Nani (actor)
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Ghanta Naveen Babu (born 24 February 1969), known professionally as Nani, is an Indian actor and producer who predominantly works in
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
films. One of the highest-paid and most popular Telugu actors, Nani is a recipient of several accolades including two
Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are annual awards presented by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to recognise excellence in Telugu cinema, theatre, and television, as well as lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. The awards are named after the monolithic ...
, three
Filmfare Awards South The Filmfare Awards South are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Telugu cinema, Tamil cinema, Malayalam cinema and Kannada cinema. They are presented by ''Filmfare'' magazine of The Times Group. When it was intr ...
and four SIIMA Awards. Nani made his debut in 2008 starring in the romantic comedy ''
Ashta Chamma ''Ashta Chamma'' () is a 2008 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Mohana Krishna Indraganti. The film stars Nani, Swathi Reddy, Srinivas Avasarala, and Bhargavi, with Tanikella Bharani in a supporting role. A ...
'', a box office success and attained his breakthrough with ''
Ala Modalaindi ''Ala Modalaindi'' () is a 2011 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by B. V. Nandini Reddy under the Sri Ranjith Movies banner. It stars Nani, Nithya Menen (in her Telugu debut) and Sneha Ullal with the music compos ...
'' (2011). He went on to star in commercially successful films such as '' Pilla Zamindar'' (2011), ''
Eega ''Eega'' () is a 2012 Indian Telugu-language fantasy action film written and directed by S. S. Rajamouli. The film was produced by Sai Korrapati Vaaraahi Chalana Chitram with an estimated budget of 30–40 crore (US$6–7 million). It was ...
'' (2012) and ''
Yevade Subramanyam ''Yevade Subramanyam?'' () is a 2015 Indian Telugu-language coming-of-age drama film written and directed by debutant Nag Ashwin. Produced by Priyanka Dutt, and Swapna Dutt, the film stars Nani, Malvika Nair, Vijay Deverakonda (in his lea ...
'' (2015). He won the
Nandi Award for Best Actor The Nandi Award for Best Actor was commissioned by the Nandi Awards committee in 1977. The winner is awarded a "Silver Nandi", "Sri Rajendra Prasad Gold Medal", cash award and a commendation certificate. Venkatesh has won the most Best Actor a ...
for ''
Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu ''Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu'' () is a 2012 Indian Telugu-language musical romance film co written, co produced and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon. It stars Nani and Samantha. The film features score and soundtrack composed by Ilaiyaraaja a ...
'' (2012). This success was followed by several unsuccessful films. Nani established himself a leading actor with critical and commercial success—''
Bhale Bhale Magadivoy ''Bhale Bhale Magadivoy'' () is a 2015 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Maruthi. Produced by Bunny Vasu under the production companies GA2 Pictures and UV Creations, ''Bhale Bhale Magadivoy'' stars Nani and L ...
'' (2015), ''
Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha ''Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha'' () is a 2016 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy thriller film written and directed by Hanu Raghavapudi. Produced by Ram Achanta, Gopichand Achanta and Anil Sunkara under 14 Reels Entertainment, the film ...
'' (2016), ''
Gentleman ''Gentleman'' (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man; abbreviated ''gent.'') is a term for a chivalrous, courteous, or honorable man. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire ...
'' (2016), ''
Nenu Local ''Nenu Local'' () is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language masala film directed by Trinadha Rao Nakkina, written by Prasanna Kumar Bezawada, and produced by Dil Raju under Sri Venkateswara Creations. The film stars Nani, Keerthy Suresh and Naveen Ch ...
'' (2017), ''
Ninnu Kori ''Ninnu Kori'' () is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy drama film directed by debutant Shiva Nirvana from a screenplay written by Kona Venkat. Produced by DVV Danayya under DVV Entertainments, the film stars Nani, Nivetha Thom ...
'' (2017), ''
Middle Class Abbayi ''Middle Class Abbayi'' (), also known as ''MCA'', is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language action comedy film directed by Venu Sriram and produced by Dil Raju. The film stars Nani, Sai Pallavi, Vijay Varma, and Bhumika Chawla in the lead roles. Dev ...
'' (2017), ''
Jersey Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...
'' (2019), ''
Nani's Gang Leader ''Nani's Gang Leader'' (also known simply as ''Gang Leader'') is a 2019 Indian Telugu language, Telugu-language action comedy film written and directed by Vikram Kumar. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers, the film stars Nani (actor), Nani, Priyank ...
'' (2019), ''
Shyam Singha Roy ''Shyam Singha Roy'' is a 2021 Indian Telugu-language period action romantic drama film directed by Rahul Sankrityan. Partly set in the backdrop of Kolkata in the 1970s, it is based on the theme of reincarnation. The film stars Nani in a dual ...
'' (2021), ''
Ante Sundaraniki ''Ante Sundaraniki!'' () is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Vivek Athreya. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers, it stars Nani and Nazriya Nazim (in her Telugu debut). The film tells the story of Sundar a ...
'' (2022), '' Dasara'' (2023), ''
Hi Nanna ''Hi Nanna'' is a 2023 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film directed by Shouryuv, in his directoral debut, and produced by Vyra Entertainments. The film stars Nani and Mrunal Thakur in lead roles alongside Kiara Khanna, Jayaram and Priyadar ...
'' (2023), ''
Saripodhaa Sanivaaram ''Saripodhaa Sanivaaram'' () is a 2024 Indian Telugu-language psychological vigilante action thriller film written & directed by Vivek Athreya and produced by D. V. V. Danayya under DVV Entertainment. It stars Nani, S. J. Suryah and Pri ...
'' (2024) and '' HIT: The Third Case'' (2025). Nani won two
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor – Telugu The Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor – Telugu is given by ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Telugu films Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the producti ...
for ''Bhale Bhale Magadivoy'' and ''Shyam Singha Roy'' and
Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu The Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Telugu films. The awards were extended to "Best Actor" in 1972 The year indicates the year of release of the fi ...
for ''Dasara''. Nani expanded to production with ''
D for Dopidi ''D for Dopidi'' () is a 2013 Telugu language, Telugu-language heist film, heist comedy film directed by Siraj Kalla starring Varun Sandesh, Sundeep Kishan, Naveen Polishetty, Rakesh Rachakonda and Melanie Kannokada. It was inspired from Malladi ...
'' (2013), which was a profitable venture. Nani launched his own production house
Wall Poster Cinema Prashanti Tipirneni is an Indian costume designer and producer who is noted for her work in Telugu films. She started her career with the 2010 film ''Vedam'' and later worked for the ''Baahubali'' film series. She was nominated along with Rama ...
in 2018, which has produced ''
Awe Awe is an emotion comparable to wonder but less joyous. On Robert Plutchik's wheel of emotions awe is modeled as a combination of surprise and fear. One dictionary definition is "an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., ...
'' (2018), '' HIT: The First Case'' (2020), '' HIT: The Second Case'' (2022), and ''Court – State vs a Nobody'' (2025). In 2018, Nani featured as the host of the '' Bigg Boss Telugu 2''. Nani has also been recognized for supporting emerging filmmakers in Telugu cinema.


Early life and family

Nani was born on 24 February 1984 in a Telugu Hindu family and was brought up in
Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...
. His family hails from
Challapalli Challapalli (officially known as Challapalle) is a town in the Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in the Challapalli mandal, Machilipatnam revenue division. Tollywood actor Nani is native of this village. Ge ...
,
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
. Nani did his schooling from St. Alphonsa's High School, Hyderabad, and then did his intermediate from Narayana Junior College, S. R. Nagar before graduating from Wesley Degree College,
Secunderabad Secunderabad () is a twin cities, twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the South ...
. After a five years relationship, Nani married software engineer Anjana Yelavarthy on 27 October 2012, in
Visakhapatnam Visakhapatnam (; List of renamed places in India, formerly known as Vizagapatam, and also referred to as Vizag, Visakha, and Waltair) is the largest and most populous metropolitan city in the States and union territories of India, Indian stat ...
. Their son Arjun, was born in 2017.


Career


Career beginnings and struggle (2008–2010)

As an undergraduate, Nani got addicted to movies, citing
Mani Ratnam Gopalaratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, film producer and screenwriter who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and a few Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. H ...
as a major influence. He wanted to become a director; however, producer Anil Kumar Koneru allowed him to work on his production, '' Radha Gopalam'' (2005), as a "clap director", alongside director Bapu. He then worked for films including ''
Allari Bullodu ''Allari Bullodu'' is a 2005 Indian Telugu-language action comedy film stars Nithiin, Trisha and Rathi. The film is directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. The score and soundtrack was composed by M. M. Keeravani, was released in September 2005 and i ...
'' (2005), '' Astram'' (2006), and '' Dhee'' (2007). Nani took a break, to work on a film script. Bhargavi Mallela, a friend of his, who was then working as a RJ for World Space Satellite, offered Nani work as an RJ. He accepted the offer and worked there for one year, hosting a program named "Non-Stop Nani". Director
Mohan Krishna Indraganti Mohana Krishna Indraganti is an Indian director known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. His debut directorial venture '' Grahanam'' (2005) fetched him eleven awards including the National Film Award for Best First Film of a Director ...
noticed Nani in an advertisement and offered him a role in the aforementioned film ''
Ashta Chamma ''Ashta Chamma'' () is a 2008 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Mohana Krishna Indraganti. The film stars Nani, Swathi Reddy, Srinivas Avasarala, and Bhargavi, with Tanikella Bharani in a supporting role. A ...
'', also starring
Swati Reddy Swathi Reddy (born 19 April 1987) is an Indian actress and television presenter who predominantly works in Telugu films, along with Tamil and Malayalam films. She has acted in over 29 movies. Her nickname ''Colours Swathi'' comes from her stin ...
. ''Ashta Chamma'' was well received by critics and Nani's performance was praised by them. ''
Sify.com Sify Technologies Limited (formerly Satyam Infoway) is an Indian information and communications technology (ICT) company providing telecom services, data center services, cloud & managed services, transformation integration services, and a ...
'' wrote "Nani has a very good screen presence. He has good emotions and dances well, though his body language sometimes reminds of Subhalekha Sudhakar – May this be treated as a compliment to the ease that the veteran actor shows on the screen! His addiction is good too." His second film, ''
Ride Ride may refer to: People * MC Ride, a member of Death Grips * Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut * William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Ride'' (1998 film), a comedy film by Millicen ...
'', was produced by
Bellamkonda Suresh Bellamkonda Suresh is an Indian film producer in the Telugu film industry. Biography Bellamkonda Suresh is married to Bellamkonda Padmavathi and has two sons named Bellamkonda Sreenivas, Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas and Bellamkonda Ganesh Babu. ...
, with
Tanish Tanish is an Indian actor and television personality known for his lead roles in very Low budget, small Telugu films. He has starred in films such as ''Nachavule'', ''Ride'', '' Telugabbai'', ''Pandavulu Pandavulu Thummeda'', and '' Nakshatram ...
,
Swetha Basu Prasad Shweta Basu Prasad (born 11 January 1991) is an Indian actress known for her works in television, Hindi cinema, Telugu cinema and Tamil cinema. She won the National Film Award for Best Child Artist for her role in ''Makdee'' (2002). After ''Iq ...
and
Aksha Pardasany Aksha Pardasany is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu films and Hindi web series. She made her debut in Malayalam with ''Goal'' (2007) and gained recognition in Telugu with films such as '' Yuvatha'' (2008), ''Ride'' (2009), and '' ...
playing important roles. ''Ride'' was also a notable success at the box office. He next starred in Satyam Bellamkonda's film '' Snehituda...'' opposite
Maadhavi Latha Pasupuleti Maadhavi Latha is an Indian actress and politician who appears in Telugu and Tamil films. She made her debut as a female lead in the 2008 film ''Nachavule''. The film was commercially successful and won three Nandi Awards. She late ...
. ''Snehituda...'' opened to negative reviews and the film was a flop at the box office. In 2010, he played the main role in the film '' Bheemili Kabaddi Jattu'', a remake of ''
Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu ''Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu'' () is a 2009 Indian Tamil-language sports drama film written and directed by newcomer Suseenthiran, starring debutant Vishnu Vishal, Kishore, and Saranya Mohan along with numerous other newcomers. The music was compose ...
'', with
Saranya Mohan Saranya Mohan is an Indian former actress, who predominantly appeared in Malayalam and Tamil films. She has also acted in a few Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films. She is best known for her performances in '' Yaaradi Nee Mohini'' (2008), ''Vennil ...
reprising her role as the heroine. The film opened to positive reviews with Nani's performance receiving appreciation. ''
Rediff.com Rediff.com, stylized as rediff.com, is an Indian news, information, entertainment, and shopping website. Founded by Ajit Balakrishnan in 1996, it was the first Indian website to become a mainstream news media organization. It is headquartered i ...
'' said Nani "perfectly fits into the role" and commended him for selecting the script, and ''
One India Oneindia.com is an Indian news website established in January 2006 by BG Mahesh. The website provides news updates, information on sports, events, travel, entertainment, business, lifestyle, videos, and classifieds in seven different Indian lang ...
'' commented that Nani "has given his best" and was "suited perfectly to the role". The film was a surprise hit at the box office.


Breakthrough and commercial fluctuations (2011–2014)

His first release in 2011, ''
Ala Modalaindi ''Ala Modalaindi'' () is a 2011 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by B. V. Nandini Reddy under the Sri Ranjith Movies banner. It stars Nani, Nithya Menen (in her Telugu debut) and Sneha Ullal with the music compos ...
'', was a romantic comedy written and directed by Nandini Reddy, where he was cast opposite
Nithya Menen N. S. Nithya (born 8 April 1990), known professionally as Nithya Menen is an Indian actress and singer who works predominantly in Malayalam, Tamil language, Tamil, and Telugu language, Telugu films . She has also acted in few Kannada langua ...
. Nani's performance in the film received positive reviews, with critics noting that he was "completely natural" and "living isrole". The film was a blockbuster at the box office. Simultaneously he did a Tamil film, ''
Veppam ''Veppam'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language crime action film written and directed by newcomer Anjana Ali Khan, starring Nani, Nithya Menen, Karthik Kumar, and Bindu Madhavi. The film marks Nani's Tamil debut. The story narrates events from ...
'', which marked his debut in Tamil cinema. ''Veppam'' received mixed reviews, but Nani was appreciated, ''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
'' critic called his debut "confident", while ''
Sify Sify Technologies Limited (formerly Satyam Infoway) is an Indian information and communications technology (ICT) company providing telecom services, data center services, cloud & managed services, transformation integration services, and ...
'' called his performance "riveting". It was dubbed into Telugu as ''Sega''. Both the versions were box-office failures. Nani's final release of the year was '' Pilla Zamindar'', which opened to mostly positive reviews from critics, and Nani's performance as a spoilt-brat-turned-leader was well appreciated. Radhika Rajamani stated "It is Nani's show all the way. He lives up to the role and is able to portray the kaleidoscope of emotions demanded of him." ''IndiaGlitz'' wrote, "Performance-wise, Nani delivers a matured output in the second half as a youth in self-introspecting and self-correcting mode." The film was a hit at the box office, prompting a Tamil dubbed release under the title ''Jameen''. Nani's first release of 2012, was
S. S. Rajamouli Koduri Srisaila Sri Rajamouli ( ; born 10 October 1973) is an Indian filmmaker who works in Telugu cinema. Known for his epic, action and fantasy genre films, he is the highest grossing Indian director of all time, as well as the highest-paid d ...
's live action project ''
Eega ''Eega'' () is a 2012 Indian Telugu-language fantasy action film written and directed by S. S. Rajamouli. The film was produced by Sai Korrapati Vaaraahi Chalana Chitram with an estimated budget of 30–40 crore (US$6–7 million). It was ...
''. Shot simultaneously in Tamil as ''Naan Ee'', it featured him opposite
Samantha Ruth Prabhu Samantha Ruth Prabhu (born 28 April 1987) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Telugu and Tamil films. One of South India's highest-paid actresses, Samantha is the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards So ...
and opened to mostly positive response.
Rajeev Masand Rajeev Masand (born 13 March 1976) is an Indian film critic and journalist. He has worked for Noida based English language news channel CNN-Indian Broadcasting Network (CNN-IBN). He usually reviews Bollywood films and major Hollywood films rel ...
opined that "Nani sizzles as the lover boy in the few scenes he is seen.", while other critics also added that he leaves a mark in the limited screen time. The film was one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of the year and was dubbed into Hindi as ''Makkhi'' and into Malayalam as ''Eecha''. His other release that year was
Gautham Vasudev Menon Gautham Vasudev Menon (born 25 February 1973) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, film producer and actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema, Tamil film industry. He has also directed Telugu cinema, Telugu, Hindi cinema, Hindi and Ma ...
's ''
Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu ''Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu'' () is a 2012 Indian Telugu-language musical romance film co written, co produced and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon. It stars Nani and Samantha. The film features score and soundtrack composed by Ilaiyaraaja a ...
'', where he played a college student reuniting with Samantha Ruth Prabhu. He also made a special appearance in its Tamil version, '' Neethane En Ponvasantham'', where
Jiiva Amar Choudary (born 4 January 1984), known professionally as Jiiva, is an Indian actor and film producer who works mainly in Tamil cinema and a few Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi films. He is the youngest son of film producer R. B. Choudary. ...
replaced him. His portrayal of Varun Krishna was highly appreciated by critics. Sangeetha Dundoo from ''
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...
'' noted, "Nani rises to the occasion with a mature performance. He speaks volumes through his eyes and conveys Varun's thoughts through the smallest of mannerisms. The climax completely belongs to him." ''
CNN-IBN CNN News18 is an Indian English-language news television channel founded by Raghav Bahl based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is currently co-owned by Network18 Group and Warner Bros. Discovery. CNN provides international coverage for the c ...
'' found him to be "quintessentially natural". Though the film received mixed reviews from film critics, it had a positive response at the box office, and won Nani his first and only
Nandi Award for Best Actor The Nandi Award for Best Actor was commissioned by the Nandi Awards committee in 1977. The winner is awarded a "Silver Nandi", "Sri Rajendra Prasad Gold Medal", cash award and a commendation certificate. Venkatesh has won the most Best Actor a ...
till date. In 2014, Nani was first seen in
Krishna Vamsi Pasupuleti Venkata Bangarraju (born 28 July 1962), known professionally as Krishna Vamsi, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer known for his work in Telugu cinema. Over a career spanning three decades, he has received three Na ...
's ''
Paisa Paisa (also transliterated as ''pice'', ''pesa'', ''poysha'', ''poisha'' and ''baisa'') is a monetary unit in several countries. The word is also a generalised idiom for money and wealth. In India, Nepal, and Pakistan, the ''paisa'' currently equa ...
''. The film revolved around the power of money and its influence over everything in society. Nani played the role of Prakash, a Sherwani model who is obsessed with earning money. The film opened to negative reviews, yet Nani's performance was appreciated by critics. ''
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was founded as a weekly publication in 1878 by the Triplicane Six, becoming a daily in 1889. It is one of the India ...
'' critic notedthat he "holds the film together" and proves his merit yet again. The film was a disaster at the box office. He next starred in
Yash Raj Films Yash Raj Films (YRF) is an Indian film production and distribution company founded by filmmaker Yash Chopra in 1970. Since 2012, it has been led by his son Aditya Chopra. The company mainly produces and distributes Hindi films. History In 19 ...
' maiden south Indian production ''
Aaha Kalyanam ''Aaha Kalyanam'' () is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by debutant A. Gokul Krishna and produced by Aditya Chopra's Yash Raj Films. A remake of Maneesh Sharma's 2010 Hindi film, '' Band Baaja Baaraat'', the film stars ...
'', the Tamil remake of the 2010 Hindi film ''
Band Baaja Baaraat ''Band Baaja Baaraat'' (; also known as ''Wedding Planners'') is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Maneesh Sharma in his directorial debut, written by Habib Faisal, and produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Fi ...
''. The film received mixed to negative reviews, but Nani's performance as Shakti was well received. ''Sify'' called his performance "pitch-perfect" It again emerged a commercial failure.


Critical acclaim (2015–2016)

The year 2015 marked a turning point in Nani's career. Nani first played dual roles in the political thriller '' Janda Pai Kapiraju'', alongside
Amala Paul Amala Paul (born 26 October 1991) is an Indian actress and producer who is primarily working in Tamil and Malayalam films, in addition to some Telugu and Hindi films. She is a recipient of a Tamil Nadu State Film Award, a Filmfare Award Sou ...
, which was simultaneously made in Tamil as ''
Nimirndhu Nil ''Nimirndhu Nil'' () is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Samuthirakani featuring Ravi Mohan (then known as Jayam Ravi) in a dual role, and Amala Paul. It was produced by KS Sreenivasan's Vaasan Visual Ven ...
'' with
Jayam Ravi Ravi Mohan (born 10 September 1980), better known by his former stage name Jayam Ravi, is an Indian actor who works in Tamil cinema. The son of veteran film editor A. Mohan, Ravi made his lead acting debut in ''Jayam (2003 film), Jayam'' (2003) ...
in Nani's role. This movie was a disaster at the box office. He then portrayed an IIM graduate in ''
Yevade Subramanyam ''Yevade Subramanyam?'' () is a 2015 Indian Telugu-language coming-of-age drama film written and directed by debutant Nag Ashwin. Produced by Priyanka Dutt, and Swapna Dutt, the film stars Nani, Malvika Nair, Vijay Deverakonda (in his lea ...
'', which opened to positive response and was commercially successful. Reviewing the film,
Hemanth Kumar Hemanth Subramanya known by his stage name as Hemanth, is a playback singer in Kannada cinema. Early life Hemanth was born in a family of musicians at Bangalore, India. His mother Rathna Sastry is a classical singer and his father Subramanya ...
termed it as one of his best and added, "Nani digs deep into his arsenal of talent to stay true to the character throughout the film." His final release of the year was ''
Bhale Bhale Magadivoy ''Bhale Bhale Magadivoy'' () is a 2015 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Maruthi. Produced by Bunny Vasu under the production companies GA2 Pictures and UV Creations, ''Bhale Bhale Magadivoy'' stars Nani and L ...
''. Nani played an absent-minded junior botanist opposite
Lavanya Tripathi Lavanya Tripathi Konidela (; born 15 December 1990) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu cinema, and some Tamil films. Tripathi is a recipient of several accolades including nominations for two SIIMA Awards and one Filmfare Awar ...
. The film was a blockbuster and went on to become the fourth-highest grossing Telugu film of all time at the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
box-office. N. Sethumadhavan of the ''
Bangalore Mirror ''Bangalore Mirror'' is an English-language daily published by The Times Group in Bangalore, India, as a compact newspaper. It is a deputed newspaper and is the second-largest circulating English daily in the city. In 2020, as part of its COVID ...
'' termed Nani "refreshing", "talent to watch" and praised his chemistry with Tripathi. Suresh Kavirayani of the ''
Deccan Chronicle ''Deccan Chronicle'' is an English-language daily newspaper based in Hyderabad, India. Founded in 1938, it was initially launched as a Weekly newspaper, weekly and later converted into a daily. The newspaper's name reflects its origins in the ...
'' noted, "A complete Nani’s show, whether it’s humour, emotion or romance, Nani does it with ease." His performance earned him the
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor – Telugu The Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor – Telugu is given by ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Telugu films Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the producti ...
and he received his first
Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu The Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Telugu films. The awards were extended to "Best Actor" in 1972 The year indicates the year of release of the fi ...
nomination. Post, ''Bhale Bhale Mogadivoy'', Nani earned more critical praises in 2016. His first release was ''
Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha ''Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha'' () is a 2016 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy thriller film written and directed by Hanu Raghavapudi. Produced by Ram Achanta, Gopichand Achanta and Anil Sunkara under 14 Reels Entertainment, the film ...
'', opposite
Mehreen Pirzada Mehreen Kaur Pirzada (born 5 November 1995) is an Indian actress and model who predominantly appears in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Punjabi films. Pirzada made her acting debut in 2016 with the Telugu film '' Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha''. ...
. The film opened to positive response from critics, ''
The Hans India ''The Hans India'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper published in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as well as in New Delhi. The newspaper was launched on 15 July 2011 and is owned to Hyderabad Media House Ltd., which also ...
'' said, "A truly stand out performance from Nani for sure, who plays to his strength and exudes a natural feel to his character on screen." It became Nani's biggest opener in India, beating the records of ''Bhale Bhale Magadivoy''. In his next film, Nani played dual roles of a businessman and IIM graduate opposite
Surbhi Surbhi Puranik (born 5 June), professionally known as Surbhi, is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu and Tamil films. She made her film debut with the Tamil film '' Ivan Veramathiri'' (2013), for which she received SIIMA Award for ...
and
Nivetha Thomas Nivetha Thomas (born 2 November 1994) is an Indian actress who appears in Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil language films. She made her film debut as a child artist in the 2008 Malayalam film ''Veruthe Oru Bharya''. Nivetha is an recipient of a Ke ...
in ''
Gentleman ''Gentleman'' (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man; abbreviated ''gent.'') is a term for a chivalrous, courteous, or honorable man. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire ...
''. Purnima Sriram of ''
The New Indian Express ''The New Indian Express'' is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Chennai-based Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as ''The Indian Express'', under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naidu ...
'' termed it a "game-changer" for Nani and added, "Nani nailed both the roles. He has shouted out loud to the world that he can play any role flawlessly and effortlessly." It went onto become his third highest grosser after ''Eega'' and ''Bhale Bhale Magadivoy''. The film won him the
Nandi Special Jury Award The Nandi Special Jury Award is given by the state government as part of its annual Nandi Awards for Telugu films since 1981. See also * Nandi Awards * Cinema of Andhra Pradesh References {{DEFAULTSORT:Nandi Special Jury Award Speci ...
and his second Filmfare Best Actor – Telugu nomination. After playing
Regina Cassandra Regina Cassandra (born 13 December 1990) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. Cassandra is a recipient of several accolades including a SIIMA Award and a CineMAA Award, along with a Filmfare OTT Award n ...
's boyfriend in ''
Jyo Achyutananda '' Jyo Achyutananda'' is a 2016 Indian Telugu-language comedy drama film directed by Srinivas Avasarala and produced by Sai Korrapati on Varahi Chalana Chitram. It stars Nara Rohit, Naga Shourya and Regina Cassandra. The plot follows two brothe ...
'', Nani played an assistant director alongside
Anu Emmanuel Anu Emmanuel (; born 28 March 1997) is an American actress of Indian descent who primarily works in Telugu films along with Tamil and Malayalam films. Emmanuel is a recipient of a Producers Guild Film Award. After working as a child artist in ...
in ''
Majnu ''Layla and Majnun'' ( "Layla's Mad Lover"; ) is an old story of Arab origin, about the 7th-century Arabian poet Qays ibn al-Mulawwah and his lover Layla bint Mahdi (later known as Layla al-Aamiriya). "The Layla-Majnun theme passed from A ...
'', his last film that year. It was a commercial success.


Established actor (2017–2020)

Nani further established himself with commercial successess in 2017. ''
Nenu Local ''Nenu Local'' () is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language masala film directed by Trinadha Rao Nakkina, written by Prasanna Kumar Bezawada, and produced by Dil Raju under Sri Venkateswara Creations. The film stars Nani, Keerthy Suresh and Naveen Ch ...
'', directed by
Trinadha Rao Nakkina Trinadha Rao Nakkina is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Telugu cinema. He is known for his films '' Cinema Choopistha Mava'', ''Nenu Local'' and '' Dhamaka''. Early life and career He was born and brought up in Visakh ...
, was Nani's first release of the year, where he appeared opposite
Keerthy Suresh Keerthy Suresh (born 17 October 1992) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Telugu cinema, Telugu and Malayalam Cinema, Malayalam films. Her film accolades include one National Film Award, five South Indian In ...
. ''
Idlebrain Idlebrain.com is an Indian entertainment website dedicated to Telugu cinema. Established in 1999 by G. V. Ramana, popularly known as Jeevi, a graduate of BITS Pilani, the site is among the oldest websites on the Internet focused on Telugu fil ...
'' was appreciative of his performance and added that he carries the film "single handedly". The film became Nani's highest-grossing film to date. Nani played a doctor, in ''
Ninnu Kori ''Ninnu Kori'' () is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy drama film directed by debutant Shiva Nirvana from a screenplay written by Kona Venkat. Produced by DVV Danayya under DVV Entertainments, the film stars Nani, Nivetha Thom ...
'' reuniting with Nivetha Thomas. While, a critic of ''
Firstpost Firstpost is an Indian news website owned by Network18 Group, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC TV18. It has posted misinformation on multiple occasions. The Network 18 group was originally owned by Raghav Bahl. In January 2012, the gro ...
'' stated, "Nani is terrific. Although he has a funny side, there’s plenty of emotional weight that he carries throughout the film.", Priyanka Sundar of ''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...
'' found him to be "repetitive". A commercial success, it became his second-highest-grosser after ''Nenu Local''. Later the year, he played a boy with eidetic memory in ''
Middle Class Abbayi ''Middle Class Abbayi'' (), also known as ''MCA'', is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language action comedy film directed by Venu Sriram and produced by Dil Raju. The film stars Nani, Sai Pallavi, Vijay Varma, and Bhumika Chawla in the lead roles. Dev ...
'', opposite
Sai Pallavi Sai Pallavi Senthamarai Kannan (; born 9 May 1992) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films. Recognised as one of the finest actors in South Indian cinema, known for her portrayals of strong and challeng ...
. The film became a major commercial success, breaking ''Nenu Locals record to become his highest-grossing release. In his first film of 2018, Nani played dual roles in ''
Krishnarjuna Yudham ''Krishnarjuna Yudham'' () is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language action comedy film written and directed by Merlapaka Gandhi and produced by Sahu Garapati & Harish Peddi under Shine Screens banner. The film stars Nani, Anupama Parameswaran, Ruksha ...
'', opposite
Anupama Parameswaran Anupama Parameswaran (born 18 February 1996) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil films. Anupama made her debut with the successful Malayalam film ''Premam'' (2015) and is known for her work in ''Kodi'' (2016 ...
and
Rukshar Dhillon Rukshar Dhillon (born 12 October 1993) is a British actress who primarily works in Telugu films. Dhillon was born in London and raised in India. She made her debut in 2016 with the Kannada '' Run Antony.'' She went on to star in Telugu films su ...
. The film was his first box office failure after eight consecutive successes. Nani again played a doctor in '' Devadas'', where he appeared alongside
Nagarjuna Nāgārjuna (Sanskrit: नागार्जुन, ''Nāgārjuna''; ) was an Indian monk and Mahayana, Mahāyāna Buddhist Philosophy, philosopher of the Madhyamaka (Centrism, Middle Way) school. He is widely considered one of the most importa ...
,
Aakanksha Singh Aakanksha Singh (born 30 July 1990) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi and Telugu language, Telugu language films and television. Started as a theatre artiste, she made her screen debut with the Colors TV's television series ''N ...
and
Rashmika Mandanna Rashmika Mandanna (Help:IPA/Telugu, /ɾɐɕmɪkɑ mɐn̪d̪ɑn̪ːɑ/ born 5 April 1996) is an Indian actress who primaily works in Telugu cinema, Telugu and Hindi cinema, Hindi films. Her accolades include four South Indian International Mov ...
. The film became a box office average, due to its big budget. Krishna Sripada of ''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...
'' noted, "Nani gets into the skin of the character and gives his best to the make the lousy writing tolerable." In 2018, Nani also turned narrator for the films, '' Amoli'' and '' Ee Maaya Peremito''. Nani's first release in 2019 was ''
Jersey Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...
'', opposite
Shraddha Srinath Shraddha Srinath (born 29 September 1990) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Tamil, Kannada and Telugu films. She is a recipient of two Filmfare Awards South and a SIIMA Award. Shraddha made her debut with the Malayalam film ...
, where he played a former cricketer who restart cricket for his son. A critical and commercial success, it is considered as the most important film of his career and was listed as one of the "Best Telugu films of 2019". Haricharan Pudipeddi of ''
Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...
'' noted, "Nani is terrific as Arjun and he hasn’t looked so comfortable in role in a while." Janani K of ''
India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' laun ...
'' stated, "Nani's expressions are pitch-perfect for ''Jersey''. He plays the role of an attacking right-hand batsman and Nani's cricketing technique is top-notch." It won him the
SIIMA Critics Award for Best Actor – Telugu SIIMA Critics Award for Best Actor – Telugu is presented by Vibri media group as part of its annual South Indian International Movie Awards, for best acting done by an actor in Telugu films, who are selected by the jury. The award was first g ...
. Nani then played a crime novelist in ''
Nani's Gang Leader ''Nani's Gang Leader'' (also known simply as ''Gang Leader'') is a 2019 Indian Telugu language, Telugu-language action comedy film written and directed by Vikram Kumar. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers, the film stars Nani (actor), Nani, Priyank ...
''. It received mixed reviews but became a box-office success. ''
Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
''s Suhas Yellapantula called him the film's "heart and soul" and added that he brings the film "to life". Nani's only release in 2020 was his 25th film, '' V'', where he played a serial killer opposite
Aditi Rao Hydari Aditi Rao Hydari (born 28 October 1986) is an Indian actress who appears in Hindi cinema, Hindi, Tamil cinema, Tamil, and Telugu cinema, Telugu films. Born into the Tyabji family, Tyabji–Hydari family, she made her acting debut with the Mal ...
. The film's was Nani's first OTT release (it was released on
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...
), and was also his first negative character. Despite receiving mixed reviews, it became the most watched Telugu film on a streaming platform. Sowmya Rajendran of ''
The News Minute ''The News Minute'' is an Indian digital news platform based in Bangalore, Karnataka. It was founded by Vignesh Vellore who is also the current CEO in 2014. Apart from Karnataka, it also has bureaus in the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, ...
'' opined, "Nani definitely makes a difference when he steps in. He's effortlessly funny, spooking people around him with his dark humour. But you do question his actions post the truth reveal."


Commercial success and stardom (2021–present)

In 2021, Nani first appeared as a revenue officer in ''
Tuck Jagadish ''Tuck Jagadish'' is a 2021 Indian Telugu-language action family drama film, written and directed by Shiva Nirvana and produced by Sahu Garapati and Harish Peddi under the banner Shine Screens. The film stars Nani as the title role, alongside ...
'', alongside Ritu Varma. It was his second OTT release, post ''V'' and received negative reviews from critics, with his performance earning mixed reviews. In the same year, Nani played dual roles of a Bengali writer and his reincarnation, an aspiring filmmaker in ''
Shyam Singha Roy ''Shyam Singha Roy'' is a 2021 Indian Telugu-language period action romantic drama film directed by Rahul Sankrityan. Partly set in the backdrop of Kolkata in the 1970s, it is based on the theme of reincarnation. The film stars Nani in a dual ...
'', opposite Sai Pallavi and
Krithi Shetty Krithi Shetty (born 21 September 2003) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Telugu and Tamil films. Shetty is an recipient of a Filmfare Award South and a SIIMA Award. She made her acting debut in the Telugu film ''Uppena'' (2021) which ...
. It proved to be a major commercial success. Sankeertana Varma of ''
Firstpost Firstpost is an Indian news website owned by Network18 Group, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC TV18. It has posted misinformation on multiple occasions. The Network 18 group was originally owned by Raghav Bahl. In January 2012, the gro ...
'' found him to be "impressive" and added, "Nani is especially great in scenes where he is slowly moving away from Vasu and embarrassing his inner Shyam". The film won him another Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor – Telugu and his third Filmfare Best Actor – Telugu nomination. Nani played Sundar, a Brahmin boy in love with a Christian girl, opposite
Nazriya Nazim Nazriya Nazim Fahadh (born 20 December 1994) is an Indian actress, producer and singer who primarily works in Malayalam and Tamil films. Known for her strong women portrayals, Nazriya is a recipient of several accolades including two Kerala St ...
, in his first release of 2022, ''
Ante Sundaraniki ''Ante Sundaraniki!'' () is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Vivek Athreya. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers, it stars Nani and Nazriya Nazim (in her Telugu debut). The film tells the story of Sundar a ...
''. The film was an average at domestic box-office, but became one of the highest-grossing releases of the year worldwide. Murali Krishna CH of ''
Cinema Express ''Cinema Express'' was an Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language entertainment fortnightly magazine published from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was a part of The New Indian Express, The New Indian Express Group, which also publishes ''Samakalika Mal ...
'' stated, "Nani stay sincere and committed to his character. Nani serves up a reminder of how funny he can be in a role that he would perfectly fit into." Later the year, he appeared as Arjun Sarkaar IPS in '' HIT: The Second Case'', revealing himself as the lead of '' HIT: The Third Case''. In his first release of 2023, Nani played a young ruffian who steals coal in '' Dasara'', reuniting with Keerthy Suresh. ''Dasara'' became the highest-grossing film of Nani's career, leaving behind all his previous films. Chirag Sehgal of ''
News18 Network18 Media & Investments Limited, ( d/b/a Network18 Group) is an Indian media conglomerate owned by the Reliance Industries, headed by Mukesh Ambani. Rahul Joshi is the managing director, chief executive officer and group editor-in-chief ...
'' noted, "Nani is amazing in what he does. He is a treat to watch and plays his part with utmost ease and perfection. But, his less screentime in the first half is little disappointing." In his next film ''
Hi Nanna ''Hi Nanna'' is a 2023 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film directed by Shouryuv, in his directoral debut, and produced by Vyra Entertainments. The film stars Nani and Mrunal Thakur in lead roles alongside Kiara Khanna, Jayaram and Priyadar ...
'', Nani played a fashion photographer and single father opposite
Mrunal Thakur Mrunal Thakur (born 1 August 1992) is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Hindi cinema, Hindi and Telugu cinema, Telugu films. Thakur is a recipient of several accolades including a Filmfare Awards South, three South Indian Internation ...
. While, Neeshita Nyayapati of ''
Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...
'' found him to be "flawless", Raghu Bandi of ''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...
'' termed him "impressive". The film became a commercial success worldwide. Both these films earned Nani nominations for Filmfare Best Actor – Telugu, and he won his first Filmfare Best Actor for ''Dasara''. In his only release of 2024, Nani played a vigilant who fights against injustice in, ''
Saripodhaa Sanivaaram ''Saripodhaa Sanivaaram'' () is a 2024 Indian Telugu-language psychological vigilante action thriller film written & directed by Vivek Athreya and produced by D. V. V. Danayya under DVV Entertainment. It stars Nani, S. J. Suryah and Pri ...
'', opposite
Priyanka Mohan Priyanka Arul Mohan (born 20 November 1994) is an Indian actress who primarily appears in Tamil and Telugu films. She made her acting debut with the Kannada film '' Ondh Kathe Hella'' (2019), and appeared in the Telugu films '' Gang Leader'' (2 ...
. Sangeetha Devi Dundoo was appreciative of his "calibrated performance" and "simmering, controlled rage". The film turned another box office success for him. In 2025, Nani played an IPS officer in '' HIT: The Third Case'' opposite
Srinidhi Shetty Srinidhi Ramesh Shetty (born 21 October 1992) is an Indian actress, model and beauty pageant title holder, who primarily works in Kannada and Telugu films. She won the Miss Supranational pageant in 2016, becoming the second Indian to win the c ...
. Ganesh Aaglave was appreciative of his performance and took note of his suave charm, swag and charisma. The film became a box office success and the highest grossing film in the franchise. Some commentators took note of his consecutive successes and credited him for his "content-first choices and genre versatility". Nani will next appear in '' The Paradise''.


Other ventures


Production

Nani turned producer for the film, ''
D for Dopidi ''D for Dopidi'' () is a 2013 Telugu language, Telugu-language heist film, heist comedy film directed by Siraj Kalla starring Varun Sandesh, Sundeep Kishan, Naveen Polishetty, Rakesh Rachakonda and Melanie Kannokada. It was inspired from Malladi ...
'', in 2013. It was co-produced by director duo, Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K.. It starred
Sundeep Kishan Sundeep Kishan (born 7 May 1987) is an Indian actor and producer who has worked in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi films. Early life and career Sundeep Kishan was born in a Telugu family in Madras (present-day Chennai). He is the nephew to the cine ...
,
Varun Sandesh Jeedigunta Varun Sandesh (born 21 July 1989) is an Indian actor known primarily for his works in Telugu cinema. He made his debut with Sekhar Kammula's coming-of-age blockbuster drama ''Happy Days (2007 film), Happy Days'' (2007), and went on t ...
, Rakesh Rachakonda, and
Naveen Polishetty Naveen Polishetty (born 26 December 1989) is an Indian actor and screenwriter who primarily works in Telugu films. He made his debut with the film '' Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya'' (2019). He then appeared in the coming-of-age blockbuster film ...
. He also lent his voice to the film. The film was a moderate success at the box office. He launched his film production house,
Wall Poster Cinema Prashanti Tipirneni is an Indian costume designer and producer who is noted for her work in Telugu films. She started her career with the 2010 film ''Vedam'' and later worked for the ''Baahubali'' film series. She was nominated along with Rama ...
, along with costume designer,
Prashanti Tipirneni Prashanti Tipirneni is an Indian costume designer and producer who is noted for her work in Telugu films. She started her career with the 2010 film ''Vedam'' and later worked for the ''Baahubali'' film series. She was nominated along with Rama ...
, as a partner. The first film in the banner was ''
Awe Awe is an emotion comparable to wonder but less joyous. On Robert Plutchik's wheel of emotions awe is modeled as a combination of surprise and fear. One dictionary definition is "an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., ...
'' or "అ!" (2018). It was one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year and won 2 awards, at the
66th National Film Awards The 66th National Film Awards ceremony was the award ceremony which took place in 2019 to honour the best films of 2018, in the Indian cinema. The declaration of awards was delayed due to 2019 Indian general election. Selection process The Dir ...
, for Best Special Effects and Best Make-Up Artist. In 2020, Nani produced the crime thriller, '' HIT: The First Case'', with
Vishwak Sen Vishwak Sen (born Dinesh Prasad Naidu on 29 March 1995) is an Indian actor, director, and screenwriter who works in Telugu cinema. He made his debut as a lead actor in 2017 with the film ''Vellipomakey''. He made his debut as a director in 201 ...
and
Ruhani Sharma Ruhani Sharma is an Indian actress and model who primarily works in Telugu films. She made her acting debut in with the Tamil film '' Kadaisi Bench Karthi'' (2017) and received praise for her lead role in '' Chi La Sow'' (2018), marking her Tel ...
. It was one of the bigger sleeper hits of the year, right before the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
occurred, worldwide, in March 2020. He has since produced its sequel, '' HIT: The Second Case'' (2022), with
Adivi Sesh Adivi Sesh Sunny Chandra (born 17 December 1984) is an Indian actor, director and screenwriter who works in Telugu cinema. Known for his work in action and suspense thrillers, he's received various awards including an IIFA Utsavam, IIFA Award T ...
and
Meenakshi Chaudhary Meenakshi Chaudhary (born 5 March 1997) is an Indian actress and beauty pageant titleholder who works predominantly in Telugu and Tamil films. She represented the state of Haryana at the Femina Miss India 2018 pageant, where she was crowned as ...
, and the web series ''
Meet Cute A meet cute is a scene in media, in which two people meet for the first time, typically under unusual, humorous, or cute circumstances, and go on to form a future romantic couple. This type of scene is a staple of romantic comedies, though it c ...
'' (2022), which stars an ensemble cast. In 2025, Nani produced two films: '' Court – State vs. A Nobody'' and '' HIT: The Third Case'', in which he also co-stars with Srinidhi Shetty. Nani's next untitled production will star
Chiranjeevi 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 succe ...
as the lead.


Television

Nani hosted the
2nd IIFA Utsavam The 2nd IIFA Utsavam ceremony honouring the winners and nominees of the best of South Indian film industry, South Indian cinema in 2016 was an event held on 28 and 29 March 2017 at the Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The event, which is the second e ...
, in 2017 which was held in Hyderabad. He hosted the event along with
Rana Daggubati Ramanaidu Daggubati, (; born 14 December 1984) known professionally as Rana Daggubati, is an Indian actor, film producer, and entrepreneur who primarily works in Telugu cinema, in addition to Tamil cinema, Tamil and Hindi cinema, Hindi films. H ...
. In 2018, Nani hosted the second season of ''
Bigg Boss Telugu ''Bigg Boss'' is an Indian Telugu-language television reality show of the ''Bigg Boss'' franchise which airs on Star Maa and streams on Disney+ Hotstar in India. It follows the format of the Dutch reality show '' Big Brother'', which was first ...
'', the Telugu version of Indian reality show ''
Bigg Boss ''Bigg Boss'' is an Indian reality show franchise based on the Dutch reality show '' Big Brother''. It is produced by Endemol Shine India through JioStar Network. Subsequently, the various versions of the show are made internationally availabl ...
''. He has appeared as a guest in the second and fourth season of '' Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu''.


Voice artist

Nani has also worked as a voice artist. In 2015, he dubbed for
Dulquer Salmaan Dulquer Salmaan (; born 28 July 1983) is an Indian actor, singer and producer who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. One of the highest paid Malayalam actors, Salmaan is a recipient of several awards including five Film ...
's role in the Telugu version of ''
O Kadhal Kanmani ''O Kadhal Kanmani'' (), also known as ''OK Kanmani'', is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language musical romantic drama film written, directed and produced by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen, portraying a young couple in a ...
'', titled '' OK Bangaram''. In 2018, he voiced for a fish in his production, ''
Awe Awe is an emotion comparable to wonder but less joyous. On Robert Plutchik's wheel of emotions awe is modeled as a combination of surprise and fear. One dictionary definition is "an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., ...
''. In the 2019 film ''
Jersey Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...
'', Nani dubbed for
Harish Kalyan Harish Kalyan (born 29 June 1990) is an Indian actor who primarily works in Tamil cinema. He made his acting debut in 2010 with the film '' Sindhu Samaveli'' and gained recognition for his roles in '' Poriyaalan'' (2014), '' Vil Ambu'' (2016), ...
. In the Telugu version of ''The Lion King'', released in 2019, Nani dubbed for
Simba Simba is a fictional character in Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney's ''The Lion King (franchise), The Lion King ''franchise. First appearing as a cub in ''The Lion King'' (1994), the character flees his homeland when his father, Mufasa, is ...
.


Philanthropy

Apart from his acting career, Nani is a philanthropist. Nani donated a huge sum during the
2015 South India floods The 2015 South India floods resulted from heavy rainfall generated by the annual northeast monsoon in November–December 2015. They affected the Coromandel Coast region of the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. More than 500 ...
to people affected by it. In 2020, during the
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
pandemic, he donated a sum of ₹30 lakhs to the Corona Virus Charity Fund. That same year, he organised a campaign with
Cyberabad Police Hyderabad City Police is the local law enforcement agency for the city of Hyderabad, Telangana and is headed by the Commissioner of Police. The city police traces its origins to 1847 under Hyderabad State. History 1847–1948 The Nizam of Hydera ...
, urging people to donate their blood plasma for COVID patients. Nani donated his blood, to help children suffering from
Thalassemia Thalassemias are a group of Genetic disorder, inherited blood disorders that manifest as the production of reduced hemoglobin. Symptoms depend on the type of thalassemia and can vary from none to severe, including death. Often there is mild to ...
. He has been recognized as a social justice warrior, advocating for issues like farmer rights and civic responsibility.


In the media

Nani is considered among the highest paid and prominent Telugu actors. He is affectionately referred to as "Natural Star" by the audience, for to his realistic performances in a variety of roles. His performance in ''Jersey'' is regarded as one of the "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade" by ''
Film Companion Anupama Vinod Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist and film critic who served as the festival director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival from 2015 to 2023. She is also the founder and editor of the now-defunct digital platform Film Compani ...
.'' In ''
Rediff.com Rediff.com, stylized as rediff.com, is an Indian news, information, entertainment, and shopping website. Founded by Ajit Balakrishnan in 1996, it was the first Indian website to become a mainstream news media organization. It is headquartered i ...
s "Top Telugu Actors" list, Nani was placed 4th in 2011 and 3rd in 2012. Nani stood at the 19th place on its most influential stars on Instagram in South cinema for the year 2021 list. In the Hyderabad Times Most Desirable Men list, he was placed 18th in 2013, 8th in 2015, 3rd in 2016, 10th in 2017, 27th in 2019 and 26th in 2020. Nani is a prominent celebrity endorser for several brands and products such as
Otto Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants '' Audo'', '' Odo'', '' Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name is recorded fr ...
, Sprite,
Minute Maid Minute Maid is an American brand of drink, beverages, usually associated with lemonade or orange juice, but which now extends to soft drinks of different kinds, including Hi-C. Minute Maid is sold under the Cappy (juice), Cappy brand in Central E ...
, Close–Up and Aashirvaad Masalas'.


Filmography


Accolades

Nani is a recipient of three
Filmfare Awards South The Filmfare Awards South are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Telugu cinema, Tamil cinema, Malayalam cinema and Kannada cinema. They are presented by ''Filmfare'' magazine of The Times Group. When it was intr ...
Best Actor Critics – Telugu for ''Bhale Bhale Magadivoy'' and ''Shyam Singha Roy'' and Best Actor – Telugu for ''Dasara'' (2023). Additionally, he won two
Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are annual awards presented by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to recognise excellence in Telugu cinema, theatre, and television, as well as lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. The awards are named after the monolithic ...
Best Actor for ''Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu'' and Special Jury Award for ''Gentleman''.Baahubali walks away with 13 Nandi awards at Nandi Awards 2016
''The Hindu''


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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nani 1984 births Living people Indian male film actors Male actors in Tamil cinema Indian male voice actors 21st-century Indian male actors Nandi Award winners Zee Cine Awards Telugu winners Male actors in Telugu cinema Male actors from Hyderabad, India Telugu film producers Film producers from Hyderabad, India Host Season 2 South Indian International Movie Awards winners Filmfare Awards South winners IIFA Utsavam winners Bigg Boss