Leading star Ravi Teja will essay the role of the infamous and equally popular real-life thief ‘Tiger’ Nageswara Rao. The biopic written and directed by Vamsee attempts to glorify and chronicle the life and time of the ‘daredevil robber’ whose many escapades, which began in his hometown of Stuartpuram, have helped him achieve a cult status in modern Telugu pop culture.
While the cinematic retelling of this story predominantly focuses on the heydays of Tiger Nageswara Rao, Vamsee has previously divulged that his take will also include the early days of the man who is also described as the Robin Hood of Stuartpuram by many. Ravi Teja is said to have undergone brief training to tweak his body language, diction and other key aspects to fit the bill.
But who is Tiger Nageswara Rao? And why is he celebrated so much even today despite the several charges of notoriety? Born in Stuartpuram of Andhra Pradesh, a small 12,000 acred settlement lying along the Highway connecting Chennai and Kolkata, Nageswara Rao gained prominence as a robber who outsmarted police officials for years together. Along with his mate Gajjala Prasad, Nageswara Rao executed several robberies in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and other areas that included bank heists, jewellery thefts and more. The duo was notorious for its sneaky ways and inventive methods to go about its business but what made the two really special was the fact that they distributed a majority of their loot to the common folk. And during those times when Nageswara Rao and Co. were apprehended and put behind bars, the mastermind criminal would find ways to escape into freedom.
It is said that Stuartpuram Nageswara Rao was awarded the moniker ‘Tiger’ when he managed to trick the authorities at the Chennai jail and escape. Having run riot for decades together, ‘Tiger’ Nageswara Rao and Gajjala Prasad, the stars of Stuartpuram, were reportedly killed in a fake encounter in 1987 by police officials. The people of the town, however, would shower love on him by giving ‘Tiger’ a fitting sendoff through a grand funeral and his tombstone was erected right next to the Stuartpuram railway station.
