With Kaantha gearing up for release on November 14, some PR groups have started promoting the Dulquer Salmaan starrer as a biopic inspired by the life of Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR); an attempt to attract nostalgic audiences familiar with the golden era of Telugu cinema.
However, Kaantha is not based on ANR’s life.
Set in 1950s Madras, the film is widely believed to draw inspiration from the life and times of M K Thyagaraja Bhagavathar (MKT) — Tamil cinema’s first superstar and a towering figure who ruled the screen before M G Ramachandran’s rise.
Though the producers and lead actor Dulquer Salmaan have officially denied that Kaantha is a direct biopic, the film’s period setting, themes, and character arcs closely resemble key moments from MKT’s dramatic career, including his personal controversies and eventual downfall.
Industry observers suggest that the Telugu media’s “ANR connection” narrative might be a marketing strategy aimed at boosting regional appeal, particularly since Dulquer’s films enjoy strong bilingual popularity.
In reality, Kaantha appears to be a fictionalized homage to Tamil cinema’s pre-MGR legends, rather than a portrayal of ANR or any Telugu star.
