A bronze statue of Akkineni Nageswara Rao, the legendary actor-producer, was unveiled at Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad on September 20. The statue, designed by Chennai-based sculptor Vineesh Vijayan, commemorates the birth centenary of the actor. Former Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu unveiled the statue in the presence of Nagarjuna Akkineni and other family members. The design of the statue took five months, with Vineesh and his team meticulously studying photographic and video references to capture ANR’s essence. The statue, which underwent various stages of design, including 3D model making and clay modelling, stands tall at the studio premises. This unveiling marks the beginning of the centenary celebrations of Akkineni Nageswara Rao, who was born on September 20, 1923.
The ceremony at Annapurna Studios was attended by family members, dignitaries, and film personalities. Nagarjuna Akkineni, son of ANR, expressed that Annapurna Studios held a special place in his father’s heart and it was fitting to have his statue there. He emphasized that ANR’s legacy lives on in their memories. Dignitaries such as DGP Anjani Kumar, T Subbirami Reddy, SS Rajamouli, MM Keeravani, Allu Aravind, Dil Raju, Ashwini Dutt, Mohan Babu, Brahmanandam, Mahesh Babu, Namrata, Ram Charan, Nani, Vishnu Manchu, Jagapathi Babu, Jayasudha, Anupam Kher, Nasser, Rajendra Prasad, and others attended the event. Venkaiah Naidu praised ANR’s contribution to Telugu language and cinema, while Mohan Babu shared his personal memories of the late actor.
During the event, Brahmanandam entertained the audience with his imitation of ANR’s mannerisms, and SS Rajamouli spoke about ANR’s versatility and his impact on devotional and mythological stories despite being an atheist. Naga Chaitanya, ANR’s grandson and a prominent actor himself, reflected on the creative risks his grandfather took and how he continues to inspire students in film schools. The unveiling of the statue was a heartfelt moment for film buffs who made the journey to pay tribute to the legendary actor on his birth centenary.
