There Are Very Few People Who Would Know the Person Going by the Name Konidela Siva Sankara Vara Prasad, but All Tollywood Fans and Many More Cinema Fans Across the Country Would Immediately Be Able to Identify the Megastar, Who Goes by the Screen Name Chiranjeevi or Chiru, as He Is Fondly Known. Considered to Be One of the Men Who Changed the Face of Indian Cinema, Chiru Is a Man Who Wears Many Hats. Actor, Politician, Singer, Dancer, Producer and Businessman Are Some of the Most Prominent Roles That He Is Known to Excel at.
THE BEGINNING!
BORN TO A POLICE FATHER IN THE SMALL VILLAGE OF MOGALTHUR IN 1955, CHIRANJEEVI SPENT HIS CHILDHOOD WITH HIS GRANDPARENTS, AS HIS FATHER USED TO BE TRANSFERRED FREQUENTLY
After finishing his schooling and graduating with a degree in commerce, Chiru moved to Chennai and joined the Madras Film institute to whet his appetite for acting and the journey began with Punadhirallu. However, the movie that first hit screens was Pranam Khareedu. Starting off by playing supporting roles and the negative lead in a couple of movies, Chiranjeevi came to become a regular in the movies of ace directors K. Balachander and K. Vishwanath. Gradually, his name and fame spread across industries and he began acting in other languages too. Chiranjeevi has worked in Tamil, Kannada and Hindi movies, apart from Telugu.
THE SPOTLIGHT!
Having become a known face in the cinema circuit, Chiranjeevi rocked the screens in his 1984 movie Khaidi and all eyes turned his way and the Megastar was born! In a string of action movies since Khaidi, Chiru established himself as a very bankable star and his acting & dancing skills were starting to catch the fancy of all T-town fans and his fan following began growing to unprecedented levels. With the number of blockbusters increasing year by year and with continuously rising popularity, the recognition and awards began piling up.
FOLLOWING THE OUTSTANDING SUCCESS OF RUDRAVEENA, CHIRU BECAME THE HIGHEST PAID ACTOR IN THE INDUSTRY.
This story is from the September 2016 edition of Galatta Cinema.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2016 edition of Galatta Cinema.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Truth Or Dare
Cinema is a powerful medium to tell a message to the masses. But the way you tell it, makes a big difference. Producer VINOTH KUMAR, director RAJAPANDI and actor VIJAY VASANTH have put together a tale that combines entertainment and social awareness, taking care not to sound too preachy.
True All-rounder!
Sahaya sheelan shadrach is not too common a name in kannada cinema and even most of the ardent of sandalwood fans would find it hard to recognise the multi-talented artiste who goes by a different screen name. When sahaya sheelan decided to enter movies, he was given a screen name by upendra; a name that has become synonymous with comedy and music in kannada cinema. The name is sadhu kokila and he is one of the best comedians as well as music directors that sandalwood has seen till date; but these two aren’t the only avatars he has aced in cinema... He is also a highly successful director, producer, lyricist and screenplay writer.
Ramp to Reel! The Big Step Forward...
With a burning passion for acting, Mohnish Raheja started off on the right track by taking to modelling and gradually moving into TV commercials before taking the big leap into cinema! Arming himself with an acting course at the Anupam Kher acting school in Mumbai and then moving on to alchemy in Chennai and following that up with two years of stage plays alongside the masquerade group, only strengthened his repertoire. Mohnish has begun working on his maiden movie, a Telugu-Tamil bilingual which is expected to hit screens in 2017. Read on to see what keeps Mohnish ticking, from some excerpts of a tete-a-tete with him...
One BIG M!
Mollywood, as the Malayalam Cinema industry is widely referred to as, has seen many great stars and technicians grace its galaxy, but none more so than the two big M’s - Mohanlal and Mammootty! here’s a look at who Mohanlal is and how he came to be one of the biggest stars ever...
Trilingual Surprises
Comeback? nah, not for a person who has always been in our hearts.
End Verse.
A tribute to poet lyricist Na. Muthukumar
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
There’s a new cop in tinseltown and he’s got what it takes to bring the bad guys down! ARUN VIJAY is all muscled-up and ready in his crisp khakis as he embarks upon an action-packed thriller tailor-made for him by director ARIVAZHAGAN. Titled KUTTRAM 23 the movie has Arun Vijay chasing after a villain within the sanctified walls of a hospital. The movie is produced by Inder Kumar’s REDHAN, The Cinema People and co-produced by Arun Vijay’s IN CINEMA ENTERTAINMENT. As the team works day-in and day-out, putting finishing touches on the movie KAANCHAN PRASHANTH catches up with them for exclusive insights on what seems to be an exciting ride in the waiting...
Blending Fashion & Passion...
If we think that one meets his destiny on the road he avoids to take, here’s a chance to rethink. Meet Amritha Ram, Fashion Designer and stylist who discovered her calling at the perfect time, equipped herself technically and found the right mentor at the right time.
SP.T. Films Annakkili
A Landmark Film for Introducing Folk Village Music to Tamil Cinema.
A League of Eyes
The movie centres in Andhra Pradesh open their arms to any film. They have the second largest film going audiences in India, after Hindi centres. They make it a point to go watch a film in the Theatres. They do not believe in piracy and DVD's. No matter what kind of films release, they flock to the Theatres to watch it.
