Chiranjeevi (megastar)
Chiranjeevi (Konidela Shiva Shankara Vara Prasad) born on August 22, 1955), is a popular Tollywood film personality. He has received the Padma Bhushan award, the second highest padma award bestowed by the Government of India. He is the only Tollywood actor to receive seven Filmfare Best actor awards. He has a huge fan following in Andhra Pradesh. He announced his formal entry into politics on August 26 and founded the political party named Praja Rajyam.Early Life
Chiranjeevi was a student at the Madras Film Institute and an amateur stage actor. Before completing his training at the film institute, he attended auditions and selected for the film Punaadi Raallu(1978). However, Pranam Khareedu was his first film released in theaters. His first public performance was in the Republic Day parade ballet of Andhra Pradesh on 26 January, 1976.In the film Paleru Narsayya, he acted without makeup and impressed the prominent members of the industry. Famous directors Bapu and K Balachandar, who had attended the preview of this film, offered the roles in their respective movies. In Balachander’s Idi Katha Kaadu he acted in a negative role, but in Bapu’s Manavoori Pandavulu he played one important role. For this movie he received a remuneration of Rs.1116.Towards the end of 1979, Chirajeevi started gaining pace in the industry with eight releases in the year. In Kothala Rayudu, a film released during this period, he played the title role for the first time. In 1980, a record fourteen films starring Chiranjeevi hit the theaters, establishing a solid base for him in the industry. In the next two years Chiranjeevi acted in several films in leading, supporting and even in negative roles.
Most notably, his performances in Punnami Naagu(1980) and Nyayam Kavali(1981), albeit having negative shades, were acclaimed by critiques and audience alike. The year 1983 was a major turning point in Chiranjeevi’s career. Khaidi, which was released in October of this year, brought immediate stardom to Chiranjeevi and marked the beginning of his dominance in the industry. Many film critiques believe that the film has influenced the Telugu Cinema much the same way as the Hindi film Sholay influenced Bollywood. Inspired heavily by the Hollywood flick “First Blood”, Khaidi increased the demand for the director and writers also, besides turning the combination of the duo - director A Kodanda Rami Reddy and Chiranjeevi – into one of the most successful combinations in the industry. This duo went on to work together in 23 films in total, most of them being huge box office blockbusters. Also in this year, with the legendary Telugu film star NTR entering politics, the unofficial number one position in the industry is left vacant.
Actor to 'Megastar'
With several other super hits in the year like Abhilasha apart from Khaidi, Chiranjeevi appeared to be an obvious choice for this position. Indeed, he would occupy this position within the next few years and, as even his competitors agree, he remained there for more than two decades. Leading Telugu Actor Venkatesh said in an Interview to India Today that Chiranjeevi has been the undisputed No. 1 since 1987. Chiranjeevi continued to enjoy commercial success in the following years with hits like Challenge, Rustum and Jwala.
However, the ‘85 released film Adavi Donga was another important movie in his career in that it marked the beginning of his association with another senior director K Raghavendra Rao. Chiranjeevi acted in his direction for most number of films, after A Kodanda Rami Reddy. In '87 release Pasivadi Pranam, Chiranjeevi introduced Break Dance to Telugu Cinema, a dance that drove his fans into craziness. While the industry obsessed with break dance for several years, the film has increased his market value hugely. By this time an already number one in the Telugu cinema, Chiranjeevi cemented his place as the undisputed king of box office with super hits like Donga in 1985, Yamudiki Mogudu, Marana Mrudangam in 1988, and State Rowdi, Attaku Yamudu Ammayiki Mogudu in 1989. During this period, he was promoted with what is now a popular title “Megastar” in his movies, replacing his old title Supreme Hero. Chiranjeevi’s mass following continued to grow bigger and bigger with each passing year and so did his remuneration.
Bigger than Bachchan(1992)
Extending through the early 90s, Chiranjeevi delivered two super duper blockbusters movies Kondaveeti Donga and Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari in 1990. And in next continue three major blockbusters Gang Leader, Rowdi Alludu, and Gharana Mogudu in succession. These films have collected and created box office records, while turning the Telugu film industry a multi-crore business. At this point, his remuneration crossed ten million first, and later turned more, making Chiranjeevi is the highest paid actor in India. Befittingly, Film Fare magazine published about him a cover story “Higher than Amithab Bachan” in 1992. The film Mutha Mesthri released in the following year did created many commercial records, but it also shown Chiranjeevi as a political power, raising the speculation of his entry into politics.
Since then Chiranjeevi’s entry into politics has been widely debated in Andhra Pradesh, but his floating a political party remained uncertain until 2008 when he finally forayed into politics. The mid 90s, much to the surprise of everyone and contrary to his golden period in the early 90s, witnessed biggest flops of his career. Films like Mechanic Alludu, Big Boss and Rikshavodu have not only disappointed his fans but also have utterly failed at the box office. Although the ’95 film Alluda Mazaka was a commercial success, it was severely censured by common public and critiques alike for its excessive sexual scenes and double-entendres.
These films remained as indelible stains in his otherwise glorious career. Successive failures have forced Chiranjeevi to rethink on his films, which until then used to have overdose of mass elements and weak scripts. Taking a break of more than one year, he came out with a family and sentiment story Hitler in 1997. The film revived his box office success, marking the second innings of his career, allowed to find his lost image and even closer to family people. Since then, Chiranjeevi started to work in selective films, one or at most two in a year, to suit to the changes that are rapidly coming in the industry and in the tastes of audience. Same year, in his next movie Master, for the first time he turned to a playback singer for "Thammudu Thammudu" song. Though this movie was different from Hitler but it was well received by people. The Next movies in 1998 Bavagaru Bagunnara,Choodalani Undi were block busters which won many accolades as both were complete family entertainers.
Return to success: 2002
The 2002 release Indra (BlockBuster movie), a film that largely focuses on his ‘mass’ image and bases on the then successful ‘Seema Formula’, broke all previous box office records, proving yet again his dominance over Telugu Cinema. Released with a record number of prints, the film went on run 100days in most number of theaters, a record that, albeit peculiar, is extensively popular in Andhra Pradesh to measure a film’s success. Growing in age and bearing the larger-than-life image, Chiranjeevi tried to intermix entertainment with an underlying message and a social cause in his later films such as Tagore(2003) and Stalin(2006).
His last film Shankar Dada Zindabad(2008) before entering politics, was, however, a commercial failure. Arguably the greatest Telugu ‘mass’ hero of all-time, Chiranjeevi, setting his unparalleled ‘mass’ image aside, has acted in several art-oriented films like Subhalekha, Aaradhana, Swayamkrushi, Rudraveena Apadbhandavudu, that were highly creative but lacked commercial elements. Although these films have won several awards for the star, they had mixed opinions by the audience and fared well at the box office.
Philanthropy
On June 10, 2006, The President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam, inaugurated the Chiranjeevi Charitable Foundation (CCF) at the Jubilee Hills Check post in Hyderabad.
Recently CCT has reached one more landmark by crossing the one lakh mark in collecting the blood and more than 96,000 people were helped with blood by this blood bank.
Politics
Chiranjeevi inaugurated his party office in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad on August 10, 2008.On August 17, 2008 Chiranjeevi has addressed a press conference in his party office to announce his entry into politics.
On August 26, 2008 in the public meeting held at Avilala near Tirupati, he announced the party name as Praja Rajyam saying the Rajyam(Rule) belongs to Praja (People). He unveiled the party flag in this meeting.
He has completed several trips meeting people all across the three regions of Andhra Pradesh since October 2008.
Awards
Nandi Awards
* 1987—Best Actor Award for Swayamkrushi
* 1992—Best Actor Award for Aapathbandhavudu
* 2002—Best Actor Award for Indra
Filmfare Awards
* 1982—Filmfare Best Actor (Telugu) for Punnami Naagu
* 1984—Filmfare Best Actor (Telugu) for Subhalekha
* 1993—Filmfare Best Actor (Telugu) for Muta Mesthri
* 1999—Filmfare Best Actor (Telugu) for Sneham Kosam
* 2002—Filmfare Best Actor (Telugu) for Indra
* 2004—Filmfare Best Actor (Telugu) for Shankar Dada MBBS
* 2007- Filmfare Life Time Achievement Award
Special honours
* 2006—Padma Bhushan By Govt of India
* 2006—Doctorate By Andhra University
