N. T. Rama Rao Jr. filmography

Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Jr., more widely known as Jr. NTR, is an Indian actor, playback singer and choregrapher in Tollywood films. As a child, he had cameo appearances in two films directed by his paternal grandfather, N. T. Rama Rao. The first was Brahmashri Vishwamitra (1991), while the other was the National Award winning film Ramanayam, in which he played the child version of Lord Rama.

Rama Rao Jr.'s first leading role came opposite Raveena Rajput in Ninnu Choodalani (2001), a romantic drama directed by V. N. Prathap, for which Rao was heavily criticized, mainly for his looks and acting ability. Later that same year, he had similar roles in two coming-of-age romantic dramas, wherein he portrayed college-going students: Student No. 1 and Subbu, the former being his major break into Tollywood. 2002 marked a turning point in his career, with two low-budget films, Aadi and Allari Ramudu, becoming box-office hits. The former, an action drama, received highly positive reviews, with critics marking the improvement in his performance, while the latter, a melodrama, received mixed reviews, but did well at the box office. Aadi also did well financially, becoming the third highest-grossing film of 2002. He acted in two films in 2003, Naaga, and Simhadri. While the former was a forgettable film, the latter became a huge blockbuster. The success of Simhadri not only cemented his position in Tollywood, but also led to him selecting scripts with similar roles. He followed this success by portraying leading roles in a series of critical and commercial failures, including Andhrawala (2004), Samba (2004), Naa Alludu (2005), Narasimhudu (2005), and Ashok (2006), leading critics to believe that his career was over. However, in 2006, his career prospects improved when he played the role of Ramakrishna, an unemployed youngster avenging his sister's death, in director Krishna Vamsi's drama thriller Rakhi. The film received highly positive reviews from critics, with many terming it as his finest performance. Subsequently, it was declared a hit at the box office.

One year later, he garnered his initial Best Actor award at Filmfare for playing a thief in S. S. Rajamouli's fantasy, Yamadonga (2007). Rama Rao Jr.'s only release in 2008 was Kantri, starring opposite Hansika Motwani. While it underperformed at the box office, and met with unfavorable reviews, it earned Rama Rao Jr. another Filmfare Award nomination for Best Actor, although he lost to Allu Arjun for Parugu. Two years later, he played comedy roles in two commercially successful films, Adhurs and Brindavanam. Rama Rao Jr. starred in two critically and commercially unsuccessful films in 2011: the historical fantasy Shakti, and the romantic thriller Oosaravelli, both were completely panned by critics. In 2012, Rama Rao Jr. played the role of a factionist in the Boyapati Srinu-directed action masala, Dammu. The film received mixed reviews from critics, primarily due to the excessive violence and an outdated concept, though his performance was praised. Affected by the critical reception, Dammu became Rama Rao Jr.'s third consecutive failure at the box office. In 2013, NTR Jr. appeared in two revenge dramas, the commercial hit Baadshah, and the box office failure Ramayya Vasthavayya. The following year, he appeared in another masala, Rabhasa, which received mediocre reviews from critics, and failed at the box office. Puri Jagannadh's action-thriller, Temper (2015), featured Rama Rao Jr. as a corrupt cop whose life changes when he has to deal with the death of a young girl. The film's critical reception was highly positive, with many praising his performance. The film's critical and financial success revived his flagging career.