Before becoming the ‘Man of the Masses’, Jr NTR was a trained and accomplished Kuchipudi dancer; old videos show his classical roots. Watch

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In these clips, he can be seen in full aharya (costume, ornaments, makeup, etc), performing his heart out. While one of them was reportedly shot in Guntur in 1997, another video shows Tarak performing in Dallas, Texas, in 1998. Following the Guntur performance, he can also be seen being felicitated by the organisers. Having started dance lessons at a young age, Tarak continued to perform at various venues across the world until the age of 17, when he began working on his debut film, Rajamouli’s Student No 1 (2001).

According to the official website of the Kuchipudi Art Academy of Sydney, Tarak learned Kuchipudi from Sudhakar Durgam for 13 years. The academy mentions that he performed at many prestigious dance festivals across India, the USA, and the UK, and that he received numerous awards and titles from different organisations in recognition of his skill.

In an interview once, he credited his mother for introducing him to Kuchipudi and for not letting the unfair, sexist notion that classical dance is only for women influence or limit him.

“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 she 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 the RRR song ‘Naatu Naatu’, there is extensive dancing, but I really enjoyed it. For me, it’s a way to express oneself,” he said.

A young Jr NTR with his guru Sudhakar Durgam. (Credit: kuchipudidancesydney.com)

Last seen in director Koratala Siva’s action drama Devara: Part 1, wherein he starred alongside Saif Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor, Jr NTR is currently working on two projects. While War 2, the much-anticipated sequel to the 2019 blockbuster War, would mark his Hindi debut, Jr NTR has also joined forces with KGF helmer Prashanth Neel.