In the year of N.T. Rama Rao's birth centenary in 2023, this is a comprehensive political biography that traces his journey from a remote Andhra village to the forefront of the national stage via a thriving career in Telugu films. NTR, as he was popularly known, had an extraordinary ability to galvanize the masses, as much to watch his films as to support the party he founded - the Telugu Desam. His life and career can be divided in two distinct halves: his stellar performance as divine characters in mythological films and his tryst with politics. NTR's transformation from a matinee idol of Telugu cinema to the political darling of the masses was swift and seamless. This book uncovers the many facets of NTR's life, and his impact on not just on Andhra but on national politics.