Chiranjeevi is one of the redefining forces of the Tollywood industry. The megastar stepped into Indian cinema in 1978 with his debut film, Pranam Khareedu. Ever since, there's been no looking back. Over his four-decade-long career, Chiranjeevi has delivered some spectacular performances.
We saw the
best of him in movies like Indra, Gang Leader, Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari, Shankar Dada MBBS, Gharana Mogudu, etc.
The actor will turn a year older tomorrow. His last release, Godfather, turned out to be yet another incredible hit. It starred Nayanthara,
Salman Khan, and Satya Dev in pivotal roles. Over the years, Chiranjeevi has created a massive and loyal fanbase. His fans like to fondly call him Megastar.
If you are a Chiranjeevi fan who would like to get the gist of him beyond the cinema, we've got you. As the Godfather actor celebrates his 68th birthday, let's take you through some
lesser-known facts about Chiranjeevi that will shock you.
1. A trained actor
Born
Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad Rao, he always knew what he wanted to become. Chiranjeevi is a trained actor. He graduated from the Madras Film Institute in 1976 and has struggled his way to success. Over the course of four decades, the actor has starred in about 150 feature films, primarily in Telugu and some in Hindi and Tamil.
2. The first South superstar to attend the Oscars
Chiranjeevi was the first ever South Indian actor to be invited to the
Academy Awards in 1987. Back in the day, the Oscars used to be the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Furthermore, his 1990 drama Kodama Simham was credited as the first ever South Indian film to be dubbed in English.
3. Paycheck in crores in 1992
Chiranjeevi remains one of the highest-paid actors in Telugu cinema. While actors are known to charge
huge paychecks, it was Megastar who was paid a whopping amount of Rs. 1.25 crore for his 1992 film Aapadbandhavudu. This kind of amount back in the 1990s was a big deal.
Not just that, Chiranjeevi's 1992 release Gharana Mogudu crossed over Rs. 10 crore within a year, making it the highest grossing drama in the history of Tollywood. He is also the only
actor in Tollywood to have single, double, and triple-role movies running in cinemas for over 100 days.
These facts are shocking and impressive all at once. Radio City wishes Chiranjeevi a very happy birthday.
