Chiranjeevi

Konidela Chiranjeevi (born Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad; 22 August 1955) is an Indian actor, politician and philanthropist known primarily for his work in Telugu cinema. Widely regarded as one of the most successful and influential actors in the history of Indian cinema, he has starred in over 150 feature films. Chiranjeevi has received numerous honours, including the Padma Bhushan in 2006 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2024 from the Government of India, as well as the IFFI Indian Film Personality of the Year Award in 2022. His accolades include Andhra Pradesh's highest film honour, the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, three Nandi Awards, and nine Filmfare Awards South, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2013, CNN-IBN recognized him as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema".

Chiranjeevi made his acting debut with ''Punadhirallu'' (1979), although his first theatrical release was ''Pranam Khareedu'' (1978). Early in his career, he gained recognition with roles in ''Mana Voori Pandavulu'' (1978) and several films where he portrayed anti-hero and antagonist characters. He transitioned to leading roles with successful films such as ''Intlo Ramayya Veedhilo Krishnayya'' (1982) and ''Subhalekha'' (1982), the latter earning him his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor. His breakthrough came with the 1983 blockbuster ''Khaidi'', a film that firmly cemented his status as one of Telugu cinema's leading actors.

Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Chiranjeevi starred in numerous box-office hits, including ''Pasivadi Pranam'' (1987), ''Yamudiki Mogudu'' (1988), ''Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari'' (1990), ''Gang Leader'' (1991), ''Gharana Mogudu'' (1992), and ''Muta Mestri'' (1993). Notably, ''Gharana Mogudu'' became the first South Indian and Telugu film to collect over 10 crore in distributor share, leading ''The Week'' magazine to label him "Bigger than Bachchan" and "the new money machine." For his role in ''Aapadbandhavudu'' (1992), Chiranjeevi was paid 1.25 crore, making him the first Indian actor to receive over 1 crore for a film. During this period, Chiranjeevi also earned critical acclaim for his roles in ''Swayamkrushi'' (1987), ''Rudraveena'' (1988), and ''Aapadbandhavudu'' (1992), cementing his reputation as a versatile actor capable of delivering not only commercial hits, but also critically acclaimed performances. ''Swayamkrushi'' was shown at the Moscow International Film Festival, and ''Rudraveena'', which he co-produced, won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Chiranjeevi maintained his leading status with successful films like ''Master'' (1997), and ''Bavagaru Bagunnara?'' (1998), ''Choodalani Vundi'' (1998), and ''Annayya'' (2000). His 2002 film ''Indra'' broke box-office records, while socially impactful films like ''Tagore'' (2003) and ''Shankar Dada M.B.B.S.'' (2004) further reinforced his legacy. In 2002, he was honoured with the Samman Award by the Income Tax Department for being the highest income taxpayer for the 1999–2000 assessment year.

In 2008, Chiranjeevi founded the Praja Rajyam Party and contested the 2009 Andhra Pradesh elections, securing 18 seats with a vote share of over 16 percent, becoming the third largest party in the state. In 2011, the party merged with the Indian National Congress. Chiranjeevi served as a Rajya Sabha MP from 2012 to 2018 and was appointed Minister of Tourism with independent charge in October 2012, serving until May 2014. After a hiatus from acting, he returned to cinema with the blockbuster hit ''Khaidi No. 150'' (2017), his 150th film, followed by successful films such as ''Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy'' (2019) and ''Waltair Veerayya'' (2023).

On 2 October 1998, Chiranjeevi established the Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust (CCT), which operates the largest blood and eye banks in the Telugu states. The trust has collected over 930,000 units of blood, with 70% provided to the poor free of charge, and has restored eyesight to over 9,060 individuals through 4,580 cornea transplants. It has received multiple accolades, including the "Best Voluntary Blood Bank Award" from the Government of Andhra Pradesh for five consecutive years from 2002 to 2006. Provided by Wikipedia