Daggubati Venkatesh (born 13 December 1960) is an Indian actor known for his works predominantly in
Telugu cinema
Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu cinema is based in Film Nagar, ...
and a few hindi films. Venkatesh debuted with the 1986 film ''
Kaliyuga Pandavulu
''Kaliyuga Pandavulu'' () is a 1986 Indian Telugu-language masala film produced by D. Ramanaidu under Suresh Productions, and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars Ramanaidu's son Venkatesh and Khushbu (making their cinematic debut), with ...
'' for which he won his first
Nandi Award. In a career spanning over 35 years, he starred in many successful films and establishing himself as a major actor in
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
...
films.
Venkatesh won five
Nandi Awards for Best Actor and six
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
in various categories.
Along with his brother
D. Suresh Babu
Daggubati Suresh Babu (born 24 December 1958) is an Indian film producer, studio owner and distributor who serves as the managing director of Suresh Productions. In 2012, he received the Andhra Pradesh state Nagireddy–Chakrapani National Awar ...
, Venkatesh co-owns of
Suresh Productions
Suresh Productions (also known as Suresh Movies, Vijaya Suresh Combines) is an Indian film production and distribution company known for its works in Telugu cinema. It is established in 1964 by D. Ramanaidu. It is one of India's largest film p ...
, one of the largest film production companies in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
, under which he acted in several films. He is also the mentor of the ''Telugu Warriors'', representing
Telugu cinema
Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu cinema is based in Film Nagar, ...
(Tollywood) in the
Celebrity Cricket League.
Early life
Venkatesh was born on 13 December 1960 in a
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
...
family to film producer and former
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
,
D. Ramanaidu
Daggubati Ramanaidu (6 June 1936 – 18 February 2015) was an Indian film producer known for his work in Telugu cinema. He founded Suresh Productions in 1964 which became of one of the largest film production companies in India. He was placed ...
and Rajeshwari in Madras (present-day Chennai), India. He has an elder brother
Suresh Babu
Suresh Babu (10 February 1953 – 19 February 2011) was an Indian long jumper from Kerala who had held the national titles in the long, triple, and high jump events, in addition to the decathlon. Suresh Babu dominated the scene between 1972 ...
, who runs
Suresh Productions
Suresh Productions (also known as Suresh Movies, Vijaya Suresh Combines) is an Indian film production and distribution company known for its works in Telugu cinema. It is established in 1964 by D. Ramanaidu. It is one of India's largest film p ...
, and a younger sister Lakshmi.
Venkatesh did his schooling in
Don Bosco, Egmore,
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
and graduated in commerce from
Loyola College, Chennai
Loyola College is a private Catholic higher education institution run by the Society of Jesus in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It was founded in 1925 by the French Jesuit priest, Francis Bertram, along with other European Jesuits. It is an auton ...
. He got his
MBA from the
Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey
The Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS), formerly known as the Monterey Institute of International Studies, is an American graduate school of Middlebury College, a private college in Middlebury, Vermont.
Established ...
, US.
After his return to India, he wanted to get into film production but instead, became an Indian actor in Telugu cinema.
Career
1986–1989: Debut and early career
Venkatesh first appeared as a child actor in the 1971 film ''
Prema Nagar''. His first film as a full-fledged lead was
K. Raghavendra Rao-directed ''
Kaliyuga Pandavulu
''Kaliyuga Pandavulu'' () is a 1986 Indian Telugu-language masala film produced by D. Ramanaidu under Suresh Productions, and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars Ramanaidu's son Venkatesh and Khushbu (making their cinematic debut), with ...
'' (1986), alongside
Khushbu Sundar which was a debut for both of them. The film won him a
Nandi Special Jury Award.
Early in his career, Venkatesh featured as the lead in ''
Swarnakamalam'' (1988), directed by
K. Viswanath
Kasinadhuni Viswanath (born 19 February 1930) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor, known for his works primarily in Telugu cinema. He is recipient of five National Film Awards, seven state Nandi Awards, ten Filmfare Awards South, ...
. The film was showcased at the 1988
International Film Festival of India
The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually, currently in the state of Goa, on the western coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common p ...
,
Asia-Pacific Film Festival
The Asia-Pacific Film Festival (abbreviated APFF) is an annual film festival hosted by the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia-Pacific. The festival was first held in Tokyo, Japan, in 1954.
History
The festival was first held in T ...
and
Ann Arbor Film Festival
The Ann Arbor Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Ann Arbor in the U.S. state of Michigan. Established in 1963, it is the fourth-oldest film festival in North America (after the Yorkton Film Festival, 1947; Columbus International Fil ...
and won several accolades including
Nandi Award for Best Feature Film and
Filmfare Award for Best Film – Telugu. The film also won him his first
Nandi Award for Best Actor. In the following year, he starred in musical
romance film
Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typica ...
''
Prema
Prema may refer to:
Films:
* ''Prema'' (1952 film), a Telugu film
* ''Prema'' (1989 film), a Telugu film starring Venkatesh and Revathi
* ''Prema'' (2002 film), a 2002 Kannada film
*''Tholi Prema (1998 film)'', a 1998 Telugu film starring Pawan Ka ...
'' (1989).
1990–2012: Commercial success
In the 1990 film ''
Bobbili Raja
''Bobbili Raja'' ( or ) is a 1990 Indian Telugu-language romantic action film co-written and directed by B. Gopal. Produced by D. Suresh under his banner Suresh Productions, it stars Venkatesh and Divya Bharti (in her Telugu debut) while ...
'', he played a young man, who seeks to undo injustice done to his mother. The commercially successful film proved to be a turning point of his career.
A year later, he starred in
Ram Gopal Varma's
road movie ''
Kshana Kshanam'' alongside
Sridevi
Shree Amma Yanger Ayyappan (13 August 1963 – 24 February 2018), professionally credited with her stage name Sridevi, was an Indian actress who worked in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada language films. Cited as the "First Fem ...
where Venkatesh played a small time thief. He played of an innocent villager in ''
Chanti'' (1992).
In 1993, Venkatesh made his debut in
Hindi cinema
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
with ''
Anari'', a remake of his film ''Chanti''. Later, he also featured in ''
Taqdeerwala
''Taqdeerwala'' () is a 1995 Indian Hindi-language fantasy action comedy film produced by D. Rama Naidu under the Suresh Productions banner, directed by K. Murali Mohana Rao. It stars Venkatesh and Raveena Tandon, with music composed by Anand� ...
'' (1995).
In 1996, he portrayed an honest lawyer in ''
Dharma Chakram
''Dharma Chakram'' () is a 1996 Indian Telugu-language action thriller film written and directed by Suresh Krissna, and produced by D. Ramanaidu under the Suresh Productions banner. The film stars Venkatesh, Ramya Krishna, and Prema while ...
'', which won him both
Nandi Award and
Filmfare Award South.
Later that year, he played a husband struggling between two wives in
E. V. V. Satyanarayana
Eedara Veera Venkata Satyanarayana (10 June 1956 21 January 2011) was an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed a total of 51 films in Telugu and Hindi and introduced many actors to Telugu cinema. He was well known for m ...
-directed
comedy drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
''
Intlo Illalu Vantintlo Priyuralu
''Intlo Illalu Vantintlo Priyuralu'' ( Wife at home, Lover in the kitchen) is a 1996 Indian Telugu-language comedy drama film directed by E. V. V. Satyanarayana and produced by K. L. Narayana under the Sri Durga Arts banner. It stars Daggu ...
'', which was also a successful venture.
In
''Ganesh'' (1998), he played a person fighting against the ills in the Indian public healthcare system. The following year, Venkatesh starred in the
romantic action film ''
Preminchukundam Raa''. The film, which was one of the first portrayals of
factionalism in
Rayalaseema
Rayalaseema () is a geographic region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It comprises eight south western districts of the State namely, Kurnool, Nandyal, Anantapur, Sri Sathya Sai, YSR, Annamayya, Tirupati and Chittoor districts ...
region, was a big commercial success. His 1999
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...
''Raja'', where he plays a small time thief who is reformed by his love is also well received by the audience.
Following this, he established himself as one of top actors in Telugu cinema.
In 2001, Venkatesh starred in the
romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typic ...
film ''
Nuvvu Naaku Nachav'' which was a critical and commercial success. The success continued with
''Malliswari'' (2004), in his second collaboration with director
K. Vijaya Bhaskar
K. Vijaya Bhaskar is Indian film director who works mainly in the Telugu film industry. He won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu for ''Nuvve Kavali'' (2000). He is an alumnus of Sainik School, Korukonda.
Filmography
Aw ...
after ''Nuvvu Naaku Nachav''.
In 2007, he starred in two films, ''
Aadavari Matalaku Arthale Verule
''Aadavari Matalaku Arthale Verule'' () is a 2007 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film written and directed by Selvaraghavan (credited as Sri Raghava). The film stars Venkatesh and Trisha while Sriram and Kota Srinivasa Rao play supportin ...
'' and
''Tulasi'', both of which grossed over at the
box office
A box office or ticket office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a wicket. By extension, the term is fre ...
.
In the following years, Venkatesh appeared in several films, including ''
Chintakayala Ravi
''Chintakayala Ravi'' is a 2008 Telugu-language romantic comedy film produced by Nallamalupu Bujji and directed by Yogi. The cross over cinema, starring Venkatesh, Anushka Shetty, Mamta Mohandas in lead roles and Venu Thottempudi in a supporti ...
'' (2008), ''
Namo Venkatesa
''Namo Venkatesa'' ( Hail Venkatesa) is a 2010 Indian Telugu-language comedy film written and directed by Srinu Vytla from a story written by Gopimohan. Produced by 14 Reels Entertainment and Suresh Productions, it stars Venkatesh and Tris ...
'' (2010) and
''Bodyguard'' (2012).
2013–present: Multi-starrers
In 2013, Venkatesh co-starred alongside
Mahesh Babu in the critically acclaimed
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...
, ''
Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu''.
The film was the first Telugu
multi-starrer film in recent decades, after which Venkatesh went on to feature in other multi-starrer films such as ''
Masala
Masala, Massala or MASALA may refer to:
Spice
* Masala (spice), any of the many spice mixes used in South Asian cuisine
** Masala chai, a flavoured tea beverage
** Masala incense, Indian incense using a spice mix
** Masala dosa, an Indian dish
Pl ...
'' (2013)'',
Gopala Gopala'' (2015) and ''
F2: Fun and Frustration'' (2019). ''F2'' grossed over and ended up as one of the
highest-grossing Telugu film of that year.
Venkatesh's performance in ''
Drushyam
''Drushyam'' () is a 2014 Indian Telugu-language crime thriller film directed by Sripriya and jointly produced by D. Suresh Babu and Rajkumar Sethupathi. It is a remake of Jeethu Joseph 2013 Malayalam film ''Drishyam'' and features Venkatesh, ...
'' (2014) received several accolades from the critics. He portrayed a strict boxing coach in the
Sudha Kongara-directed
sports drama
A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme. It is a production in which a sport, sporting event, athlete (and their sport), or follower of sport (and the sp ...
''
Guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan- Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...
'' in 2017.
Later in 2019, he starred in ''
Venky Mama
''Venky Mama'' () is a 2019 Indian Telugu-language action comedy film directed by K. S. Ravindra. It stars Venkatesh, Naga Chaitanya, Raashii Khanna, and Payal Rajput in the lead roles, while Nassar, Prakash Raj, and Rao Ramesh play supporti ...
'', alongside his nephew
Naga Chaitanya. The film was a profitable venture, grossing more than worldwide. In the same year, he dubbed in Telugu for the Genie, in ''
Alladin''. His 2021 film ''
Narappa
''Narappa'' is a 2021 Indian Telugu-language period action drama film directed by Srikanth Addala. It is remake of Vetrimaaran's Tamil-language film '' Asuran'' (2019) which is itself based on the novel ''Vekkai'' by Poomani. The film is produ ...
'' was released on
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one- ...
, which marked his first direct-to-OTT release.
In 2022 the 2nd part of the Fun and Frustration Series was released called F3. He starred alongside Varun Tej in this comedy masterclass°. The film received good reviews from critics and proved to be a Family Movie immediately.
Endorsements
* On 24 April 2010, he signed with
Manappuram General Finance and Leasing Ltd as their
brand ambassador
A brand ambassador (sometimes also called a corporate ambassador) is a person engaged by an organization or company to represent its brand in a positive light, helping to increase brand awareness and sales. The brand ambassador is meant to embo ...
for
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
.
* He opened Ramraj Cotton Company branch in Ameerpet as a brand ambassador for the company.
Personal life
Venkatesh married Neeraja in 1985 and the couple has four children—three daughters and one son. His eldest daughter Aashritha married Vinayak Reddy, the grandson of
R. Surender Reddy, the chairman of Hyderabad Race Club. Venkatesh's sister Lakshmi was married to actor
Nagarjuna
Nāgārjuna . 150 – c. 250 CE (disputed)was an Indian Mahāyāna Buddhist thinker, scholar-saint and philosopher. He is widely considered one of the most important Buddhist philosophers.Garfield, Jay L. (1995), ''The Fundamental Wisdom of ...
, and the couple has a son,
Naga Chaitanya.
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Venkatesh
Living people
Telugu male actors
People from Prakasam district
Male actors from Chennai
Male actors in Telugu cinema
Indian male film actors
20th-century Indian male actors
21st-century Indian male actors
Filmfare Awards South winners
Nandi Award winners
Don Bosco schools alumni
Loyola College, Chennai alumni
Male actors from Andhra Pradesh
1960 births