Chiranjeevi
Born	Konidala Siva Sankara Vara Prasad (1955-08-22) August 22, 1955 (age 56) Mogalthur, West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, India
Residence	Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Other names	Megastar, Chiru
Occupation	Film actor, politician
Years active	1977–present
Political party	Praja Rajyam Party Indian National Congress
Spouse	Surekha
Children	Sushmitha Ram Charan Teja Sreeja
Parents	Venkata Rao Konidala Anjana Devi Konidala
Relatives	Pawan Kalyan (brother) Nagendra Babu (brother) Allu Arjun (nephew) Allu Aravind (brother-in-law) Allu Rama Lingaiah (father–in–law) Renu Desai (sister–in–law)

Chiranjeevi (born Konidala Siva Sankara Vara Prasad on 22 August 1955)^[1] is a Indian film actor and a politician. He has worked primarily with Telugu Cinema, but has appeared in several Tamil, Kannada and Hindi films. He made his acting debut in 1978 through the film Punadhirallu.^[2] However, Pranam Khareedu released earlier at the box office.^[3] Subsequently, he played a variety of characters, and his film roles along with his screen persona contributed to a change in the concept of a Telugu film lead actor.^{[citation needed]} He is popularly known as "Megastar" in the Indian media.^[4]

Chiranjeevi also co-produced Rudraveena (1988), which won the National Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration.^[5] He has won nine Filmfare Awards South, the most by any Telugu actor. Chiranjeevi was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award. In 2006, he was presented an honourary doctorate from Andhra University.^[6] Apart from his film career, he is also a philanthropist and the founder of Chiranjeevi Charitable Foundation, established in 1998.

In 2008, he entered politics by forming the Praja Rajyam Party. In the 2009 Andhra Pradesh elections, Chiranjeevi was elected as a member of the State Assembly from Tirupati constituency. He led the Praja Rajyam Party to emerge as the third largest party in the same election.

Early life and family[link]

Chiranjeevi was born on 22 August 1955^[1][7] as Siva Sankara Varaprasad to Konidela Anjana Devi^[8] and Konidela Venkata Rao^[9] in Mogalthur, a small village near Narsapur.^[8] He was quite interested in acting at a very young age. After completion of his high school, he did his Intermediate in C. S. R. Sharma College at Ongole.^[10] After graduating with a degree in commerce, Chiranjeevi moved to Chennai and joined the Madras Film Institute in 1976 to seek a career in acting.^[11] Since his family worshipped Anjaneya, a Hindu God, his mother advised him to take the screen name of "Chiranjeevi".^[12]

Chiranjeevi married Surekha, daughter of veteran Telugu actor Allu Rama Lingaiah, on 20 February 1980.^[13] They have two daughters, Sushmita and Sreeja, and a son, Ram Charan Teja. Ram is also an actor in Tollywood.^[13] One of Chiranjeevi's brothers, Nagendra Babu, is a film producer and also has acted in several films, and his youngest brother, Pawan Kalyan, is an actor in Tollywood.^[13] Allu Aravind, his brother-in-law, is a film producer.^[14] Allu Arjun, son of Allu Aravind, is also an actor in Telugu cinema.

Acting career[link]

Early career: 1978–1981[link]

Upon completion of his training, Chiranjeevi started filming for Punadhirallu.^[2] However, his first released film was Pranam Khareedu.^[15] Mana Voori Pandavulu, directed by Bapu gave Chiranjeevi recognition in the Indian audience.^[11] He played a small role in Tayaramma Bangarayya. He also played the anti-hero in films like I Love You and K. Balachander's Idi Katha Kaadu,^[11] starring Kamal Haasan. In a remake of the Tamil film Avargal, Chiranjeevi portrayed the character played by Rajinikanth in the original. In 1979, Chiranjeevi had eight major film releases and had it went up to 14 films in the following year.^[16][17] He played characters with negative shades in films like Mosagadu, Rani Kasula Rangamma and the Tamil-Telugu bilingual 47 Natkal /47 Rojulu directed by K. Balachander.^[18] A. Kodandarami Reddy's Nyayam Kavali (1981) saw him playing an anti-hero once again and his performance was noticed by the critics.^{[citation needed]} Also in 1981, he appeared as a villain in Ranuva Veeran opposite Rajinikanth, which further elevated his status as an anti-hero.^{[citation needed]} Audience developed a liking for his "ease in dance movements and swashbuckling fights."^[15] He was mostly cast in supporting roles and as antagonistic characters during this period.

Breakthrough as hero: 1982–87[link]

Chiranjeevi began to appear in lead roles with films like Intlo Ramayya Veedilo Krishnayya^[13] and Abhilasha.^[19] For his role in Mondi Ghatam (1982), his unique style of acting was much appreciated by the critics. Intlo Ramayya Veedilo Krishnayya (1982), directed by Kodi Ramakrishna, not only strengthened his position as a big star but also brought him lot of laurels.^[12] In 1982, he acted in Subhalekha under the direction of K. Viswanath, for which he received a Filmfare Award.^[13] Khaidi (1983), directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy, was based on the Sylvester Stallone-starrer First Blood (1982).^[13] Khaidi was a box-office success and gave Chiranjeevi an action hero's image.^[12][13] Over the next three years, Chiranjeevi gradually occupied the top slot.^{[clarification needed]} By the end of 1983, he had acted in about 60 movies, mostly in supporting roles, some as villain and some as character roles.^[13]

Chiranjeevi continued to enjoy commercial success with Manthri Gari Viyyankudu, Sangharshana, Goonda, Challenge, Hero, Donga, Jwala, Adavi Donga, Kondaveeti Raja, Rakshasudu and Donga Mogudu.^[1] In 1985 he received his third Filmfare Award for his performance in Vijetha.^[20] The 1987 film Pasivadi Pranam lead Chiranjeevi to super stardom.^{[citation needed]} Chiranjeevi was sensational in a new dance called “Break Dance”.^{[citation needed]} Chiranjeevi received his first Nandi Award for Best Actor for Swayam Krushi (1987) directed by K. Viswanath. An unusual film for an actor in the early days of his stardom and with the image of an action hero, this film’s box office success proved Chiranjeevi's ability to act in different genres.^[21]

Commercial stardom: 1988–1999[link]

Chiranjeevi worked in 23 films, most of which were box office hits. He also attempted a variety of roles which showed his acting skills. After Khaidi, he had hits like Pasivadi Pranam (1987), Yamudiki Mogudu (1988) where he appeared in a dual role, and Manchi Donga (1988).

His film, Rudraveena (1988), not only won the National Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration^[5] but also made him win his second Nandi Award. It's composer Illayaraja and singer S. P. Balasubrahmanyam won National Film Awards for the same film.

Chiranjeevi paired with Sridevi in Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari which revolutionized^{[citation needed]} socio-fantasy movies in Tollywood. Directed by K. Raghavendra Rao and produced by Ashwini Dutt, the movie was a big hit and is considered to be one of the best movies of Chiranjeevi. Other films like Kondaveeti Donga and Raja Vikramarka were also box-office successes. Gang Leader (1991) was a massive hit and critics even called him as the "boss of Telugu cinema".^[22] Gharana Mogudu became the first ever Telugu movie to gross more than 10 crore.

He acted in Hindi films too. His performances were appreciated in Prathibandh (1990), which gained him a Filmfare nomination.^{[citation needed]} Aaj Ka Goonda Raj, a remake of his Telugu film and The Gentleman, a Tamil remake also proved to be successful.^{[citation needed]} In year 1996 he appreared in guest role in Kannada Film Sipaayi.^{[citation needed]}

Aapathbandhavudu released in 1992, won critical acclaim and Chiranjeevi received his second Nandi Award for Best Actor and third Filmfare Best Actor Award (Telugu).^[23]

The mid 1990s saw a career dip for Chiranjeevi with box-office failures like Mechanic Alludu, S.P.Parshuram, Big Boss and Rikshavodu. There were exceptions such as Muta Mesthri which fetched him fourth Filmfare Best Actor Award (Telugu). Mugguru Monagallu and Alluda Majaka which were moderately successful.^[20]

After a brief lull, he came back strongly with a smashing hit Hitler in 1997, which received both critical and commercial acclaim.^{[citation needed]} From then on, Chiranjeevi confined himself to acting in only a few selected films. The following years he appeared in commercially successful movies like Master, Bavagaru Bagunnara, Choodalani Vundi, and Sneham Kosam film he received his fifth Filmfare Award Trophy.^{[citation needed]}

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 Krishna. The movie, which was titled Return of the Thief of Baghdad, had its filming suspended for unknown reasons.^[24]

2000–present[link]

Chiranjeevi's new decade started with a super hit Annayya, but his next releases Daddy and Mrigaraju performed poorly at box office.^{[citation needed]} After a brief gap, Chiranjeevi starred in Indra released in 2002 which broke all his previous box office records of Tollywood, and also won him his third Nandi Award for Best Actor and sixth Filmfare Award.^{[citation needed]} After that, he appeared in films which had an underlying message and a social cause like Tagore, Shankar Dada MBBS for which he won his seventh and latest Filmfare Award and Stalin.^{[citation needed]} In 2007, he was awarded with a Legendary Honorary Award by Filmfare for his contributions to the film industry.^{[citation needed]}