On the occasion of Dussehra 2025, let’s have a look at the only actor to play both Lord Ram and Ravan on screen.
From the big screen to the small screen, shows and film makers have beautifully depicted the battle between Lord Rama and Ravan, the king of Lanka. Several actors have portrayed both Ram and Ravan on screen, but there is only one actor who has portrayed both roles.
On the occasion of Dussehra 2025, let’s have a look at the only actor, who played Ram and Ravan on screen with great intensity.
This superstar played Ram and Ravan on the silver screen
The actor who so beautifully portrayed both Lord Ram and Ravan on screen is none other than the former South Indian superstar, Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, the grandfather of Junior NTR and the only actor to have played both Ram and Ravan on the silver screen.
The former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh played Ravan in the 1958 film Bhookailas. However, that film failed to make a lasting impact on the screen. He then played the role of the king of Lanka once again in the 1961 film Sita Rama Kalyanam.
Later in 1963, NT Rama Rao also played the role of Lord Ram in the film ‘Lava Kusha’.
NT Rama Rao was expert at portraying mythological characters
NT Rama Rao enjoyed a huge fan following in the 1960s and 1970s. He starred in so many mythological films that he captivated the hearts of Telugu audiences. In addition to portraying Shri Ram and Ravan, he also played Lord Krishna in approximately 17 films. The report also claims that his portrayal of one mythological character after another in Telugu cinema during the 1960s earned him the status of a ‘divine’ among Telugu fans.
His home in Hyderabad is considered a pilgrimage site by his fans. In the 1970s, several temples were established in his name in Andhra Pradesh, where idols of the incarnations of Shri Ram and Krishna, portrayed by him, have also been installed. However, after the 1970s, he worked less in mythological films and more in mass-produced films.
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