The Akkineni family and the Telugu film industry recently celebrated the Centenary birth anniversary of the legendary thespian Akkineni Nageswara Rao. The Government of India honored ANR by releasing a special stamp marking his 100th birth anniversary. A retrospective of ANR’s classic movies was screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, in November.

On Sunday, in the latest episode of his popular audio series Mann ki Baat on All India Radio, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Akkineni Nageswara Rao’s contribution to the Telugu and Indian film industries. In the year-end episode of Mann ki Baat, PM Modi remembered the legends of Indian Cinema who completed their centenary anniversary in 2024. Along with ANR, Modi also paid tributes to Hindi Cinema legends Raj Kapoor and Mohammad Rafi. ”

Akkineni Nageswara Rao garu, with his contribution, took Telugu Cinema to new heights. In his films, Indian culture, heritage, and value system have been promoted and highlighted with great enthusiasm and honesty,” said the prime minister. ANR was honored by the then central governments with prestigious honors such as the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, and Dada Saheb Phalke Awards for his invaluable contribution to Telugu and Indian Cinema.