"My mother wanted me to learn classical dance & hence I did" - Jr. NTR

Jr. NTR (NTR Jr) has never shied away from crediting the women in his life for his success. He has often spoken about how he’s where he’s in his career today because of two strong females in his life, his mother and wife. While his acting prowess continues to win him lots of love and appreciation from all quarters, it’s interesting to learn that he’s an incredibly well trained dancer. 

The man is a trained Kuchipudi dancer, a dance form from Andhra Pradesh. Right from his school days, at a very young age, he picked up dancing and continued to take lessons till the highest level. Until the age of 17, he performed around the world as a dancer.

On the occasion of Mother’s Day, let’s revisit the time when NTR Jr opened up about how he picked up this dance form for his mother. Like every mother-son duo, he too shares a very special bond with his mother Shalini Nandamuri. Excerpts from an interview read as, “My mother has been one of the most influential people in my life. She has always pushed me to learn new things which in the long run has immensely helped me in my craft. My mom really wanted me to learn classical dance and therefore I became a classical dancer. As a kid, it was her who inspired me to take up dancing and made me understand that art knows no gender. I performed around the world as a dancer. I was 17 back then when I plunged into acting. Even in ‘RRR’ song Naatu Naatu, there was extensive dancing, but I really enjoyed it. For me, it’s a way to express oneself.”

Sweet indeed! 

Well, there’s truly no denying that NTR Jr gets his strength and persona from his lovely mother who continues to be a significant influence in his life.