Chiranjeevi - Tollywood’s Megastar

August 21, 2017 19:37
Chiranjeevi - Tollywood’s Megastar

Chiranjeevi - Tollywood’s Megastar:- Its festival time for the mega fans as Chiranjeevi celebrates his 62nd birthday on August 22.

A popular actor, producer and politician, Chiranjeevi has worked primarily in Telugu cinema, including Tamil, Kannada and Hindi films. He has starred in nearly 150 feature films, in a film career spanning more than thirty years.

Early Life And Family

He was born at Mogalthur, a small village in coastal district of West Godavari of Andhra Pradesh, near Narsapur on August 22, 1955. Chiranjeevi’s real name is Konidela Siva Shankara Varaprasad and his parents are Konidela Venkat Rao and Anjana Devi. Son of an employee in the excise department, he started acting in late 1970s.

He has two daughters, Sushmita and Sreeja, and a son, Ram Charan Teja, also an actor in Tollywood.

Chiranjeevi Family Photos

Chiranjeevi Family

One of Chiranjeevi’s brothers, Nagendra Babu, is a film producer and also has acted in several films. His youngest brother, Pawan Kalyan, is an actor in Tollywood too. His brother-in-law, Allu Aravind, is a film producer. Tollywood actors, Allu Arjun, Allu Sirish, Varun Tej and Sai Dharam Tej are nephews of Chiranjeevi.

Chiranjeevi Photos

Filmography

Chiranjeevi Movies List

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Chiranjeevi, popularly known as Megastar started his film career in 1979 with Telugu film Punadhirallu, directed by Rajkumar, but it was his film Pranam Kareedhu which got released first in 1978. In Tayaramma Bangarayya (1979), he had a small role, but later went on to play a number of negative roles in films like I Love You (1979) and Idi Katha Kaadu (1979), the latter starring Kamal Haasan in the lead. In Mosagadu (1980), Rani Kasula Rangamma (1981), 47 Rojulu (1981), Nyayam Kavali (1981) and Ranuva Veeran (1981), he played a villain role. Ranuva Veeran starred Rajinikanth in the lead. Films like Intlo Ramayya Veedilo Krishnayya (1982) and Subhalekha (1982) were his early hit movies. For the latter, he won his first Filmfare award in the best actor category.

Chiranjeevi started doing action movies from 1983 onwards. It was with Khaidi that he tasted stardom as the film became his first blockbuster. In 1985, he got his second second Filmfare award for Vijetha in the best actor category. He bagged first Nandi award in the best actor category for Swayamkrushi (1987), where he played a cobbler. Rudraveena (1988) won three national film awards including best film on national integration. In 1990, came another big hit called Kondaveeti Donga. His film Gang Leader (1991) set new record at the box office. It was later re-made in Hindi as Aaj ka Goonda Raj where his co-star was Meenakshi Sheshadri.  Chiranjeevi’s Hindi film Pratibandh (1990) and The Gentleman (1993) also won him accolades. Gharana Mogadu (1992) was the first Telugu movie to gross over Rs 10 crore at the box office.

Chiranjeevi Movies

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He was paid Rs 1.25 crore for Aapad Bandhavudu in 1992, making him the highest paid actor, overtaking Amitabh Bachchan who then used to get Rs 1 crore for a movie.  After a few flops in the mid 1990s, Chiranjeevi bounced back with Hitler (1997). In 1998, came another film Choodalani, an action thriller which did a business of Rs 16 crore, a big number then.

Another of his big hits, was the film Annayya (2000) which earned Rs 6 crore in the first two weeks. Indra (2002) broke all previous box office records and became first Telugu movie to gross Rs 30 crore. His film Tagore which released in 2003, proved to be another blockbuster and one of the major hits of megastar. It was followed by other big hits like Shankar Dada MBBS, a remake of Hindi blockbuster Munna Bhai MBBS and Shankar Dada Zindabad, a hindi remake of Lage Raho Munnabhai.

Chiranjeevi played villain in some more movies. His early films were mostly family dramas. Action movies too would become his most-favored genre. He is known for playing a variety of roles ranging from cobbler, painter, goon, cowboy, rebel to a cop and leader.

Jayasudha, Jayaprada, Sridevi, Radhika, Madhavi, Sumalata, Bhanupriya, Vijayashanti, Roja, Rambha, Soundarya, Aarti Agarwal, Shriya Saran are some of the top leading ladies with whom he has been paired.

Political Career

Chiranjeevi Political Career

Talking about his political career in 2008, Chiranjeevi started Praja Rajyam, a political party in the state of Andhra Pradesh. In 2012, he was sworn in as the Union Minister of State (Independent charge), Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and served till 15 May 2014.

Humanitarian Work

On 2 October 1998, he founded the Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust (CCT), which includes Chiranjeevi Blood and Eye Banks. It is the state’s largest recipient of blood and eye donations. The trust has made over 68,000 blood donations and 1,414 eye donations.

SUPRAJA

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