Nandamuri Harikrishna
నందమూరి హరికృష్ణ
Member of Rajya Sabha
In office
10 April 2008 – 22 August 2013
Member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly
In office
1996–1999
Preceded byN. T. Rama Rao
Succeeded byC. C. Venkataramudu
ConstituencyHindupur
Personal details
Born(1956-09-02)2 September 1956
Nimmakuru, Andhra State (now in Andhra Pradesh), India
Died29 August 2018(2018-08-29) (aged 61)
Narketpally, Telangana, India
Cause of deathCar accident
Political partyTelugu Desam Party
Spouses
  • Lakshmi
    ​
    (m. 1973)​
  • Shalini
    ​
    (m. 1981)​
Children4; including
ParentN. T. Rama Rao (father) Nandamuri Basavatarakam (mother)
RelativesSee Nandamuri–Nara family
Occupation
  • Politician
  • actor
  • film
  • producer

Nandamuri Harikrishna (2 September 1956 – 29 August 2018) was an Indian actor, producer, and politician. He served as the Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house the Indian Parliament representing the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh from 2008 to 2013 and a member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 1996-1999. His film works were predominantly in Telugu cinema. Harikrishna was the fourth son of actor and former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. T. Rama Rao. His sons N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Nandamuri Kalyan Ram are actors[1] and daughter Nandamuri Venkata Suhasini is a politician.[2]

Early life

Harikrishna was born on 2 September 1956 in Nimmakuru village of Krishna district in present-day Andhra Pradesh to N. T. Rama Rao and Basava Ramatarakam as their 4th son. He has eleven siblings: seven brothers and four sisters.[3]

Acting career

Harikrishna made his acting debut in 1964 as a child artist in Sri Krishnavataram, in which he played Krishna. It was directed by Kamalakara Kameshwara Rao.[4] He then starred in Thalla? Pellama? (1970), followed by Tatamma Kala (1974), Ram Raheem (1974), and Daana Veera Soora Karna (1977). After a long sabbatical and political stint, he starred as a character actor in works such as Sri Ramulayya (1998), followed by a full-length role alongside Nagarjuna in Seetharama Raju (1999), Lahiri Lahiri Lahirilo (2002), and Seetayya (2003). In 2002, he received Nandi Award for Best Character Actor for his work in Lahiri Lahiri Lahirilo (2002).

Political career

Harikrishna, who had a knack for driving, drove his father's "Chaitanya Ratham" (chariot of consciousness), a revamped and customised green Chevrolet with registration number ABR 7776 during his father's political campaignings.[5] The vehicle was reportedly used to campaign over 75,000 kms and assumed mammoth significance in the state's politics.[6] Outspoken and rebellious by nature, Harikrishna was instrumental in staging the 1995 coup that dethroned his father N. T. Rama Rao during Chief Ministership of N. T. Rama Rao alongside N. Chandrababu Naidu, Daggubati Venkateswara Rao and Nandamuri Balakrishna.[7] He served as the member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly during 1996–1999 as the elected MLA from Hindupur Assembly constituency. He became a Cabinet Minister for Road Transport in 1996. In a historic move, he opened the doors for women in the State Road Transport Corporation. Hundreds of women were hired as bus conductors.[8] However, following rifts with Naidu, he floated his own Anna Telugu Desam Party in 1999 but returned to his previous party in 2006 after the ATDP failed to win a single seat in the 1999 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election.[9] He shared a bittersweet relationship with his brother-in-law Naidu, often expressing displeasure about his son N. T. Rama Rao Jr. being ignored for the party ranks.[10] In 2008, he was a candidate of the Telugu Desam Party and was elected to Rajya Sabha. In 2013, he renounced his Rajya Sabha seat as a mark of protest against the then United Progressive Alliance government's decision to divide Andhra Pradesh.[11]

Personal life

Harikrishna with his son N. T. Rama Rao Jr. at Jai Lava Kusa (2017) event

Harikrishna married Lakshmi Kumari on 22 February 1973 and they have two sons, Janaki Ram and Kalyan Ram, and a daughter, Suhasini. He later married Shalini Bhaskar Rao in 1981. She is a Kannadiga from Kundapur. They have one son, N. T. Rama Rao Jr. His Elder Son Janaki Ram died in a road mishap, on 6 December 2014.[12]

Death

Harikrishna died in a car crash in Nalgonda district, Narketpally, on 29 August 2018 at the age of 61. He was driving at a high speed without a seat belt on his way to the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh to attend a private ceremony of his friend, accompanied by two others. His Toyota Fortuner crashed into a road median on Nalgonda district Highway near Narkatpally when he bent over to pick up a water bottle.[13]

His son Janaki Ram died on the same highway in 2014.[14] Janakiram was a Telugu movie producer under the N. T. R. Arts banner who also met a tragic death in a road crash while travelling alone from Vijayawada to Hyderabad. Reports say that, his car collided with a tractor near Akumpamala village in Munagala mandal of Nalgonda district. He was rushed to a private hospital in Kodad, where he died of internal bleeding.[15]

Harikrishna was said to have had a liking for the number 2323. Ironically, Janaki Ram died driving a vehicle with registration number AP29BD2323, while Harikrishna died driving one with AP28BW2323.[16] Coincidentally, Harikrishna's youngest son N. T. Rama Rao Jr. also had injured himself in a road accident on 27 March 2009 while returning from election campaigning for the Telugu Desam Party in 2009 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election in the same Nalgonda district.[17] Harikrishna's younger brother Nandamuri Ramakrishna had survived two car accidents in the past.[18]

Filmography

List of films and roles
Year Title Role Notes
1967 Sri Krishnavataram Bala Krishna Child artist
1970 Thalla? Pellama? Little Krishna Child artist
1974 Tatamma Kala Venkatesam
Ram Raheem Raheem
1977 Daana Veera Soora Karna Arjuna Also producer
1998 Subhalekhalu Guest appearance[19]
1999 Seetharama Raju Seetayya
Sri Ramulayya Comrade 'Sathyam' Cameo appearance
2002 Lahiri Lahiri Lahirilo Krishnama Naidu Received Nandi award for Best Character Actor
Siva Rama Raju Ananda Bhupati Raju Cameo appearance
2003 Seetayya Seetayya
Tiger Harischandra Prasad Harischandra Prasad
2004 Swamy Swamy
2005 Sravanamasam Trimurtulu

Awards

References

  1. ↑ "Detailed Profile: Shri Nandamuri Harikrishna". india.gov.in. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  2. ↑ "Telangana election 2018: Chandrababu Naidu fields NTR scion in prestige fight with TRS". hindustantimes.com. December 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  3. ↑ R., Majoj Kumar (29 August 2018). "The life and career of Nandamuri Harikrishna". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  4. ↑ "Sri Krishnavataram (1967)". studboo.com. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  5. ↑ "Nandamuri Harikrishna: NT Rama Rao's charioteer who waded into heart of Andhra Pradesh". The Times of India. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  6. ↑ "Nandamuri Harikrishna: A man who loved wheels and driving". www.thehindu.com. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  7. ↑ "In Naidu directed drama 25 years ago, seasoned politician-actor NTR booted out of power". www.siasat.com. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  8. ↑ "Nandamuri Harikrishna: A man who loved wheels and driving". www.thehindu.com. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  9. ↑ "Nandamuri Harikrishna: NT Rama Rao's charioteer who waded into heart of Andhra Pradesh". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  10. ↑ "Nandamuri Harikrishna: NT Rama Rao's charioteer who waded into heart of Andhra Pradesh". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  11. ↑ "Harikrishna resigns from Rajya Sabha". www.thehindu.com. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  12. ↑ Reddy, T. Karnakar (6 December 2018). "Former MP Nandamuri Harikrishna's son dies in accident in Nalgonda district". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  13. ↑ "Nandamuri Harikrishna was driving at 160km/hour: Nalgonda SP". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  14. ↑ "Telugu producer Nandamuri Janakiram dies in a fatal car accident". www.deccanchronicle.com. 7 December 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  15. ↑ "Nandamuri Janakiram died of internal injuries". www.deccanchronicle.com. 7 December 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  16. ↑ "Nandamuri Harikrishna: A man who loved wheels and driving". www.thehindu.com. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  17. ↑ "Jr. NTR injured in a road accident". www.hindustantimes.com. 27 March 2009. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  18. ↑ "Car Accidents Curse Hits Nandamuri Family Again". www.mirchi9.com. 11 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  19. ↑ P., Rakesh (20 December 1998). "Shubalekhalu (Telugu)". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  20. ↑ "నంది అవార్డు విజేతల పరంపర (1964–2008)" [A series of Nandi Award Winners (1964–2008)] (PDF). Information & Public Relations of Andhra Pradesh. Retrieved 21 August 2020.(in Telugu)
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