India's FHF Celebrates ANR Centenary with Nationwide Film Festival

The Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) will commemorate Akkineni Nageswara Rao's centenary with a film festival showcasing 10 restored classics from September 20-22, 2024, in 25 cities. Shivendra Singh Dungarpur and Akkineni Nagarjuna expressed excitement about the retrospective, honoring the Telugu cinema legend's remarkable legacy.

India's Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) is set to mark the 100th birth anniversary of Telugu cinema legend Akkineni Nageswara Rao with a three-day film festival. Dubbed 'ANR 100: King Of The Silver Screen', the event will feature 10 restored classics screened across 25 cities from September 20-22, 2024. Major metros such as Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Bengaluru will participate, along with smaller cities like Vadodara, Jalandhar, Rourkela, Warangal, Kakinada, and Tumkur, FHF officials confirmed.

Cinephiles will have the chance to revisit Rao's iconic works, including 'Devadasu' (1953), 'Missamma' (1955), 'Mayabazar' (1957), 'Bharya Bharthalu' (1961), 'Gundamma Katha' (1962), 'Doctor Chakravarthi' (1964), 'Sudigundalu' (1968), 'Prem Nagar' (1971), 'Premabhishekam' (1981), and 'Manam' (2014). Akkineni Nagarjuna, Rao's son, shared his excitement for this tribute, stating that his father's contributions have left an indelible mark on Indian cinema. 'His performance in Devadasu has been celebrated as one of the best across all versions of the film,' said Nagarjuna. 'We are proud of his legacy and hope this festival will preserve it for generations.'

Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, filmmaker and Director of FHF, expressed enthusiasm for the festival. 'Following the success of our Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar, and Dev Anand retrospectives, we are thrilled to present another first-of-its-kind festival honoring Shri Akkineni Nageswara Rao. This selection of films from 1953 to 2014 will highlight his remarkable range and the enduring impact of his work,' Dungarpur noted. Rao passed away in 2014, leaving a lasting legacy in Telugu cinema, carried on by his son Akkineni Nagarjuna and grandsons Naga Chaitanya and Akhil Akkineni.

(With inputs from agencies.)