Nagarjuna | |
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Born | 29 August 1959 [3] Madras (present-day Chennai), Madras State, India |
Alma mater | Eastern Michigan University (B.S.) |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1986–present |
Works | Full list |
Spouses | |
Children | |
Father | Akkineni Nageswara Rao |
Family | See Daggubati-Akkineni family |
Awards | Full list |
Akkineni Nagarjuna Rao [a] (born 29 August 1959) is an Indian actor and film producer known for his work primarily in Telugu cinema, as well as in a few Hindi and Tamil films. [4] [5] He has appeared in over 90 films and is a recipient of two National Film Awards for Ninne Pelladata (1996) and Annamayya (1997). Nagarjuna has also won ten Nandi Awards and three Filmfare Awards South. [6]
In 1989, Nagarjuna starred in the Mani Ratnam-directed romantic drama film Geetanjali , which won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film. In the same year, he appeared in the commercially successful Siva , an action film directed by Ram Gopal Varma; featured at the 13th IFFI' 90. [7] [8] Nagarjuna made his Bollywood debut with the 1990 Hindi remake of Shiva . Known by his works in biographical films, he played 15th-century composer Annamacharya in Annamayya (1997), Yavakri (the son of the ascetic Bharadvaja) in Agni Varsha (2002), Major Padmapani Acharya in the war film LOC: Kargil (2003), 17th-century composer Kancherla Gopanna in Sri Ramadasu (2006), Suddala Hanmanthu in Rajanna (2011), Sai Baba of Shirdi in Shirdi Sai (2012), Chandaludu in Jagadguru Adi Shankara (2013), and Hathiram Bhavaji in Om Namo Venkatesaya (2017). [9]
Nagarjuna has largely starred in action films, establishing himself as an action star with works such as Aakhari Poratam (1988), Vicky Daada (1989), Siva (1989), Neti Siddhartha (1990), Chaitanya (1991), Nirnayam (1991), Antham (1992), Killer (1992), Khuda Gawah (1992), Rakshana (1993), Hello Brother (1994), Govinda Govinda (1994), Criminal (1994), Ratchagan (1997), Azad (2000), Sivamani (2003), Mass (2004), Super (2005), Don (2007), and King (2008).
In 2013, he represented the Cinema of South India at the Delhi Film Festival's 100 Years of Indian Cinema's celebration, alongside Ramesh Sippy and Vishal Bhardwaj from Bollywood. [10] In 1995, he ventured into film production, with a production unit operating in Seychelles, and was a co-director of an Emmy Award-winning film animation company called Heart Animation. [11] Nagarjuna is the co-owner of the production company Annapurna Studios. He is also the president of the non-profit film school Annapurna College of Film and Media based in Hyderabad. [12] [13] [14]
Akkineni Nagarjuna Rao was born on 29 August 1959 in Madras (present-day Chennai) [15] in a Telugu family to the veteran actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao and his wife Annapurna. His family hails from Ramapuram in Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh. [16] His father moved to Madras seeking career as an actor.
The family later moved to Hyderabad, where he did his schooling in Hyderabad Public School and intermediate education from Little Flower Junior College, Hyderabad. He completed the first year of his Mechanical Engineering at the College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University in Madras, [17] former Indian cricketer Krishnamachari Srikanth was his college mate during his Engineering days. He was then transferred to Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. [18] [19]
Nagarjuna stepped into the field of acting as an infant in the movie Velugu Needalu (1961). [20] He began acting as a child artist in Sudigundalu (1967) directed by Adurthi Subba Rao. Both movies starred his father Akkineni Nageswara Rao in the lead role. [21] Years later he made his debut as a lead actor through the 1986 Telugu film Vikram , directed by V. Madhusudhana Rao. It is the remake of the 1983 Hindi film Hero . The film was a success, giving Nagarjuna a good start. [22] Later, he starred in films like Majnu , directed by Dasari Narayana Rao, which was well received. Nagarjuna got positive reviews for his portrayal of a heartbroken man. He then starred in Sankeertana , a below average grosser directed by debutant Geetha Krishna with music by Ilaiyaraaja. The film was appreciated for its content and music. In 1988, he starred in the blockbuster Aakhari Poratam , scripted by Yandamuri Veerendranath, and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao where he was paired opposite Sridevi and Suhasini. In 1988, he starred in Janaki Ramudu alongside Vijayashanti was directed again by K. Raghavendra Rao.
In 1989, he starred in the Mani Ratnam-directed romantic drama Geetanjali . [23] The film won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment in 1990. [24] Immediately, he saw another success, Siva . This film marked the debut of director Ram Gopal Varma. This film is considered a trendsetter in Telugu cinema, and made Nagarjuna a superstar. [25] In 1990, he subsequently made his Bollywood debut with the Hindi remake of the same film titled Shiva . Even the Hindi version saw huge box-office success. He followed it up with sub fare like Prema Yuddham , Iddaru Iddare and Nirnayam . He then starred in Jaitra Yatra , for which he received critical acclaim. [26]
He followed it up with box office hits like Nirnayam (1991), Killer (1992) and working with eminent directors such as Fazil and Priyadarshan. Nagarjuna was fondly called "Celluloid Scientist" for his nature of experimenting with different scripts. [27] Some of his prominent hit films released subsequently included President Gari Pellam (1992), Varasudu (1993), Allari Alludu (1993), Hello Brother (1994) and Gharana Bullodu (1995). Many of his films were also dubbed into Tamil.
He starred in his first Hindi-Telugu bilingual Criminal directed by Mahesh Bhatt. In 1996, Nagarjuna starred opposite actress Tabu and produced Ninne Pelladata , directed by Krishna Vamsi. The movie won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu and Filmfare Award for Best Film – Telugu. [28] The next year, Nagarjuna acted in Annamayya (1997), in which he portrayed the role of Annamacharya, a 15th-century Telugu singer and poet. [29] This won him his Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu and his first Nandi Award for Best Actor. He also received a National Award for this role. [30] Later that year, he starred in the Tamil film Ratchagan , directed by Praveen Gandhi. [31] In 1998, he appeared in the romantic comedy Aavida Maa Aavide and then plays as lead role in the Hindi action Angaaray with Akshay Kumar. [32] [33] He co-starred with Ajay Devgn in the drama film Zakhm . [34] [35] In 1999, he was seen in two films Seetharama Raju and Ravoyi Chandamama . [36] [37]
His subsequent releases were Tamil remakes Nuvvu Vastavani (2000), Ninne Premistha (2000) and Snehamante Idera (2001). Followed by Malalayam remakes Bava Nachadu (2001) and Adhipathi (2001). He starred in romantic comedies such as Santosham , Manmadhudu , and Sivamani . He produced Satyam in 2003, which starred his nephew Sumanth. [38] In 2004, Nagarjuna had two releases, Nenunnanu and Mass . [39] The latter was produced by Nagarjuna and directed by choreographer Raghava Lawrence. [40] In 2005, Nagarjuna acted in and produced Super . [41] In 2006, he starred in Sri Ramadasu , his second period film based on the 18th-century Telugu Saint / poet of the same name. [42] Nagarjuna received the Nandi Award for Best Actor. [43] In 2007, he appeared in Don [44] and a year later, he appeared in King alongside Trisha. [45] In 2010, he had the films Kedi and Ragada . [46] [47]
In 2011, he appeared in the action thriller Gaganam . The Tamil version was titled Payanam . He was seen also in the period action film in Rajanna [48] In 2012, Nagarjuna) appears as Sai Baba in Shirdi Sai and then action fantasy film Damarukam . [49] [50] His next film Greeku Veerudu (2013) alongside Nayanthara. [51] His next Bhai was a disaster at the box office. [52] In 2014, Nagarjuna starred in the blockbuster family drama, Manam , directed by Vikram Kumar. He had a dual role in Soggade Chinni Nayana (2016), which turned out to be one of his biggest blockbusters. [53] Later he played a cripple in Vamshi Paidipally's bilingual film Oopiri , which Starred Karthi. This movie which was a hit. [54] In 2017, he played a devotional role in the film Om Namo Venkatesaya . It garnered average reviews from critics and turned out to be a disaster. [55] He then starred in a horror film titled Raju Gari Gadhi 2 (2017), which had an average run at the box office. [56] In 2018, he starred in the film Officer directed and produced by Ram Gopal Varma. [57] In 2018, the action comedy Devadas , alongside Nani was released to positive reviews. [58] In 2019, he was seen in the romantic comedy Manmadhudu 2 . [59]
The next film, Nagarjuna delivers a fine performance in the action thriller, Wild Dog (2021). [60] He plays alongside his son Naga Chaitanya in Bangarraju (2022). [61] Then, he acted in the Hindi fantasy action-adventure Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva (2022). [62] Next, Nagarjuna played as Interpol officer in the action thriller The Ghost (2022). [63] In 2024, Naa Saami Ranga marks a triumphant comeback for Akkineni Nagarjuna. [64]
Nagarjuna made his début as a television producer in 2009 with the soap opera Yuva . [65] He was a major shareholders of the television channel Maa TV before it was sold to the Star Network. [66] Nagarjuna hosted the Indian Telugu-language version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? titled Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu . The first season of the show was telecast on MAA TV from 9 June 2014 to 7 August 2014 (40 episodes). The second season was also showcased on MAA TV from 9 December 2014 to 27 February 2015 (55 episodes). [67] In 2015, he was honoured with the Entertainment Leader Award (Television) for his work in the show at the TV5 Business Leaders Awards ceremony. [68] He had hosted the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh season of Bigg Boss in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 and the First Season of Bigg Boss Non Stop in 2022. [69]
Since 2013, He was a co-owner of the Mumbai Masters of the Indian Badminton League, along with Sunil Gavaskar, and the Mahi Racing Team India, along with MS Dhoni. [67] [70] [71] Nagarjuna currently endorses Kalyan Jewellers in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.[ citation needed ] He was listed as No. 36 and No. 43 in Forbes India's top 100 Celebrities for the years 2012 and 2013 respectively. [72] [73] He is one of the co-owners of the Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters FC. [74]
Nagarjuna is the founding partner of N3 Realty Enterprises, the parent entity for N-Convention center, N-Grill and District N. The later two establishments are now non-existent. In 2014, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation identified that N convention had encroached on litigated premises. [75] Subsequently, through legal opinions, a correction path of the land was initiated by the local administrators. [76] On 24 August 2024, the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Monitoring and Protection (HYDRAA) demolished the N-Convention centre citing encroachment of adjacent lake. [77]
Nagarjuna, along with his wife Amala, are co-founders of Blue Cross of Hyderabad, recognised by the Animal Welfare Board of India. [78] [79] It is a non-government organisation (NGO) in Hyderabad, which works for the welfare of animals. Nagarjuna was also involved in welfare programs undertaken by the MAA TV association, and presently serves as the brand ambassador for HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns. [80] In 2010, he starred in an HIV/AIDS animated software tutorial created by TeachAids, a nonprofit founded at Stanford University. [81]
In February 1984, Nagarjuna married Lakshmi Daggubati, the daughter of D. Ramanaidu, a prominent film-maker, and sister of the actor Venkatesh and producer Suresh Babu. [82] Lakshmi and Nagarjuna have one son, actor Naga Chaitanya born on 23 November 1986. [83] However, the couple got divorced in 1990. Nagarjuna then married actress Amala on 11 June 1992, [84] and the couple have one son, actor Akhil, born on 8 April 1994. [85] While, Lakshmi married Sharath Vijayaraghavan, a corporate executive at Sundaram Motors. [86] Naga Chaitanya was previously married to actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu from 2017 to 2021, [87] and married to actress Sobhita Dhulipala on 4 December 2024. [88]
Nagarjuna has been the recipient of two National Film Awards, ten Nandi Awards and three Filmfare Awards South. [89]
Akkineni Nageswara Rao, known as ANR, was an Indian actor and film producer in Telugu cinema. Over his seven decade career, he became a prominent figures in the industry. Nageswara Rao received seven state Nandi Awards, five Filmfare Awards South and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award. He was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest recognition in Indian cinema, in 1990. Additionally, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan (2011), Padma Bhushan (1988) and Padma Shri (1968), by the Government of India for his contributions to art and cinema.
Daggubati Ramanaidu was an Indian film producer known for his work in Telugu cinema. He founded Suresh Productions in 1964 which became of one of the largest film production companies in India. He was one of the most influential movie moguls in Indian cinema. He was placed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most films produced by an individual, with more than 150 films in all official Indian languages. He also served as a Member of Parliament for the Bapatla constituency in Andhra Pradesh in the 13th Lok Sabha from 1999 to 2004.
Nandamuri Balakrishna , also known as Balayya or NBK, is an Indian actor, film producer and politician known for his works in Telugu cinema. Balakrishna is an elected member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly from Hindupuram constituency since 2014. The sixth son of actor and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. T. Rama Rao, Balakrishna made his debut as a child artist at the age of 14 with the film Tatamma Kala (1974). In 2025, the Government of India honoured him with third-highest civilian award in India, the Padma Bhushan. Balakrishna is a recipient of three state Nandi Awards, three SIIMA Awards, and an IIFA Award. In 2012, Balakrishna was the chief guest at the 43rd IFFI. Currently, he serves as the Chairman of Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute in Hyderabad.
Akkineni Laxmi Vara Prasada Rao, known professionally as L. V. Prasad, was an Indian film director, producer, actor, and businessman. He was one of the pioneers of Indian cinema and is the recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest Award for films in India. In 1980, he was awarded the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, for his contribution to Telugu cinema.
Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Based in Film Nagar, Hyderabad, Telugu cinema is the largest film industry in India by box-office revenue as of 2021. Telugu films sold 23.3 crore tickets in 2022, the highest among all Indian film industries. As of 2023, Andhra Pradesh has the highest number of movie screens in India.
Yarlagadda Sumanth Kumar, known mononymously as Sumanth, is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He is the eldest grandson of Telugu actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao. He is also a partner in Annapurna Studios.
Annapurna Studios is an Indian film studio facility founded in 1976 by the Telugu actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao. It is located on a 22-acre (8.9 ha) site in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. The studio provides comprehensive production and post-production services.
Amala Akkineni is an Indian actress, Bharatanatyam dancer, and activist. She has predominantly worked in Tamil films, in addition to Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada-language films. She was a leading actress in the Tamil film industry from 1986 to 1992 and has appeared in many blockbusters in Tamil and other languages. She has won two Filmfare Awards South, namely Best Actress – Malayalam for the 1991 film Ulladakkam and Best Supporting Actress – Telugu for the 2012 film Life Is Beautiful. Amala is the co-founder of Blue Cross of Hyderabad, a non-government organisation (NGO) in Hyderabad, India, which works towards the welfare of animals and preservation of animal rights in India.
Josh (transl. zeal) is a 2009 Indian Telugu-language coming-of-age political action drama film directed by Vasu Varma in his debut, and produced Dil Raju. The film marks the debut of Akkineni Naga Chaitanya and major Telugu debutant Karthika in the lead roles, whilst prominent actor J. D. Chakravarthy played an antagonist role. The film's music is scored by Sandeep Chowta.
Naga Chaitanya Akkineni ', , is an Indian actor who works in Telugu cinema. He has received several accolades including one Filmfare Award South and one Nandi Award for his work.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu 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 South, two Nandi Awards and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award.
Ye Maaya Chesave is a 2010 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film written and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon. The film stars Naga Chaitanya and Samantha in her debut as lead. It was produced by Manjula Ghattamaneni under the banner Indira Productions with soundtrack composed by A. R. Rahman. The film featured cinematography by Manoj Paramahamsa, editing by Anthony Gonsalves, and dialogue by Umarji Anuradha.
Sushanth Anumolu, known professionally as Sushanth, is an Indian actor who works in Telugu films. Born into the Akkineni–Daggubati family, he made his acting debut with Kalidasu (2008).
Siva is a 1989 Indian Telugu-language crime action film directed by Ram Gopal Varma and produced by Akkineni Venkat and Yarlagadda Surendra under Annapurna Studios and SS Creations. The film, which marks the directorial debut of Ram Gopal Varma, explores the concepts of student exploitation by anti-social elements and the impact of crowd psychology.
Umarji Anuradha is an Indian writer known for her works in Telugu cinema and journalism. She wrote continuously on The Legends of Indian Cinema for Sitara Film Weekly Magazine, the largest circulated Telugu film weekly in India. She also wrote number of dramas for All India Radio and television channels, for daily serials like Pelli Chesukundamra, for E TV., Vaisaali Serial for Zee Telugu and Gharshna serial for E TV. She was also the winner of Akkineni Abhinandana Award for Best Dialogue Writer of the year 2010 and Super Hit Film Weekly Award Super Hit Film Weekly Magazine, for the blockbuster movie, Ye Maaya Chesave.
Manam (transl. Us) is a 2014 Indian Telugu-language fantasy drama film written and directed by Vikram Kumar, and produced by the Akkineni Family under the Annapurna Studios banner. The film stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Nagarjuna, Naga Chaitanya, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Shriya Saran. The film is set in various time periods, over the course of a hundred years up until 2013, and deals with the concepts of rebirth and eternal love. The plot features a wealthy businessman, Nageswara Rao (Nagarjuna), attempting to bring a young couple together resembling his deceased parents and the elderly Chaitanya's attempts to bring the businessman and a doctor together. They resemble Chaitanya's deceased parents, who died because of a mistake committed by him in his childhood.
Nagarjuna is an Indian actor and producer who works in the Telugu cinema. He has acted in over 90 films as a lead actor as well as playing supporting and cameo roles, including Hindi and Tamil cinema. He has received nine state Nandi Awards, three Filmfare Awards South, and one Special Mention at the National Film Awards. The 1996 film Ninne Pelladata which he produced, was declared the Best Telugu film of the year at the National Film Awards.
Akhil Akkineni is an actor based in India, who works primarily in Telugu cinema. Akhil was born in San Jose, California, United States, and was raised in Hyderabad, India. Akhil debuted as a child artist in the film Sisindri (1994), for which he won a Filmfare Special Award. He is also the captain of Telugu Warriors cricket team that competes in Celebrity Cricket League.
Nirmala Convent is a 2016 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film directed by G. Naga Koteswara Rao, and produced by Akkineni Nagarjuna and Nimmagadda Prasad on Annapurna Studios and Matrix Team Works. The film features Roshan Meka and Shriya Sharma in their debut in lead roles while Nagarjuna appears as himself in a crucial role. It has music composed by Roshan Saluri.
Love Story is a 2021 Indian Telugu-language musical romantic-drama film written and directed by Sekhar Kammula. Produced by Amigos Creations and Sree Venkateswara Cinemas, the film stars Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi while Rajeev Kanakala, Devayani, Easwari Rao and Uttej play supporting roles. The film tells the story of an inter-caste relationship between Mounika (Pallavi) and Revanth (Chaitanya) who meet in the city while pursuing their dreams.