Jr. NTR began his acting career in 1991 as a child actor in Brahmarshi Vishwamitra. His breakthrough came in 1996 with the film 'Ramayanam,' where his performance received critical acclaim and the movie won the National Film Award for Best Children's Film.

In 2001, Jr. NTR took on his first lead role as an adult in the romantic drama 'Ninnu Choodalani,' which unfortunately didn't fare well at the box office. However, he quickly rebounded with the success of 'Student No. 1' later that year. Directed by S.S. Rajamouli, the film was a blockbuster, running for 100 days in 42 theatres and launching their successful collaboration.