Mahesh Babu
Mahesh Babu at the Univercell store in - 2010.
Born	Mahesh Babu Ghattamaneni (1975-08-09) August 9, 1975 (age 36)[1] Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
Residence	Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1979–1991 1999–present
Spouse	Namrata Shirodkar (2005 - Present)
Children	Gautam Krishna Ghattamaneni
Parents	Siva Rama Krishna Ghattamaneni Indira Devi

Mahesh Babu (born Mahesh Babu Ghattamaneni on 9 August 1975) is an Indian film actor best known for his work in Telugu cinema. Born to actor Krishna, Mahesh Babu faced the camera at the age of four as a child artist in 1979's Needa. His first leading role was in the film Rajakumarudu, which was released in August 1999.^[2]

After playing the role of a young Kabaddi player in the 2003 blockbuster film Okkadu, Mahesh continued in this vein, gaining mass appeal and appearing in many successful films such as Murari (2001), Athadu (2005), Pokiri (2006), Dookudu (2011) and Business Man (2012).^[3] These accomplishments, have established him as one of the most sought after actors in Telugu Cinema.^[4] He was listed at 5th position among Times 50 Most Desirable Men for the year 2011 and at 12th place the year before.^[5][6]

Mahesh Babu has worked in nine films as a child artist and in seventeen films as a lead actor till date. He has won six Andhra Pradesh state Nandi Awards, two Filmfare Best Telugu Actor Awards and two CineMAA Awards. In addition to the films, he also endorses several brands such as Thums Up, Navratna Oil, Univercell, Amrutanjan,^[7] Provogue,^[8] Idea, Vivel, Jos Alukkas^[9] and Santoor Soap in Andhra Pradesh.^[7][10]

Early life[link]

Mahesh Babu was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, to prominent Telugu Cinema Actor Ghatamaneni Siva Rama Krishna and Smt. Indira Devi on August 9, 1975.^[11] He is the younger brother of actor turned producer Ramesh Babu Ghattamaneni.^[12] He also has two elder sisters, Padmavathi and actress-producer Manjula Ghattamaneni and one younger sister Priyadarshini.^[13] All siblings have the rare honor of having acted in films as child artistes. Mahesh’s childhood was spent mostly in Madras under the care of his paternal grandmother Smt. Durgamma and the rest of his family.^[14] His father made sure all the children spent sufficient time with him on location and on his sets, especially during holidays. Mahesh many times said that this was where his interest for acting began.^[15] The film sets were a second playground and he did not hesitate to face the camera when asked to do a small role in his brother Ramesh Babu‘s debut film, Needa at the age of 4.^[15] Mahesh studied at St. Bede‘s School in Chennai while continuing to attend his dad’s filming during holidays.^[16] Few of his schoolmates at St.Bede's were Surya (Tamil film actor) and Vishnuvardhan (Tamil film director).^[17] Mahesh obtained an Honours Degree in Commerce from Loyola College, Chennai.^[18] Mahesh Babu acted in seven of his father's films as a child actor.

Personal life[link]

Mahesh dated Bollywood actress and former Femina Miss India Namrata Shirodkar for five years.^[19] She was his co-star in the movie Vamsi. They got married on February 10, 2005 in Mumbai.^[20] They have a son named Gautam Krishna (b. 31 August 2006).^[21]

Career[link]

Early career (1979-1990)[link]

He started his acting career by playing a small role in his brother Ramesh Babu‘s debut film, Needa under Dr. Dasari Narayana Rao's direction in 1979, at the age of 4.^[22] In 1983, at the age of 8, director Kodi Ramakrishna requested him to play a role in the film Poratam since they were having difficulty casting for the role of Krishna’s sibling. This was his first full length feature film.^[23] Producer / Director Dhoondy, one of the early backers of Krishna in his struggling days, watched a preview of the movie and was stunned to find out he was Krishna’s own son and remarked that there was a spark in him and he would become an excellent artist.^[24] True to that prognostication, Mahesh went on to win the hearts of many Telugu film lovers as a child artist through varied roles. In Sankharavam (1987) he faced the cameras with his father directing him for the first time.^[25] Veteran director A. Kodandarami Reddy directed him and his brother Ramesh for Bazaar Rowdy (1988), where he won accolades for his acting.^[26] Mugguru Kodukulu (1988) saw him again team up with his brother and father, the father directing them all this time.^[27] Gudachari 117 (1989) reunited Mahesh with his first film director Kodi Ramakrishna in a James Bond type of flick for which his dad, the lead in the movie, was famous.^[28] Koduku Diddina Kapuram (1989), directed by Krishna again, had Mahesh in a dual role.^[29] Balachandrudu and Anna Tammudu (1990) saw the teenaged Mahesh Babu completing his first innings on celluloid after which he concentrated on his studies and went out of the public eye while letting nature take its course through the awkward adolescent years.^[30]

1999-2004[link]

In 1999, Mahesh was re-introduced as a full-fledged hero with the movie Raja Kumarudu (The Prince).^[31] Directed by K. Raghavendra Rao and co-starring Priety Zinta, this movie was a debonair start for his career earning him Nandi Award for Best Male Debutant.^[32] After the movie was released, both fans and the media started fondly calling him Prince Mahesh.^[33] His next release Yuvaraju followed in the year 2000.^[34] Directed by Y.V.S Chowdary, the movie did moderately well at the box office completing 100 days in 19 centers all over AP.^[35] In the same year, another movie Vamsi under the direction of B. Gopal was released and this movie had Namrata Shirodkar co-starring for the first time with Mahesh.^[36] During the movie, the on screen couple Mahesh and Namrata started seeing each other in real life and this relationship later resulted in their marriage.^[37]