.

An outsider to the political establishment, NTR displayed an instinct for political mobilization. The way politics was played in AP underwent a profound change after NTR's arrival on the scene. Power, in NTR's case, was truly drawn from the people.

However, his rather dramatic entry into politics, the profound impact he left on the people of AP and the vital role he played in national politics during his relatively short political life have not received deserving recognition. His fight for strengthening the federal character of our Constitution and the emphasis he laid on the welfare role of the governments remain relevant in today's India when regional aspirations are on the rise, and crony capitalism is in command.

This first comprehensive political biography of NTR is an attempt to provide a 360-degree view of the most charismatic personality that the political churn in the country produced in the second wave of regionalism of the 1980s.

NTR was a man of fascinating contradictions. He was a commanding personality but resorted to baffling theatrics and bewildering sartorial predilections. He was considered orthodox by many, but he displayed radical tendencies that caused a furore in the establishment. Though outwardly religious, he was staunchly secular. A leader who fought on the plank of regional aspirations, he remained a committed nationalist throughout. A man of no known ideological persuasion, he was able to come up with his own brand of populism and a clearly enunciated doctrine on Centre-state relations.

A fighter to the core, NTR liked to punch above his weight. His contribution to the Opposition unity at the national level was a pioneering effort, and NTR would have played a more substantial role as the National Front chairman in the 1990s but for a quirk of fate.

The most colourful personality in the drab world of politics, NTR never ceased to amaze because of his complexities. The element of drama was deeply embedded in his rather momentous life. In his last days, the personal and political got merged in his life in an unusual mix, resulting in a tempestuous climax that has few parallels in modern Indian politics.

Maverick Messiah: A Political Biography of N.T Rama Rao captures these different facets of NTR in all their multifold hues and puts in perspective the significant contribution of the actor- politician to the ever-changing Indian political tapestry.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages