maverick messiah - A Political Biography of N.T. Rama Rao
Best Seller in Political Parties Category
NTR found an ideal biographer in Ramesh Kandula, who combines the sympathy of an admirer with the critical eye of a political journalist.
- The Wire
An incisive biography on the Centenary of
of N.T. Rama Rao
Now available at several leading bookstores
as well as online in the USA
Promotional videos of 'Maverick Messiah'
A Fascinating Politician
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, widely known as NTR, was not merely a film star who strayed into politics and captured power in Andhra Pradesh.
The actor-politician redefined the political culture in the state and scripted a new political idiom.
Maverick Messiah captures the different facets of NTR’s life in all their varied hues and puts in perspective the significant contribution of the actor-politician to the Indian political tapestry.
About the Author
RAMESH KANDULA is a journalist based in Hyderabad. He holds an MA in English literature from Hyderabad Central University and an MA in politics from Andhra University.
In a career spanning three decades across the media spectrum—print, television and the web—he has been associated with various organizations, including Eenadu, Deccan Chronicle and the Tribune.
Testimonials
SANJAYA BARU
author, political commentator
‘Excellent political biography of NTR. I enjoyed reading it. There is a lot of good stuff here’
‘A very objective, lucid, truthful biography. It is a dispassionate account of a politician’s role in shaping the public life of his state and the nation. Eminently readable’
PARAKALA PRABHAKAR
author, political commentator
‘This is not an adulatory work. I wouldn’t have liked it if it were one. It is fair, even-handed and objective in assessing NTR’s political journey . . .’
K. PADMANABHAIAH
chairman, Administrative Staff College of India
‘Found it impossible to put down the book till I completed it’
Dr JAYAPRAKASH NARAYAN
founder, Lok Satta
Press Release by Penguin Random House India
A Comprehensive Political Biography of N.T. Rama Rao on his 25th Death Anniversary in January 2021
NTR, a giant in the cinematic world, was a political nobody when he founded the Telugu Desam Party and defeated the Indira Gandhi-led Congress in what was considered her turf.
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Ramesh Kandula has written an objective biography of a man who appeared larger-than-life and yet could connect with the masses, who seemed eccentric but ran a welfarist state and attempted to root out corruption, who was dictatorial in party affairs but a key spokesperson for strengthening democratic systems in the country, and whose outwardly appearance was of a Hindu leader but whose outlook was secular.
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ABOUT THE BOOK
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, widely known as NTR, was not merely a film star who strayed into politics and captured power in Andhra Pradesh. The actor-politician redefined the political culture in the state and scripted a new political idiom.
​
His rather dramatic entry into politics, the profound impact he left on the people of Andhra Pradesh and the vital role he played in national politics during his relatively short political life, however, have not received deserving recognition. Maverick Messiah: A Political Biography of N.T. Rama Rao captures different facets of NTR in all their varied hues and puts in perspective the significant contribution of the actor-politician to the Indian political tapestry.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ramesh Kandula is a journalist based in Hyderabad. He is the CEO and Chief Editor of Mahaa News Telugu Channel.
In case of media queries, please write to Sonjuhi Negi at snegi@penguinrandomhouse.in
Non-fiction | Hardback | INR 599
Press Clippings
What they said....
The devil, or God, is in the details, and it is a detailed narration which makes this book solid in every sense of the word. Kandula writes, “It is my wish that NTR is restored to his rightful place in the country’s political history.” He is right, NTR’s role between 1983 and 1989 is important because it paved the way for the National Front under V.P. Singh to form the government, but NTR had become a marginal player because he lost the state assembly elections.
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- Parsa Venkateswara Rao Jr
TheWire.in
Ramesh Kandula’s political biography of N T Rama Rao is a marvelous narrative. It has drama, insight and critique – no theory, nor data. It plumbs the Telugu media and provides a rich accounting of how NTR was viewed by the Telugu people whom he treasured. The book is long and filled with names that few outside of Andhra Pradesh may know, but the details are purposefully placed inside a political analysis that addresses key questions about the regime: the role of caste and religion, his use of violence against the Naxalites, and why he was brought down.
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- Carolyn Elliott,
Professor of Political Science Emerita,
University of Vermont
Cormorant Garamond is a classic font with a modern twist. It's easy to read on screens of every shape and size, and perfect for long blocks of text.
Book Release Event
Maverick Messiah - A Political Biography of N.T. Rama Rao was formally released by Vice President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu on 18 Feb 2021 in Hyderabad
NTR was one of the pioneers of alternative politics: Venkaiah
Hon'ble Vice President of India Shri M Venkaiah Naidu releasing Maverick Messiah - A Political Biography of N.T. Rama Rao in Hyderabad
Ramesh Kandula traces NTR’s short, but eventful political career in this gripping narrative and as I turned each page, many scenes of the time flashed on my mind’s screen. The biographer evokes the sense of the period, which is imprinted in my mind, in a facile and vivid manner, with an assured hand.
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The book charts the course of some of the biggest upheavals in recent AP politics objectively and with the insight of a seasoned observer.
As someone who was closely involved with NTR during some of the most tumultuous days of his political stint, I can say that the author, as a political biographer, has been accurate and neutral in his depiction of events.
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His deft narration, with a sharp attention to detail, recreates the dramatic tension which underpinned some of the turbulent incidents portrayed here.