The Cinema of Andhra Pradesh (also known as Telugu cinema or Tollywood) is a South Indian film industry based in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. The Telugu language film industry, being the second largest in India, in terms of market capitalization and infrastructure, holds a memorandum of understanding with Motion Picture Association of America to combat video piracy. As per the CBFC report of 2010, the industry stood third in India, in terms of films produced yearly. The industry holds the Guinness World Record for the largest film production facility in the world.
Moola Narayana Swamy and B. N. Reddy founded Vijaya Vauhini Studios in 1948 based in Chennai.Indian film doyen, L. V. Prasad who started his film career with Bhakta Prahlada has founded Prasad Studios in 1956 based in Chennai. However, through the efforts of D. V. S. Raju, the Telugu film industry has completely shifted its base from Chennai to Hyderabad in the early 1990s, during N. T. Rama Rao's political realm.
Veteran actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao was the first person to come to Hyderabad and build a studio, which he named Annapurna Studios. The Telugu film industry is one of the three largest film producers in India. About 245 Telugu films were produced in 2006, the highest in India for that year. Film producing studios in Andhra Pradesh, developed by D. Ramanaidu and Ramoji Rao are involved in prolific film production and employment.
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.
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). These accomplishments, have established him as one of the most sought after actors in Telugu Cinema. He was listed at 5th position among Times 50 Most Desirable Men for the year 2011 and at 12th place the year before.
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,Provogue,Idea, Vivel, Jos Alukkas and Santoor Soap in Andhra Pradesh.
Mohan Babu (born Manchu Bakthavatsalam Naidu) is an actor and producer in Telugu Cinema. He is also an educationist and a former Member of Parliament – Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh. He received the Padma Shri in 2007.
Mohan was born on 19 March 1952 at Modhugulapalem village near the banks of the river Swarnamukhi, and sandwiched between two famous pilgrim centers, Tirupati (abode of Lord Venkateshwara) and Srikalahasti (abode of Lord Vayulingeswara) in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. He has three younger brothers – Ranganath Chowdary, Ramachandra Chowdary and Krishna – and a sister Vijaya. He had his schooling at Yerpedu village and Tirupati. He took his degree in Physical Education in Chennai. He worked as a physical education instructor for a brief while, before making his debut as an actor in the Telugu film industry. Mohan Babu also worked in the film direction department for about half a decade in the early 1970s. He was a class mate of Rajinikanth while they studied at the Madras Film Institute.