Mahanati photographs hog the limelight

A visitor who admires photographs of Mahanati Savitri, saving them in her smartphone, in Vijayawada.

A visitor who admires photographs of Mahanati Savitri, saving them in her smartphone, in Vijayawada.   | Photo Credit: CH_VIJAYA BHASKAR

NTR fan assn. founder’s son continues the legacy

Savitri had a huge fan following, and audiences adore her even today and this was evident at the photo exhibition on TDP founder president N. T. Rama Rao, at the ongoing Mahanadu, at the Siddhartha Engineering College grounds near here.

The visitors were seen watching the photographs of Savitri, whose biopic Mahanati hit the silver screen recently. The stills from pictures such as Kodalu diddina kapuram, Kanchukota, Vichitra kutumbam, and Nindu samsaram were on display. She paired opposite NTR in these films.

Though there are many photographs of NTR with heroines like Anjali Devi, Sowcar Janaki, K. R. Vijay and others, the photographs of Mahanati are apparently drawing attention. “It was not just that she was a beautiful heroine, but also the fact that she brought characters to life beautifully,” said Devi, who was capturing the photos on her mobile phone.

The exhibition is being organised by Sripathi Satish Kumar, working president of the All-India NTR Fans’ Association. About 800 photographs are on display. Of this, 20 are related to Savitri and NTR. The visitors were seen watching the photographs curiously, he said.

His father Rajeshwar, a former MLA, founded the association. He used to organise NTR’s photo exhibition at every Mahanadu. Mr. Satish Kumar is continuing the legacy after his father’s demise four years ago. He displays no fewer than 400 photographs of NTR at every exhibition, including some rare clicks that are not available on the Internet or in the market.

Vaddelli Sambasiva Rao used names of NTR films to draw the paintings of Rama Rao. This is the new addition this year.

“People love to watch NTR’s photographs. His fans do anything and everything to grab a photograph of their beloved actor. Some are so obsessed that they do not mind stealing one. “Photographs of NTR as Lord Rama or Lord Krishna invariably go missing,” he says.