Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Jr. is a prominent actor, singer and a Kuchipudi dancer in Telugu Cinema. He boasts a massive fan base in South India, Japan & other parts of the world. Due to his success & energetic performances, his fans bestowed the title of 'Young Tiger' upon him. Today, after starting his career as a child artiste, NTR Jr. is one of the biggest stars in Telugu Cinema. He is also grandson of the late actor & former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. T. Rama Rao.

Background:

Nandamuri Tarak Ram was born on 20 May 1983 to Nandamuri Hari Krishna & Shalini. His father, Hari Krishna, is also an eminent actor & a former Member of Parliament from AP. His mother, Shalini, is a homemaker. To honour his grandfather, he changed his name to Taraka Rama Rao. He was educated at Vidyaranya High School and went on to study at St. Mary's College in Hyderabad. He also has a sister named Suhasini. His half-brother is Kalyan Ram who also happens to be a prominent actor in Telugu Cinema. His uncle is Nandamuri Balakrishna, a popular & well-respected Telugu actor who is also the Hindpur MLA.

Career as child artist:

NTR began his career when he was 8 years old as a child artist. He tryst with the silver screen began when he cameoed in the mythological film Brahmarshi Vishwamithra, which was directed & produced by the film's lead actor N. T. Rama Rao. He then caught his big break when he was cast as Lord Rama in Ramayanam, directed by Gunasekhar.

Due to his performance as King Rama, NTR gained a lot of recognition & won a lot of awards which is quite uncommon for a child artist. From Yuvakalavahini award to Bharathamuni Arts Academy award, the then young & promising actor had a few accolades he could boast of. And the icing on the cake was that he was the lead actor of the film which won the National Film Award in the Best Children's Film category. He then went on hiatus to complete his academics. However, he didn't abandon his passion for Kuchipudi & became an ace in that art.

Career as a lead actor:

S. S. Rajamouli was an assistant director who was looking for a lead actor for his directorial debut 'Student No.1'. Gunasekhar, who knew how talented NTR was, recommended him to Rajamouli. After signing him on the project, it took a lot of time for the 'Student No.1' to release. So, in the meantime, NTR signed on another film which bore the title 'Ninnu Choodalani'. The film was produced by the successful media baron Ramoji Rao. The film opened to much fanfare as people were interested in watching Rama Rao's grandson's debut. Soon after Ninni Choodalani's release, Student No.1 hit the screens and went on to become a smash hit in 2001.

Both NTR & Rajamouli were praised to the skies by the critics & audiences alike. The distributors were also overjoyed as the film was sold for a measly price of Rs. 2.75 crores and it raked it over Rs. 12 crores. So, successful was the film that it enjoyed a 100 day theatrical run at 42 theatres. The film was remade in Kannada & Oriya as well. Overall, the film, which was released with just 40 prints, went onto become the first super hit in NTR's career.

In 2002, he accepted the lead role in 'Aadi' which was directed by V. V. Vinayak, a debutant. The film was both a critical & commercial success which established a huge fan base for him. The film became one of the year's biggest grossers & it also enjoyed a 175 day theatrical run. The film was remade in Tamil & Bengali. It is worth mentioning that the star won his first Nandi Award for his realistic performance in Aadi. In the same year, VMC Combines, a production company, approached him & started shooting a film under the title of 'Kurrodu' but due to some circumstances, the project was put on ice.

Rise to stardom:

Soon after Kurrodu's shelving, Rajamouli approached NTR Jr. and narrated him the story of 'Simhadri'. Both NTR & VMC Combines were impressed with the story & green lit the project. The film was a massive hit when it released in 2003. The film enjoyed a 200 day theatrical run & it grossed over Rs. 35 crores. The film was later remade in Tamil & Kannada cinemas. His success stint continued into next year with Samba, which was directed by V. V. Vinayak, where he was seen as hot-blooded youth who is on a mission to avenge his family's murder. The audiences loved the film & it set the cash registers ringing at the box offices in 2004.

After experimenting with his talent for the next two years, NTR Jr. received his first Filmfare award nomination for his intense performance in the 2006 flick 'Rakhi'. The film showed him as a caring brother who becomes a vigilante after his sister is immolated for dowry. Due to the positive reviews, the film enjoyed a successful run of 100 days.

After Rakhi, NTR collaborated with Rajamouli for 'Yamadonga'. For the role, NTR underwent a strenuous physical regimen & sported a lean physique for the entire film. His energetic performance was praised by critics & audiences. The film went on become one of 2007's biggest grossers. It also fetched the Young Tiger his first Filmfare Best Actor Award (Telugu). In 2008, for 'Kantri', NTR chose the role of street ruffian which was different from his previous roles. The film received rave reviews & it earned him a Filmfare award nomination.

In 2010, he teamed up with V. V. Vinayak for 'Adhurs'. Despite some opposite from some political outfits, the film went to become a hit & it ran at the theatres for more than 50 days. The film was also successful in proving that NTR Jr. could handle both comedy & heroism with perfection. The film's success coaxed NTR to explore his comical talent. In the same year, he starred in the romantic entertainer 'Brindavanam' and blew the audiences minds away with his amazing performance as a romantic. The film was extremely successful and it became one of the biggest grossers of that year.

He then returned to his angry youth persona with 'Oosaravelli' in 2011. The film saw him teaming up Surendra Reddy for the second time. They first collaborated for Ashok which got good openings. Upon release, Oosaravelli was well-received & lauded by the critics for its production values & different plot. In 2013, he chose the role of mafia don in 'Baadshah' & earned appreciation from the critics & audiences alike. For this role, NTR straitened his curly tresses & sported a new look. Due to a new story & uncompromising production values, the film went to become a super hit.It also broke the U.S. box office records which were previously created 'Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu'. It is worth mentioning that this film was also released in Japan & was well-received there as well.

In 2015, he underwent a gruelling exercise regimen to sport six-pack abs in 'Temper'. He also diversified his silver screen career with the film's lead role 'Daya' which had shades of grey. He was shown as a corrupt cop who misuses his uniform to the worst extent possible. His flawless execution of the role was praised by the critics. In 2016, he was cast as a cold-hearted & manipulative man in Nannaku Prematho. The film was well-received by the audiences & went to become of blockbuster. For the film, the actor changed his hairstyle radically & sported a lean physique. Also, to please his fans, the star sung the 'Follow Follow' song which went on to become a chartbuster. For his singing performance, he was awarded the Music Masti Award in the Star As A Singing Sensation category.

Personal Life:

NTR Jr. is known to be a die-hard fan of his grandfather. His favourite film is N. T. Rama Rao starrer Dana Veera Soora Karna. Apart from that, the actor made it to the coveted Forbes 100 where the world's 100 most powerful people are listed. He was ranked at 66 in the year of 2012. The actor is also staunch supporter of Telugu Desam Party which was founded by his grandfather. The actor is also philanthropist as he donated huge sums whenever there was a calamity. Apart from that, he has also supported humane causes from time to time.

He is married to Lakshmi Pranathi who happens to be the daughter of businessman Srinivasa Rao. Srinivasa Rao is the owner of Studio N & Narne Estates. Given Young Tiger's stature, Srinivasa Rao offered his daughter's hand & NTR honoured his request by marrying her in 2011. Whenever the star is stressed out, he relaxes by cooking food for his wife. They are blesssed with a son, Abhay Ram.