When the 'King' cried

HYDERABAD: It was not as much Akkineni Nageshwara Rao's death that moved people during the funeral on Thursday. The actor was 90 and had been ailing with cancer. What really moved that huge crowed that congregated at the Annapurna Studios was when son Nagarjuna suddenly broke down at the funeral. Nagarjuna literally wept inconsolably just before the last rites were to be performed.He looked like he was trying hard not to show his grief but he could control it no longer.
The 50-year-old Nagarjuna had a dignified person throughout the day on Wednesday when hordes of people, fans, people from the film industry and VIPs came to pay their last respects at the body of Nageshwara Rao. In fact, he took it upon himself to console comedy actor Brahmanandam who was overcome with grief. Time and again he pulled Brahmanandam over to his side and consoled him.
Jaya Sudha, who had acted in ANR in quite a few films, could not control her grief when she saw the body of ANR. Tears rolled down her eyes and she appeared like she was recollecting the times when she did films with ANR.
Nagarjuna himself tried to console his family members by putting his arms around his sisters. When top heroes of the Telugu film industry came, he spoke to them maintaining a demeanour which suggested that he had to be dignified at the time of his grief. The stiffness gave way to tears on Thursday. While his sisters and also all the grandchildren fought their tears when it was time to bid farewell to ANR, Nagarjuna could control himself no more.
Throughout his filmi career, Nagarjuna had also appeared to be a jovial person in public. He always looked relaxed and in total control of his surroundings. To live his own life, apart from being a filmi person, he made it a policy not to shoot on Sundays maintaining that he had to spend time with his family. Both Amala and Nagarjuna, whenever and wherever they showed up at social dos, looked cheerful.
The man who portrayed himself as a tough character in many films, however, showed to the world that he was a human being at heart, albeit. The 'King', a title which he gave to himself, was now crying.
Covering his face, Nagarjuna literally wept. Those who attended ANR's funeral were moved at the sight - which ostensibly showed how close he was to his father. Such was Nagarjuna's desire to do a film with his father and his son Naga Chaitanya that he finalised on an appropriate story. The film showing three generations of the Akkineni film has been in the making for sometime. ANR, however, was required to appear in some more scenes but died on Wednesday.