Chiranjeevi Rajegowda

Konidela Chiranjeevi (born Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad; 22 August 1955) is an Indian actor, philanthropist and former politician known for his work in Telugu cinema. Known as the "Mega Star", he is widely regarded as one of the most successful and influential actors in the history of Indian cinema. Chiranjeevi holds the record for the most "Industry Hits" in Telugu cinema, with eight films emerging as the top-grossers of their time—a feat unmatched by any actor in the industry's 100-year history. He is also celebrated as one of the finest dancers in Indian cinema. He has received numerous honours, including the Padma Bhushan in 2006 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2024 from the Government of India, as well as the IFFI Indian Film Personality of the Year Award in 2022. His other accolades include the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, three Nandi Awards, and nine Filmfare Awards South, including the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Honorary Award. In 2013, CNN-IBN recognized him as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema". In 2024, he was honoured with a Guinness World Record as the most prolific actor-dancer in the Indian film industry.

Chiranjeevi made his acting debut in 1978, initially gaining recognition for his supporting, anti-hero, and antagonist roles. He later transitioned to lead roles with notable success. His breakthrough came with the 1983 film ''Khaidi'', which became the highest-grossing Telugu film at the time and established him as a leading actor in the industry. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Chiranjeevi starred in various "Industry Hits"highest-grossers of all timelike ''Pasivadi Pranam'' (1987), ''Yamudiki Mogudu'' (1988), ''Attaku Yamudu Ammayiki Mogudu'' (1989), ''Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari'' (1990), ''Gang Leader'' (1991), and ''Gharana Mogudu'' (1992). Notably, ''Gharana Mogudu'' was the first South Indian film to earn over 10 crore in distributor share, prompting ''The Week'' magazine to label him "Bigger than Bachchan" and "the new money machine."

For his role in ''Aapadbandhavudu'' (1992), Chiranjeevi was paid 1.25 crore, making him the highest-paid actor in India at the time and the first Indian actor to command a 1 crore remuneration for a film. During this period, he received widespread critical acclaim for his performances in ''Swayamkrushi'' (1987), ''Rudraveena'' (1988), and ''Aapadbandhavudu'' (1992), showcasing his versatility as an actor who excelled in both commercial blockbusters and critically acclaimed films. Notably, ''Swayamkrushi'' was screened at the Moscow International Film Festival, while ''Rudraveena'', which he co-produced, won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Chiranjeevi continued to dominate the box office with films like ''Master'' (1997), and ''Choodalani Vundi'' (1998). His 2002 film ''Indra'' was the highest-grossing Telugu film for many years, and socially impactful films like ''Tagore'' (2003) and ''Shankar Dada M.B.B.S.'' (2004) became major blockbusters, further cementing his legacy.

On 2 October 1998, Chiranjeevi established the Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust, which operates the largest blood and eye banks in the Telugu states. The trust has restored eyesight to over 9,000 individuals through cornea transplants and provides 70% of collected blood free to the poor. It has received several accolades, including the "Best Voluntary Blood Bank Award" from the Government of Andhra Pradesh for five consecutive years from 2002 to 2006. In 2002, he was honoured with the Samman Award by the Income Tax Department, for being the highest income tax payer in the profession category for the assessment year 1999–2000.

In 2008, Chiranjeevi founded the Praja Rajyam Party and led it in the 2009 Andhra Pradesh elections, where it won 18 seats and secured over 16% of the vote, making it the third-largest party in the state. The party merged with the Indian National Congress in 2011. Chiranjeevi served as a Rajya Sabha MP from 2012 to 2018 and was appointed Minister of Tourism in the central cabinet of India in October 2012, holding the position until May 2014. After a hiatus from cinema, he returned with the blockbuster hit '' Khaidi No. 150'' (2017), followed by successful films such as ''Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy'' (2019) and ''Waltair Veerayya'' (2023).

Early and personal life

Chiranjeevi was born as Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad Rao on 22 August 1955 in a Telugu family to Konidela Venkata Rao and Anjana Devi in Mogalthur, West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. His father Konidela Venkata Rao worked as a constable and was transferred on a regular basis. He spent his childhood in his native village with his grandparents.

Chiranjeevi did his schooling in Nidadavolu, Gurazala, Bapatla, Ponnur, Mangalagiri and Mogalthur. He was an NCC cadet and had participated in the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi in the early 1970s. He was interested in acting from a young age. He did his Intermediate at C. S. R. Sarma College in Ongole. After graduating with a degree in commerce from Sri Y N College at Narsapuram, Chiranjeevi moved to Chennai and joined the Madras Film Institute in 1976 to pursue a career in acting.

On 20 February 1980, Chiranjeevi married Surekha, the daughter of Telugu comic actor Allu Ramalingaiah. They have two daughters, Sushmitha and Sreeja, and a son, Ram Charan, also an actor in Telugu cinema. Chiranjeevi has two brothers, Nagendra Babu, a film producer and actor, and Pawan Kalyan, an actor-politician who is Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and founder of Jana Sena, a regional political party. Allu Aravind, his brother-in-law, is a film producer. Chiranjeevi is the uncle to actors Allu Arjun, Varun Tej, Niharika, Sai Dharam Tej, and Panja Vaisshnav Tej.

Acting career

1978–1981: Early career

Since his family worshipped Anjaneya (Hanuman), a Hindu deity, his mother advised him to take the screen name "Chiranjeevi", meaning "Immortal", a reference to the belief of Hanuman living forever.

Chiranjeevi started his film career with ''Punadhirallu'' (1979). However, his first released film was ''Pranam Khareedu'' (1978). ''Mana Voori Pandavulu'' (1978), directed by Bapu, gave Chiranjeevi recognition from the Telugu audience. He played a small role in ''Tayaramma Bangarayya'' (1979). He played the anti-hero in films '' I Love You'' (1979) and K. Balachander's ''Idi Katha Kaadu'' (1979), starring Kamal Haasan.

In a remake of the Tamil film ''Avargal'' (1977), Chiranjeevi portrayed the character played by Rajinikanth in the original. In 1979, Chiranjeevi had eight major film releases and then 14 films in the following year. In 1981, he played lead antagonist in works such as ''Mosagadu'', '' Rani Kasula Rangamma'', ''47 Natkal'' /'' 47 Rojulu'', ''Nyayam Kavali'' and ''Ranuva Veeran''.

1982–1986: Breakthrough with leading roles

Chiranjeevi began to appear in leading roles with films such as (1982), directed by Kodi Ramakrishna, which was a hit at the box office. Later, he starred in ''Subhalekha'' (1982), directed by K. Viswanath, which dealt with the social malady of the dowry system. It brought him his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu and Viswanath's third Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu. In 1982, he also appeared in movies such as '' Idi Pellantara'', ''Sitadevi'', ''Tingu Rangadu'', '' Bandhalu Anubandhalu'' and '' Mondi Ghatam''. He acted in multi-star movies such as '' Patnam Vachina Pativrathalu'' and ''Billa Ranga'', and later appeared in '' Manchu Pallaki''.

'' Khaidi'' (1983) was a box office success and Chiranjeevi attained stardom with this movie. In 1984, he continued doing action films. A series of box office hits at this time include; '' Mantri Gari Viyyankudu'', ''Sangharshana'', ''Goonda'', '' Challenge'', ''Hero'', '' Donga'', ''Jwala'', ''Adavi Donga'', ''Kondaveeti Raja'', ''Rakshasudu''. In 1985, he received his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu for his performance in ''Vijetha''.

1987–2007: Commercial success

Chiranjeevi received his first Nandi Award for Best Actor for ''Swayamkrushi'' (1987), directed by K. Viswanath. ''Pasivadi Pranam'' (1987), '' Yamudiki Mogudu'' (1988) and ''Manchi Donga'' (1988) also did well at the box office. He co-produced and acted in '' Rudraveena'' (1988), which won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration, and the Nandi Special Jury Award. The title "Megastar" appeared for the first time in the title cards of the 1988 release ''Marana Mrudangam'', marking its association with Chiranjeevi. During the shoot of ''Marana Mrudangam'', Chiranjeevi was poisoned by a fan who attempted to get closer to him. The incident was recalled by Chiranjeevi in 2023, who took it lightly as an act of misguided admiration.

He then experimented with ''Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari'' (1990), a fantasy film directed by K. Raghavendra Rao and produced by Aswini Dutt. Other notable works during this period include ''Kondaveeti Donga'' (1990), released in 70 mm format with 6-Track stereophonic sound, the cowboy film ''Kodama Simham'' (1990), and the social problem action film ''Gang Leader'' (1991). These films were major box-office successes and established Chiranjeevi as the "Boss of Telugu cinema". The 1992 film ''Gharana Mogudu'' was the first South Indian and Telugu film to collect over 10 crore in distributor share at the box office. The film was screened at the 1993 International Film Festival of India in the mainstream section.

Chiranjeevi's Bollywood performances were appreciated in ''Pratibandh'' and '' Aaj Ka Goonda Raaj''. For his role in ''Aapadbandhavudu'' (1992), he received his second Nandi Award for Best Actor and third Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu. The mid-1990s saw a career dip for Chiranjeevi with box office duds such as '' S. P. Parasuram'', ''The Gentleman'', ''Big Boss'' and ''Rikshavodu''. There were exceptions, such as '' Muta Mestri'', which fetched him a fourth Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu; '' Mugguru Monagallu'' and ''Alluda Majaka'' were also successful. In 1996, he appeared in a guest role in the Kannada film ''Sipayi''. After a brief lull, Chiranjeevi bounced back with ''Hitler'', ''Master'', ''Bavagaru Bagunnara?'', ''Choodalani Vundi'' and ''Sneham Kosam'', for which he received his fifth Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu. In 1999, Chiranjeevi was to appear in a Hollywood production directed by Dushan Garsi, and produced by Rameshkrishna Murthi. The Telugu version was directed by Suresh Krissna. The movie, which was titled ''The Return of the Thief of Baghdad'', had its filming suspended for undisclosed reasons.

Chiranjeevi's new decade started with ''Annayya'' (2000). After a brief gap, Chiranjeevi starred in ''Indra'', released in 2002, which broke all his previous box office records of Tollywood and won him his third Nandi Award for Best Actor and sixth Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu. After that, he appeared in films with an underlying message and a social cause, including ''Tagore;'' ''Shankar Dada M.B.B.S.'', for which he won his seventh and latest Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu; and ''Stalin''. He was awarded the Filmfare Special Award – South in 2006 and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South at the 58th Filmfare Awards South in 2011 for his contributions to the film industry.

2008–2016: Hiatus in film career

Following his last film in the lead role, 2007's ''Shankar Dada Zindabad'', Chiranjeevi did not star in any film for approximately 10 years, during which he embarked on his political career. During these 10 years, his appearances in films were limited to cameo roles. He appeared as himself in two films, starring his son Ram Charan, namely ''Magadheera'' (2009) and '' Bruce Lee: The Fighter'' (2015). He also narrated ''Varudu'' (2010) and '' Rudhramadevi'' (2015).

2017–present: Comeback

From 2013 onwards, he was on the lookout for the right script to mark his comeback into cinema, in what would coincidentally happen to be his 150th film as an actor. A year following the release of the highly successful 2014 Tamil film ''Kaththi'', Chiranjeevi chose to remake that film in Telugu as his comeback film. The remake, titled '' Khaidi No. 150'', directed by V. V. Vinayak, was released during the Sankranti holiday in 2017, about six months short of a decade following ''Shankar Dada Zindabad'', to positive reviews. Critics have singled out Chiranjeevi in particular, praising him for both his performance and appearance, especially following a decade of absence from cinema. The movie collected 41.75 crore on its opening day and grossed 164 crore in its lifetime. In 2019, he starred in his first period film ''Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy'' based on the life of Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy; it was directed by Surender Reddy. The movie made on a budget more than 200270 crore, grossed more than in its theatrical run.

Chiranjeevi had two releases in 2022. His first film was ''Acharya'' directed by Koratala Siva co-starring Chiranjeevi's son Ram Charan. His second release was ''GodFather'' directed by Mohan Raja. The film had Salman Khan in an extended cameo role and was largely successful. ''GodFather'' subsequently released on Netflix.

Also in 2022, Chiranjeevi's performance as Batman in the song "Vana Gadiyaramlo" from '' Muta Mestri'' went vial, boosting global interest Chiranjeevi and in the performance.

Chiranjeevi then starred in the 2023 film ''Waltair Veerayya'' directed by Bobby Kolli which released during the Sankranti festival. The film also starred Ravi Teja in an important role, reuniting them on screen after 23 years since the 2000 film ''Annayya''. The film met huge commercial success. ''Waltair Veerayya'' later released on Netflix for streaming. In the same year, he also appeared in ''Bhola Shankar'', a remake of the 2015 Tamil blockbuster, ''Vedalam''. However, it opened to unanimously negative reviews and was a huge disaster at the box-office.

He announced his next film, ''Vishwambhara'' (2025), with Mallidi Vassishta of ''Bimbisara'' (2022) fame.

Other work

Chiranjeevi is one of the co-owners of the Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters FC.

Television career

Chiranjeevi made his debut as a Television host with the fourth season of '' Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu''. The first episode of the fourth season was aired on 13 February 2017 on Star Maa. The game show is a Telugu-language adaptation of ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?''.

Political career

In August 2008, Chiranjeevi launched his political party, Praja Rajyam Party, in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. At the launch, he stated that social justice was the main agenda of his party. In the 2009 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections, the party won 18 of the 294 seats and secured a vote share of over 16%. He contested from Tirupati and Palakollu constituencies winning in Tirupati but losing out in Palakollu, in West Godavari district.

On 6 February 2011, the Praja Rajyam Party merged with the Indian National Congress after two weeks of talks with Congress President Sonia Gandhi. The merger was influenced by the Congress party's concerns over a no-confidence motion in the Andhra Pradesh state assembly, spurred by the rise of Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress Party and the ongoing Telangana agitation. On 29 March 2012, Chiranjeevi was nominated to the Rajya Sabha, where he was elected and took his oath as a member on 3 April. Later that year, on 28 October, he was sworn in as the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism. In 2013, Chiranjeevi inaugurated the Incredible India Exhibition, a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, at the 66th Cannes Film Festival. He also represented Incredible India at the 14th IIFA Awards ceremony held in Macau that same year.

After the split of the state of Andhra Pradesh leaving the residuary state with huge debt and little revenue in June 2014, most members of the Andhra Pradesh wing of Congress party left in protest. Chiranjeevi, however, remained with Congress and campaigned for it as chairman of Election Campaign Committee for 2014 parliamentary and assembly elections in the residual state of Andhra Pradesh. However, he refrained from contesting in elections. There was also speculation that he did not campaign wholeheartedly due to the one-sided decision taken to split Andhra Pradesh. His younger brother, Pawan Kalyan, a former Praja Rajyam Party youth wing leader, launched his own political party, Jana Sena Party, and campaigned vigorously against Congress and in favour of Telugu Desam Party and Bharatiya Janata Party. Due to the strong anti-Congress sentiment prevailing in Andhra Pradesh, its candidates were defeated in all parliamentary and state assembly seats of Andhra Pradesh.

Since the 2014 elections, he has stayed away from active politics and since then, has not attended any meetings of the Congress party, on a regional or national level. His tenure as a Rajya Sabha member ended in April 2018. Although he is currently not active in politics, he was issued with a new All India Congress Committee identity card in 2022 leading to the speculation of his political comeback.

Humanitarian work

Chiranjeevi established the Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust (CCT) on 2 October 1998, with the motto that no one should lose their life due to a lack of blood. The trust includes a blood bank and an eye bank and is the largest recipient of blood and eye donations in Andhra Pradesh. As of September 2022, CCT has collected over 930,000 units of blood, with 70% of it provided to the poor free of charge. It has restored eyesight to over 9,060 individuals through 4,580 cornea transplants, and more than 350,000 people have pledged their eyes to CCT. The trust has received several accolades, including the "Best Voluntary Blood Bank Award" from the Andhra Pradesh State Government for five consecutive years from 2002 to 2006. On 10 June 2006, the then President of India, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, inaugurated the Chiranjeevi Charitable Foundation (CCF) at Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad. Chiranjeevi has supported the trust's activities through his earnings, including those from television commercials and promotions.

After Chiranjeevi's entry into politics, actor couple Rajasekhar and Jeevitha made allegations against the Chiranjeevi Blood Bank, accusing it of engaging in financial irregularities. In response, the Andhra Pradesh state government formed a high-level committee to investigate the claims. The committee, guided by the project director of the AP State AIDS Control Society and composed of experts from finance and technical fields, thoroughly examined records related to blood collection and disposal, blood grouping, screening, sterilization, medical waste management, conducted camps, blood expiry, quality control, storage facilities, and equipment purchases. Following the investigation, the blood bank was cleared of any wrongdoing. Authorities confirmed that the blood bank operates in full compliance with the guidelines set by the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO). In 2023, a Nampally court sentenced Rajasekhar and Jeevitha to one year in jail and imposed a fine of ₹5 lakh for their defamatory remarks against the blood bank. The couple, however, obtained bail.

In May 2021, Chiranjeevi set up oxygen banks and ambulances across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to meet the needs of patients affected by COVID-19.

Filmography

Awards, honours and recognitions

Director K. Balachander said, "Chiranjeevi has both Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth in him. Not only can he do action, he can also act." Chiranjeevi received the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour in India in the year 2006. In the same year, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Andhra University for his contribution to films and his social service through the Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust. He is a nine-time winner of Filmfare Awards South and a three-time winner of Nandi Awards. He was the first actor from South India to be invited to the Oscars ceremony in 1987. In 2013, CNN-IBN recognized him as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema". In 2014, he was awarded International Face of Indian Cinema at the 3rd South Indian International Movie Awards by Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor. In 2024, he was honoured with a Guinness World Record as the most prolific actor-dancer in the Indian film industry for performing more than 24,000 dance moves in 537 songs in 156 films in a career spanning over 45 years.

Civilian honours

* 2006 – Padma Bhushan from the Government of India
* 2024 – Padma Vibhushan from the Government of India

National honours

*2022 – IFFI Indian Film Personality of the Year Award
*2024 – ANR National Award He was given this by Amitabh Bachchan at the ceremony in October.

State honours

*2016 – Raghupathi Venkaiah Award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh

Acting honours

;Filmfare Awards South

;Nandi Awards

;Cinema Express Awards
* Best Actor – ''Swayam Krushi'' (1987)

;Santosham Film Awards
* Best Actor – '' Khaidi No. 150'' (2017)

;Zee Cine Awards Telugu
* Best Actor – ''Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy'' (2019)

;Other honours
* 2006 – Honorary doctorate from the Andhra University
*SIIMA Awards - International Face of Indian Cinema – (2014)
*2024 – IIFA Utsavam Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema

See also

* List of Indian actors
* List of dancers

References

External links

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1955 births
Andhra University alumni
M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute alumni
Filmfare Awards South winners
Indian actor-politicians
Living people
Indian male dancers
Chiranjeevi
Male actors in Tamil cinema
Nandi Award winners
Actors from West Godavari district
Rajya Sabha members from Andhra Pradesh
Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts
Indian game show hosts
Union ministers of state of India with independent charge
Telugu male actors
Telugu politicians
Tourism ministers of India
Union ministers from United Andhra Pradesh
Praja Rajyam Party politicians
Chiranjeevi
Indian National Congress politicians from Andhra Pradesh
Santosham Film Awards winners
South Indian International Movie Awards winners
Zee Cine Awards Telugu winners
CineMAA Awards winners
People from Andhra Pradesh
Male actors from Andhra Pradesh
Male actors in Telugu cinema
Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in arts
IIFA Utsavam winners