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- Actress
- Music Department
Aditi Rao Hydari was born in 1986 in Hyderabad, from two royal lineages, that of Sir Akbar Hydari and J. Rameshwar Rao the erstwhile Raja of Wanaparthy.
A classical Bharatanatyam dancer, she made her acting debut with Sharada Ramanathan's acclaimed film Sringaram and rose to fame after her performance in Sudhir Mishra's Yeh Saali Zindagi. In 2012, she played the female lead in the movie London Paris New York opposite Ali Zafar and later became a part of Mahesh Bhatt's Murder franchise in Vishesh Bhatt's directorial film Murder 3 (2013).
Aditi is best known for her roles in Murder 3 (2013), Rockstar, London Paris New York, and Yeh Saali Zindagi. She will be soon seen in films like Guddu Rangeela directed by Subhash Kapoor; The Legend of Michael Mishra, directed by Manish Jha; Aur Devdas by Sudhir Mishra and Wazir, directed by Bejoy Nambiar along with Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar and Fitoor, directed by Abhisheik Kapoor where she plays a young Begum.- Sobhita Dhulipala is an Indian actress with acting work across multiple regional film industries in India. She made her debut with Hindi film Raman Raghav 2.0 (Psycho Raman) that premiered at the Cannes film festival in 2016 where she earned a best supporting performance nomination. Sobhita's breakthrough came with her role as Tara Khanna in 'Made in heaven' followed by her role in 'The Night Manager', an official adaptation of its UK counterpart. Her work across Malayalam (Kurup), Telugu (Goodachari, Major) and Tamil (Ponniyin Selvan -1,2) was met with commercial success as well as critical acclaim. Her bi-lingual Indian film The elder one (Moothon) was lauded at its premiere at the Toronto International film festival in 2019. A trained classical dancer, she has been recognized for her work in Indian award shows
- Actor
- Music Department
- Producer
Vijay Deverakonda named Deverakonda Vijay Sai at birth comes from a family of farmers who hail from Achampet in the Nagarkurnool district in Telangana. He is an Indian actor who works primarily in Telugu cinema.
Deverakonda studied up to the 10th standard at Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School in Puttaparthi. After completing his Intermediate studies at the Little Flower Junior College in Hyderabad, he went on to do his graduation in commerce. After his graduation, he joined a theatre group called Sutradhar. His first play was Sherlock Home. The instant feedback and appreciation from the audience sparked his love for acting.
Deverakonda made his film debut with Nuvvila (2011), a romantic comedy directed by Ravi Babu. He played supporting roles in films like Life Is Beautiful (2012) and Yevade Subramanyam (2015). He was presented with a Special Jury Award at the Nandi Awards in 2017 for his supporting act in Yevade Subramanyam.
His break as a leading man came in Pelli Choopulu (2016). It was a romantic comedy directed by Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam and had Ritu Varma playing the female lead opposite him.
Pelli Choopulu bagged the Filmfare Award for Best Film in 2016 - Telugu. At the 64th National Film Awards in 2016, it was declared the winner of the Best Feature Film in the Telugu category. His next lead role was in Srinivasa Ravindra's Dwaraka (2017), a comedy-drama film that had him pairing up with Pooja Jhaveri.
Deverakonda's portrayal of the title character in his next film Arjun Reddy (2017), received critical acclaim. His convincing act in the movie as a short-tempered, self-destructive, and alcoholic surgeon with anger management issues won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor in 2018 - Telugu. The movie went on to become a box-office success. His performance in Arjun Reddy was listed among the 100 Greatest Performances of the Decade by Film Companion in 2019.
In 2018, his film Ye Mantram Vesave (2018) was released after a delay of around five years. But it failed to make any impact at the box office, and critics found the movie to be dated.
He went on to act in films like Mahanati (2018), Nota (2018), Geetha Govindam (2018) and Taxiwala (2018), which was a supernatural comedy thriller.
His acting in Geetha Govindam (2018) won him the Zee Cine Awards Telugu in 2019 under the Favourite Actor category. He also received the Critics' Choice Best Actor Award at the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) 2019.
Deverakonda next starred in a romantic action drama, Dear Comrade (2019), followed by the romantic drama World Famous Lover (2020). He played the lead role in Liger (2022), a bilingual sports action film directed by Puri Jagannadh and produced under the banner of Puri Connects and Dharma Productions.
He won the Youth Icon South (Male) Award at the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) in 2022. He ventured into production in 2019 and backed movies under the King of the Hill Entertainment banner. The banner has been involved in the production of films like Meeku Maathrame Chepta (2019) and Pushpaka Vimanam (2021).
He ranked 72nd in the 2018 list of Celebrity 100 released by Forbes India. And he was ranked at the 2nd position in 2020's list of The Times Most Desirable Men.- Actress
- Music Department
Tabu is an Indian actress. She has mainly acted in Hindi films, though she has also starred in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi and Bengali-language films, as well as one American film. She has won the National Film Award for Best Actress twice, and holds the record for the most wins of Filmfare's Critics Award for Best Female Performer, with four. With few exceptions, she is best known for acting in artistic, low-budget films that go on to garner more critical appreciation than substantial box-office figures. Her appearances in commercially successful films were few, and her parts in these films were small, such as Border (1997), Saajan Chale Sasural (1996), Biwi No. 1 (1999) and Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999). Her most notable performances include Maachis (1996), Virasat (1997), Hu Tu Tu (1999), Astitva (2000), Chandni Bar (2001), Maqbool (2003) and Cheeni Kum (2007). Her leading role in Mira Nair's American film The Namesake (2006) also drew major praise.
Regarded as one of the most talented Indian actresses of her generation, Tabu is known to be selective about her film roles. She was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, in 2011 by the Government of India for her contributions towards the arts.- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Known for his action star persona, N.T. Rama Rao Jr. , commonly referred to as Tarak or Jr NTR is the grandson of legendary Telugu actor and politician N.T. Rama Rao. Tarak is the most successful star from Nandamuri family working in the Telugu film industry.
Tarak was born on 20th May 1983 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (currently in Telangana), India to Nandamuri Harikrishna and Shalini Rao. Tarak learnt the Kuchipudi dance form in his early childhood and gave many stage performances in India and abroad.
Tarak was selected by acclaimed Telugu director Gunasekhar to star as the mythological character Lord Ram in the children's film Ramayanam (1996), marking his debut in movies. After starring in a few TV serials, he made his adult debut in movies with Ninnu Choodalani (2001) directed by V.R. Pratap. He has since then starred in over thirty movies in leading roles. He is the recipient of two Filmfare Awards, two Nandi awards and four CineMAA awards.- Actor
- Music Department
- Producer
Ravi Teja, also known as Bhupatiraju Ravi Shankar Raju, is a well-known Indian film actor and producer. He is widely known as the "King of Action Comedies" and has earned the title of "Mass Maharaja." His stellar performance and dance moves have many young fans across India.
His father was a pharmacist, while his mother was a homemaker. Both of his brothers, Raghu and Bharath also pursued careers in acting.
Teja, who is proficient in speaking Hindi and Telugu, spent his childhood in various parts of northern India due to his father's job. He received his education in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bhopal, and Jaipur and completed his studies at Siddhartha Degree College in Vijayawada. In 1988, he relocated to Madras to start his career in the film industry.
Teja's journey in the film industry began as a director's assistant, working on various Telugu and Bollywood films. He made his acting debut with a small role in the popular 1996 movie Ninne Pelladatha (1996), which was directed by Krishna Vamsi. He also served as the assistant director for the film.
As his career progressed, he appeared in supporting roles in films such as Annayya (2000), Manasichi Choodu (2020), and Idiot (2002). He landed his first leading role in the 1999 film Nee Kosam (1999), which earned him a Special Jury Award Nandi despite being an average box office performer.
Today, Teja is considered one of the highest-paid actors in the Telugu film industry. He has won several awards, including a Filmfare Award South, and three state Nandi Awards for his performance in the film "Khadgam." He was also nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Throughout his career, Teja has been a part of several notable films, including Vikramarkudu (2006), Kick (2009), Venky (2004), Dubai Seenu (2007), Krishna: The Power of Indrakeeladri (2008), Neninthe (2008), and Bengal Tiger (2015).- Harshvardhan Rane is a Telugu and Hindi film actor. His father was a doctor, and his mother is a homemaker. Rane was brought up in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Rane did his graduation from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Delhi, India. He is also a graduate of the Barry John Acting Studio and has actively participated in theatrical shows.
Rane has performed in many theatrical projects by Hyderabad-based theatre groups, including the Indian adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) by Tennessee Williams. Furthermore, earlier in his career, he also worked as a freelancer in a film-building enterprise.
Rane made his first acting debut by appearing in three episodes of the TV show Left Right Left (2006), starring Harshad Chopda, Rajeev Khandelwal and Arjun Bijlani.
Rane made his first film debut in the Telugu film Thakita Thakita (2010), starring Haripriya, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Anushka Shetty and Bhoomika Chawla. He went on to work in two more Telugu films in 2012 - Naa Ishtam (2012) opposite Genelia Deshmukh and Rana Daggubati and Avunu (2012) opposite Shamna Kasim and Ravi Babu. He had four releases in 2014 - Anaamika (2014), Maaya (2014), Geethanjali (2014), and Brother of Bommali (2014), all of which were Telugu films.
Rane worked opposite Nayanthara in Anaamika (2014), where he portrayed the role of a software engineer. Similarly, he was seen opposite Avantika Mishra in Maaya (2014) and Anjali in Geethanajali (2014).
Rane has also done cameo roles in Telugu films such as Bengal Tiger (2015), starring Tamannaah Bhatia and Ravi Teja and Fidaa (2017), starring Sai Pallavi, Varun Tej and Sarah Uriarte Berry. He had his first breakthrough in Hindi cinema in Sanam Teri Kasam (2016). It was a romantic tragedy starring Mawra Hocane. Rane also featured in Paltan (2018) and Kavacham (2018) in 2018.
In 2021, Harshvardhan was featured on the Netflix release Haseen Dillruba (2021) as an adventurer lover opposite Taapsee Pannu. The film also featured Vikrant Massey and was directed by Vinil Mathew. In2022, Tara vs Bilal (2022) was released - a romantic comedy directed by Samar Iqbal, featuring Sonia Rathee and Raheem Mir. - Director
- Producer
- Writer
Ram Gopal Varma was born in Hyderabad, the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. He initially was a video store owner before eventually becoming one of India's leading film directors. A film buff during his youth, Varma would watch both American and Indian cinema regularly. As a young man, he attended Siddhartha Engineering College in Vijayawada. Varma started his career in telugu cinema (the Hyderabad film industry), where he made a huge mark with his debut film Shiva, a violent and stylized actioner set in a college backdrop. At the age of 28, with little film training, Varma was able to convince Nagarjuna, a young Telugu star, to act in his debut picture. Nagarjuna was drawn by the narration of the script and intelligence displayed by the young Varma. Shiva was a landmark hit for the industry and was remade by Varma in the hindi language a year later.
His next was the exciting adventure film, Kshana Kshanam, starring Venkatesh and Sridevi. Varma followed this up with such films as - Raatri, a homage to 'The Exorcist' starring Revati and Om Puri (which Varma would remake over a decade later in Hindi as Bhoot) and Antham, a stylized crime drama, with Nagarjuna and Urmila Matondkar (which Varma would also rework later as Satya) - but was not able to attain the commercial success of his first feature. His next release Gaayam, with Jagapathi Babu and Urmila Matondkar, was a violent crime drama set in Hyderabad. The screenplay was co-written by tamil film director Mani Ratnam, and the script based on 'The Godfather'. It became a success for Varma. He then decided to start his own production banner, Varma Corporation Limited, and produced successful telugu films such as Money (remade later as Love Ke Liye Kuchh Bhi Karega), Money Money (its sequel), Gulabi and Anaganaga Oka Roju.
His first huge success in hindi cinema (the Mumbai film industry) was the commercial blockbuster Rangeela, a stylish romantic drama with Aamir Khan and Urmila Matondkar. A.R. Rahman, a tamil music composer, was introduced to hindi audiences by Varma with this film and won the award for best film music.
Varma followed up with the ground breaking gangster saga Satya, a violent crime epic set in the Mumbai underworld. The film was gritty and realistic, reinventing the crime genre in Indian cinema. Varma had done extensive research for the film, and reworked certain elements of his earlier film Antham. Satya was widely considered Varma's first true masterwork. Made on a shoestring budget and with new faces, the film won awards for actor Manoj Bajpai and music composer Vishal Bharadwaj. Satya became a turning point in Varma's career, winning best picture of the year, and Varma would be forever associated with Mumbai noirs.
Varma then, with fellow director Shekhar Kapur, created a joint film production company in 1998 called India Talkies. The first venture of the production house was the ambitious terrorist drama 'Dil Se', with Shahrukh Khan and Manisha Koirala. The film was a box office dud, and India Talkies would be short lived. Varma would return to focusing on his own production house Varma Corp.
The hard hitting masterpiece 'Shool' followed shortly after, written and produced by Varma. The film depicted the life of an honest police officer in the violent and harsh rural setting of Bihar. The film was a commercial and critical success with both Manoj Bajpai and Sayaji Shinde winning awards for their performances. Varma lightened things up next with the romantic drama 'Mast'. The film was inspired by Varma's own college days, and featured Aftab Shivdasani in an award-winning turn as a film crazy college student.
Varma decided afterwards to only direct films in the Mumbai film industry. He believed there was more talent in Mumbai than in southern film cities like Chennai and Hyderabad. Varma had always admired directors such as Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihlani, and Gulzar. He considers Kalyug, Ardh Satya, and Mere Apne among his favorite Indian films of all time. At a time when popular Indian Cinema featured either over the top action films or glamorous love stories, Varma's films were more rooted and realistic. Varma is known to frequently cut out song and dance sequences in his films, which are usually commonplace in Bollywood. His films almost always deal with the contemporary and urban, usually set in the city of Mumbai. He often uses Indian stage actors in his films rather than established bollywood stars. Mainly known for creating the 'Mumbai noir', Varma brought psychological depth and cinematic virtuosity to genre films.
More recently, Varma returned with the organized crime masterpiece 'Company'. The film was again set in the Mumbai underworld, and was based on real life Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his criminal outfit D-Company. The film featured award-winning performances by Ajay Devgan, Vivek Oberoi and Manisha Koirala. The film also won awards for best editing by Chandan Arora and best story by Jaideep Sahni. The film was lauded by critics and audiences alike.
His latest release Naach, which Varma called his best film yet, was a largely self reflective piece, about the relationship between an idealistic choreographer and an ambitious actor. The film had a weak commercial run but was liked by critics. In a recent interview with the Indian Express newspaper, the filmmaker criticized Indian audiences saying "I gave Ayn Rand to a Municipal School."
He spends most of his time these days producing small budget films for his successful production house Varma Corp. Though not always credited, he is involved in all aspects of his productions, often believed to 'ghost direct' many of the films. He produces films at a fast speed that is unfamiliar to the Indian Film Industry. He has had many recent successes including - 'Ab Tak Chhappan', based on the experiences of famed Mumbai police Daya Naik, 'D', a prequel to his earlier hit Company based on the early years of Dawood Ibrahim during his days under Pathan underworld boss Karim Lala, 'Ek Hasina Thi', a female revenge thriller, and finally 'Road'. He has also produced lighter films such as 'Love Ke Liye Kuchh Bhi Karega' and 'Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon'.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Shreya Dhanwantary, is an Indian actress, model and author who works predominantly in the Hindi and Tamil film industries. After her birth, Dhanwanthary's family moved to Dubai, where she spent most of her childhood. She was raised in both the Middle East and Delhi before graduating with a degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from NIT Warangal.
When she first moved to Mumbai, Dhanwantary appeared in many commercials for popular brands like Fastrack, Samsung, Safi, Vogue Eyewear, and D'damas to support herself financially.
Before entering the film industry, Dhanwantary participated in the Pantaloons Femina Miss India South in 2008, where she was the first runner-up. The same year, she also participated in the Miss India contest, where she was one of the finalists.
Dhanwantary's acting career began when she got her first break in the Telugu movie Sneha Geetham (2010) in 2010. However, she made her Bollywood debut in Why Cheat India (2019), starring alongside Emraan Hashmi.
She was later recognized for her appearance in the web series [link=tt8555892, where she played the role of Devanshi Taylor. Dhanwantary also garnered attention for her role as Zoya in the Amazon Prime web series The Family Man (2019). She even won the Fan Favourite Supporting Actress Award at the Indian Telly Streaming Awards for her role in Mumbai Diaries (2021).
Her role as journalist Sucheta Dalal in Sony LIV's web series Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020) earned her several nominations and critical acclaim. She was nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress for her films Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020) and Looop Lapeta (2022), respectively, for the Filmfare OTT Awards. She won the Hit List OTT Awards and The Indian Film and Television Awards in the Best Actor-Female category for her role in Scam 1992.
Alongside her acting career, Dhanwantary is also a writer and author of the novel 'Fade to White', published in 2016. Dhanwantary also wrote, directed, produced, and even acted in the first-of-its-kind zoom show called the Viral Wedding.- Sushmita was born in the Bengali-speaking Sen family on November 19, 1975 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. Her family consists of her dad, Shubeer, a former Indian Air Force Wing Commander; mom, Subhra, Jewelry Designer and owner of a Dubai-based store. She has two siblings, a sister named Neelam, who is married to Nauman Malik, and a brother named Rajeev. Subhra's dad was a poet.
She attended different schools in Jorhat, and Nagpur, but spend the majority of her schooling days in the Air Force Golden Jubilee Institute and Air Force Silver School in Delhi. She was regarded as a tomboy and spent most of her times with boys. Since the schools were Hindi medium, she could not speak English until she was 16 years of age. She subsequently not only mastered English, but became an English Honors student, and also obtained a degree in Journalism. Due to her place of birth she can speak Urdu flawlessly.
Her first public appearance was at the Air Force Club Contest at the age of 15. She did a few fashion shows thereafter. Then during 1994 she decided to be a participant in Miss India beauty pageant, fully aware that she was being pitted against the reigning favorite, Aishwarya Rai. Sushmita took everyone by surprise when she was crowned Miss India while Aishwarya had to content with being the First Runner-up. Both beauties went on to win Miss Universe and Miss World titles respectively. Ironically the final outfit for Miss Universe for Sushmita was made by a little-known Meena Bazar tailor, and her mom.
It was during 1996 that she first appeared as herself in a Bollywood movie titled 'Dastak'. Though the movie did not fare too well, she was noticed and thus began her career on the silver screen. She has since then portrayed herself in a variety of characters and also some 'item' numbers.
Not considered a classic beauty and leading quite an unconventional lifestyle she ended up in many relationships but did not marry anyone. She wanted to be a mother and to adopt a baby girl, and name her Renee. Since she is single, she had to fight a Court battle before she could finally adopt Renee. Finally on 13 April 2000 she was given the go-ahead to adopt her, even though the family-owned business in Dubai was already re-named as 'Renee' quite ironically a year earlier on 13 April 1999. - Anjali is an award-winning Indian film actress and model, who predominantly appears in Tamil, Telugu and a few Kannada films. Following a stint in modelling, she was cast in starring roles in two Telugu productions; her debut film was the Telugu film Photo, which released in 2006, before bagging a role and gaining attention in the film Kattradhu Thamizh (2007), for which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debutante. In 2010 and 2011, she won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Tamil, for her performances in Angaadi Theru and Engaeyum Eppothum respectively, subsequently becoming recognized as one of the "finest young actors" in Tamil cinema,[2] and noted for mostly playing "performance-oriented roles"
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who has worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He is one of the leading actors in Tamil Cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai (1995). A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with Kadhal Kottai (1996) and Kadhal Mannan (1998) being the most notable. He later forayed into method acting, as seen in Vaali (1999), Mugavaree (2000), Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000) and Citizen (2001) before establishing himself as an action hero with popular films including Amarkalam (1999), Dheena (2001), Villain (2002), Varalaru (2006) and Billa (2007). He has won three Filmfare Best Actor Awards in Tamil, all for films which showcased him in multiple roles. Ajith performs predominantly in leading roles in major studio films, genres ranging from romantic comedies and drama to action thrillers.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Bandreddi Sukumar, popularly known as Sukumar, is a screenwriter, film director, and producer of Telugu films.
Sukumar was born to Tirupathi Rao Naidu, a rice trader, and Veera Veni, a homemaker. He studied at a Zilla Parishad High School in Razole in Andhra Pradesh. He went on to complete his master's degree in Mathematics.
Before joining the film industry, Sukumar worked as a mathematics lecturer at a junior college in Bhimavaram. He decided to switch careers when he felt his life as a lecturer had become too mundane.
After moving to Hyderabad to pursue a career in the film industry, he began writing for TV serials and films. He later worked as an assistant director in a few movies, including Manasichi Choodu (1999).
Sukumar made his directorial debut with Arya (2004), a romantic entertainer starring Allu Arjun, Siva Balaji, and Anuradha Mehta. He also wrote the screenplay for the film. The story revolves around three college students with love as the key theme. The film was a massive blockbuster and ran over 420 days across eight centres. Sukumar won the Filmfare South Award (2004) for Best Director - Telugu for this movie. He also won the Nandi Award for Best Screenplay Writer in 2004. The film brought him into the limelight overnight.
His second directorial venture was Jagadam (2007), an action movie that had Ram Pothineni and Isha Sahani playing the lead roles. He was the screenplay writer for this movie as well. The film depicts the story of a child who wants to become a thug growing up and the challenges he has to face later in his life due to his fascination.
He then wrote and directed Arya 2 (2009) next. It was the namesake sequel of Arya (2004) and featured Allu Arjun, Navdeep, and Kajal Aggarwal in lead roles. The film deals with the love-hate relationship between two childhood friends who fall in love with the same girl. Arya 2 received mixed reviews from critics.
In his next film, 100% Love (2011), Sukumar explored the romantic comedy genre in which Naga Chaitanya Akkineni and Tamannaah Bhatia portrayed the main characters. The storyline was about the ego hassles between two college students who are very competitive in their studies and have fallen in love with each other. The movie proved to be a big hit.
In 2014, Sukumar directed the psychological action thrille 1: Nenokkadine (2014), with Mahesh Babu and Kriti Sanon in lead roles. The film was about a rockstar with a psychological condition who seeks to avenge his parent's death, and it received mixed reviews from critics.
The same year, he directed I Am That Change (2014), a short film starring Allu Arjun. It received a positive response.
He next directed To Father with Love (2016), an action thriller in which N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Rajendra Prasad, and Rakul Preet Singh played the lead characters. The film revolves around the emotional relationship between a son and his father, spanning the last month of the latter's life. It got positive responses from critics.
His next venture as a writer-cum-director was Rangasthalam 1985 (2018), a period drama starring Ram Charan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and Aadhi in pivotal roles. The film narrates the story of two brothers and their fight against corrupt village governance. It was a massive hit at the box office and became one of the highest-grossing Telegu movies of 2018.
Sukumar then directed Pushpa: The Rise - Part 1 (2021), in which the lead roles were played by Allu Arjun, Fahadh Faasil, and Rashmika Mandanna. The film traces the story of a labourer name Pushpa who rises through the ranks of a smuggling syndicate dealing in red sandalwood and his tussle with the law regarding illegal trade. The film was a huge commercial success and became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of 2021.
Sukumar married Thabitha Sukumar in 2009.The couple met at a screening of his directorial film, Arya. They gradually fell in love, but Thabitha's parents were opposed to the match. The couple married in the presence of Sukumar's parents and her sister. Thabitha's parents later accepted their relationship. The couple has two kids, a son and a daughter.- Actress
- Producer
- Executive
Dia Mirza was born on 9 December 1981 in Hyderabad in an interracial, German and Bengali family.
Her father Frank Handrich was a German graphic and industrial fair designer, architect, artist and interior designer and her mother Deepa excelled in interior and landscape design. She now volunteers as a counsellor at addiction centres.
As a student of J. Krishnamurti School, Dia learnt early to never conform to the limitations of the conditioned mind. Her education and family values made her world-view naturally inclusive and composite.
The hunger to chase every dream was encouraged at her school and at home.
That is why at the age of 16, while she was still a student, Dia began working towards financial independence. Modelling offers poured in and after endorsing brands like Lipton and Walls Ice Cream, she decided to dive deeper and participate in a beauty pageant that would transform her fate.
The Miss India Contest in 2000 made her a household name and then she won the Miss Asia-Pacific Pageant for India, after a span of nearly 29 long years.
Films were the next natural step. And Dia was ready to study the craft rather than take the opportunities coming her way for granted. Dia began her training as an actor in theatre workshops conducted by acclaimed director Feroz Abbas Khan and made her debut with Vashu Bhagnani's Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (2001), with Madhavan.
She then went on to appear in several memorable films, including the blockbuster Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), Parineeta (2005), Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007), Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007), Kurbaan (2009), Dus Kahaniyaan (2007), Tehzeeb (2003), Sanju (2018), Thappad (2020) and many more.
In 2012, Dia forayed into regional cinema with Bengali Filmmaker Pratim Dasgupta's festival favourite Paanch Adhyay. In the same year, she also added a new dimension to her cinematic career, by turning producer to form Born Free Entertainment. A production house mirroring her desire to seek the new constantly. 'Love Breakups Zindagi (2011)' and 'Bobby Jasoos (2014)' were produced under this banner.
In 2016, Dia made her debut on Indian television with the much loved show Ganga: The Soul of India where she took viewers on a breath-taking journey to rediscover the holy river and the many stories connected with it.
Her debut on a streaming platform as an actor was in Kaafir, a highly acclaimed 2019 web-series about the Indo-Pak cross border dispute. Critics and audiences were moved and stirred by Dia's award winning portrayal of a young woman's journey from innocence to devastation and then resilience and courage. The series and Dia's work in it continue to win accolades.
On her 38th birthday in 2019, Dia Mirza launched a new production house, One India Stories LLP, which aims to bring out meaningful content across different formats and mediums.
Dia and her hand-picked team plan to collaborate with gifted individuals from different film industries and also have women-led stories as part of the roster.
As an actor and individual, Dia has always believed in the power of one and in the thread of oneness and humanity that connects us all. One India Stories is a culmination of this thought and aims to create stories that remind us of our connection to each other and the planet.
In her career as a performer, and her subsequent work as a producer and a climate change-maker, Dia has made unconventional choices.
Today, she is not just an actor and a producer but a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador and United Nations Secretary-General Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals.
The search for the unknown, the less familiar continues.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Vivek Oberoi was born on the 3rd of September,1976 and attended Mayo college in Ajmer. At an actors' workshop in London he was spotted by none other than the director of NYU who (unsurprisingly) whisked Vivek off to New York, where he completed his Masters Degree in film acting. Back home in India Vivek worked as scriptwriter and bought his first car with the money he made from that.
But the charmer's big break came when noted filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma offered Vivek a role in his gangster flick, Company (2002). Quite an unusual entrance for a debutant in Bollywood, because the norm for young actors is to play good lover boys till their place in Filmdom is secure. Not Vivek. Apparently, Ram Gopal Varma was having second thoughts about casting Vivek in Company because he thought Vivek looked too cute for a gangster - and told him so. Vivek, not to be outdone, went to the slums of Mumbai and did his homework and a couple of weeks later barged into Varma's office dressed as Chandu the gangster, swung his feet up on the table, and landed the contract pronto.
From there the road went uphill. Vivek's immaculate performance in Company - in which he starred opposite Bollywood Big Bad Boy Ajay Devgn, Miss Bolly Manisha Koirala and the granddaddy of Malayalam Cinema, Mohanlal - was more than enough to get the media singing Oberoi's praises. Next in line was the psycho-thriller Road (2002) (opposite Company co-star and co-newcomer Antara Mali), Dum (2003) (which sank without a trace - opposite Dia Mirza) and the next big catch, Saathiya (2002), opposite Rani Mukerji.
He recently got engaged to, and then broke up with longtime girlfriend Gurpreet, and is currently linked with Rani Mukherjee and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Recently he got himself into the headlines for a public outburst (i.e. press conference) against Salman Khan.- Actor
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Venkatesh Daggubati has worked in the Telugu film industry for over 37 years. He has also done a few Hindi movies.
His father, D. Rama Naidu, was a film producer and former Parliament Member; his mother, Rajeshwari, is a housewife. He completed his schooling at Don Bosco, Egmore.
He completed his B.Com from Loyola College, Chennai, and his MBA from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, US.
He started his film career as a child artist in the movie Prema Nagar (1971) in 1971, in which he played the role of Keshav. It was directed by K.S. Prakash Rao.
After his MBA, he returned to India and wanted to pursue a career in film production. However, he became a Telugu actor and starred in his first movie as a lead in Kaliyuga Pandavulu (1986).
This movie was directed by K. Raghavendra Rao and was also the debut movie of actress Khushbu Sundar. It was a huge success and won the Nandi Special Jury Award.
After appearing in five movies in 1987, he was a part of two major hits in 1988, Brahma Puthrudu (1988) as Shakthi, which got him a Filmfare Award for Best Actor - Telugu, and Swarnakamalam (1988) as Chandra Sehkar (the role of a painter), which won the Nandi Special Jury Award.
Swarnakamalam was also featured in the 12th IFFI, the Asia Pacific Film Festival in the Indian Panorama section and the Ann Arbor Film Festival.
He starred as Pruthvi in Prema (1989), for which he got his first Nandi Award for Best Actor.
In 1990, he appeared in a dual role in the movie Aggiramudu (1990) as Aggi Ramudu and Vijay. He also appeared in the action movie Bobbili Raja (1990) along with the late actress Divya Bharti. These films were featured at the Fribourg Festival.
He made his Bollywood debut with the movie Anari (1993) opposite Karisma Kapoor. He also starred in another Hindi movie, Taqdeerwala (1995), opposite Raveena Tandon.
In 1995, he did another movie, Pokiri Raja (1995), in a double role as Chanti and Balaraju. The film was directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy.
He delivered another significant role successfully with Dharma Chakram (1996), for which he was recognised with Nandi Award for Best Actor and Filmfare Award for Best Actor - Telugu. In this movie, he plays the role of an honest lawyer.
In 1998, he made another successful movie Ganesh (1998), again winning the Nandi Award for Best Actor and Filmfare Award for Best Actor - Telugu. His role as Ganesh fought with the vices of the Indian healthcare system.
His movie Kalisundam Raa (2000), in which he played the role of Raghu, got him another Nandi Award for Best Actor and the Filmfare Special Award - South.
In the same year, he appeared in another blockbuster success Jayam Manadera (2000), in a dual role as Mahadeva Naidu and Rudrama Naidu/Abhiram, for which he got the Filmfare Award for Best Actor - Telugu.
In 2007, he appeared as Ganesh in Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule (2007), which got him another Nandi Award for Best Actor.
Daggubati has also starred in several multi-starrer movies like Seethamma Vaakitlo Sirimalle Chettu (2013), along with Mahesh Babu.
In 2014, he appeared as Rambabu in the crime thriller Drushyam (2014) and reappeared in its sequel Drushyam 2 (2021) in 2021. Drushyam 1 got him the Best Actor (Jury) award at TSR - TV9 National Film Awards in 2015.
His hit movie Guru (2017) won him Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor - South. In 2019, he starred in Venky Mama (2019) along with his nephew Naga Chaitanya Akkineni, which grossed more than 72 crores across the globe.
Daggubati has voiced the role of Genie in the Telegu Version of the Hollywood movie Aladdin (2019), originally voiced by Will Smith.
He appeared as Naga Naidu in the popular web series Rana Naidu (2023) on Netflix, a Hindi-Telugu bilingual series, along with Rana Daggubati and Surveen Chawla.- Actor
- Music Department
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Considered as the greatest comedian Telugu film industry ever produced, Brahmanandam is a native of Muppala village near Sattenapalli, Brahmanandam completed his M.A. (Telugu) and worked as a Lecturer in Telugu before Jandhyala introduced him to the silver screen with a role in the movie 'Chantabbai (1986).'
Much before that, he won the Best Supporting Actor in an inter-collegiate competition in Narasaraopet in 1968 and won the fancy dress competition award for portraying the character of 'Modabbayi.' After a brief hiatus, he was given a role by D. Rama Naidu in 'Aha Naa Pellanta (1987)' and Brahmanandam never looked back.- Actor
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John Prakash Rao "Johny Lever" Janumala was born on August 14, 1957 in Kanigiri, Andhra Pradesh and was brought up in Mumbai's King's Circle area (Dharavi). He is an Indian actor and comedian in Bollywood. His mother tongue is Telugu. Lever studied in Andhra Telugu School till the seventh grade but couldn't study further because of financial problems in his family, after which he decided to leave school and started working different kinds of odd jobs, such as selling pens on the streets of Bombay (present-day Mumbai) by imitating Bollywood stars and dancing to the songs of Bollywood stars. He also spent his early ages in Yakutpura a old city of Hyderabad from where he learnt the unique style of comedy acting. He developed a passion for mimicry and stand-up comedy, inspired by watching comedians like Johnny Walker, Kishore Kumar and Mehmood in films and mimicry artists like Dinesh Hingoo and Nerella Venumadhav on stage, and thus decided to be a mimicry artist. To seek guidance and help regarding mimicry, he met his mentor Pratap Jani and mimicry artist Ram Kumar, who helped him and taught him the basics of mimicry. Lever was also employed in Hindustan Lever's factory in Mumbai with his father. While working, he entertained his co-workers in the factory by imitating Elvis Presley. At one of the functions at his factory he was asked to perform and show his talent. His popularity among coworkers and officers of the factory by his performance earned him his professional name. He started to perform in musical shows (orchestras) and after earning fame, joined the group of Kalyanji-Anandji, a legendary music direction duo. He did a lot of shows and world tours with them, one of his first big tours being with Amitabh Bachchan in 1982. Since he became an instant hit at orchestras and was unable to find time, another comedian who substituted him by the name of Johnny Fever evolved. However, Fever's fame was short-lived as Raju Srivastav came to Mumbai during the same time and started filling gaps of Lever at orchestras. During this period he learned a lot from his mentor Kalyanji, who was described by Lever as a great philosopher and a very humorous person. At one of his shows, actor Sunil Dutt noticed his talent and potential and offered him his first movie Dard Ka Rishta. In the 1980s, he released his mimicry/comedy album, Hansee Ke Hungame, which became a hit in India and the world over, increasing his fame to another level. During this time period, he also did few commercials for Kachua chhap incense, directed by Shekhar Kapoor. In 1986, he performed in a charity show called "Hope 86", in front of the whole Hindi film industry as a filler and was loved by audience. His talent was recognized, which resulted in producer Gul Anand offering him a film called Jalwa with Naseeruddin Shah. He is considered an influential Indian comedian who has been cited as inspiration by many other comics. He has received 13 Filmfare Awards nominations in Best Comedian Category, and has won the award twice.- Director
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Prasanth Varma was born on 29 May 1989 in Andhra Pradesh, India. He is a director and writer, known for Zombie Reddy (2021), Hanu Man (2024) and Awe! (2018).- Priyanka Jawalkar was born on 12 November 1992 in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India. She is an actress, known for Gamanam (2021), SR Kalyanamandapam (2021) and Thimmarusu: Assignment Vali (2021).
- Actress
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Sherlyn Chopra is an Indian actress and webcam model who became the first Indian to have graced the iconic Playboy magazine. Sherlyn Chopra loves to express the mellifluous aspect of her personality through music albums and singles. Her last single was titled, Bad Girl which was Sherlyn's take on moral policing. Recently she released a short film, titled, Maya, a super natural thriller, written, directed and produced by her. Sherlyn Chopra is quite active on her digital touch points. Her praise worthy imagery and videos make her a huge internet sensation!- Fatima Sana Shaikh was born in Mumbai, India, to Hindu Brahman Father, Vipen Sharma, and Muslim Mother, Raj Tabassum. She was enrolled to St. Xavier High School in Mumbai for her primary education and later to Mithibai College, Mumbai for higher education.
Shaikh began her film career with the 1997 film Chachi 420 with Kamal Hasan. She played the role of Bharti, Jaiprakash Paswan a.k.a. Jai and Janki Paswan's daughter. Though she has been acting since 1997, she has scaled new heights of fame and success now after playing the role of Geeta Phogat in Aamir Khan's movie and also sharing the screen with the star.
Her hobbies include dancing, reading, sketching and photography. - Actor
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Pawan Kalyan's actual name is Konidela Kalyan Babu. He began to call himself as Pawan Kalyan when he worked on his first film, Akkada Abbai Ikkada Ammayi, in 1996. He has worked in several critically and commercially successful films and has established himself as one of the leading actors in Telugu cinema. He is also an accomplished choreographer. Pawan Kalyan was born in Chirala, to Sri Venkat Rao and Smt Anjana Devi. He is the youngest brother of actor Chiranjeevi and actor-producer, actor Nagendra Babu. Pawan Kalyan married Renu Desai, an actress who co-starred with him in the movies Badri and Johnny.
Renu Desai and Pawan Kalyan have two children: a son named Akira Nandan born in 2004, and a baby girl named Aadhya born in 2010.- Actress
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Vijayalakshmi Vadlapati, also known as Silk Smitha, is an Indian actress and dancer who worked in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi films. Her first Tamil film was Vandichakkaram (1980), where she played the role of Silk, a bar girl. The film gained immense popularity, thus earning her the name Silk Smitha.
Smitha's bold performances and dance numbers made her a symbol of sensuality in the South Indian Film Industry. Smitha's dances gained so much popularity that they were used to boost the viewership of films that weren't performing as well. In some cases, distributors wanted her to appear in films to boost their performance.
Throughout her career, Smitha starred in over 500 films. She made the world record for appearing in the maximum number of films in a year in 1983, appeared in 44 films that year. However, when she entered the entertainment industry, she worked as an extra or domestic help for the main stars.
She began her career with the film Edutha Sabantham Mudipen (1979) and later starred in a series of Malayalam films, including Pushyaraagam (1979), Saraswathi Yaamam (1980), Ivar (1980), Karimpana (1980), and Angaadi (1980).
In 1981, she acted in numerous films, including Vayal (1981), Seethakoka Chilaka (1981), Inaye Thedi (1981), Poochasanyasi (1981), and many others. The following year, she starred in the award-winning romantic drama Moondram Pirai (1982), a cult classic in Tamil Cinema, alongside the late Sridevi and Kamal Haasan.
Smitha also acted alongside Rajinikanth in Paayum Puli (1983), where she portrayed the role of Roopa. She went on to star in films like Moondru Mugham (1982), Roshagadu (1984), Kaithi Rani (1986), Badla Aurat Ka (1987), Lady Tarzan (1983), Avasara Police 100 (1990), Chaitanya (1991), and Coimbatore Mappillai (1996) to name a few.
Her final role was in the Hindi film Haiwan (1998), released posthumously.
Smitha's impact on the entertainment industry is remembered even today. In 2011, Ekta Kapoor produced a biopic based on her life, The Dirty Picture (2011), starring Vidya Balan.- Actor
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Suhas was born on 19 August 1990 in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. He is an actor and producer, known for HIT: The 2nd Case (2022), Majili (2019) and Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya (2019). He is married to Lalitha.- Actress
Indraja was born on 17 October 1977 in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. She is an actress, known for War & Love (2003), Ugram (2023) and Ustaad (1999).- Actor
- Producer
- Music Department
This Telugu Star was a student at the Madras Film Institute and an amateur stage actor. His first public performance was in the Republic Day parade ballet of Andra Pradesh on 26 January, 1976. His film debut was Punadhirallu (1978). His brother-in-law is producer Allu Aravind. His success started with Initilo Ramayya Vidhilo Krishnayya (1981). He is known for his extraordinary dances and fights apart from his power packed performances in movies. His movies carry a reputation of being the best entertainers along with carrying a social message across to the audience. He has done a couple of Hindi movies as well viz., Pratibandh (1990), Aaj ka Gunda Raaj etc and was well recognized for them too.
He is one of the highest paid actors in India today and commands an extraordinarily huge (and cult-like) fan following not only in Andra Pradesh, his native state but all over India and other countries as well. His films are released in US, Europe and Asia Pacific.
Apart from movies, he is also widely known for his philanthropy. He set up a Chiranjeevi Trust for Eye and Blood donations and his fans take an active part in it.
He was awarded the 'Padmabhushan' recently along with a 'Doctorate'.- Actor
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Vishwak Sen is a Telugu actor, screenwriter, and director, known for his work in the Indian film industry. He changed his name from Dinesh Naidu, his birth name, before entering the industry, following his father's suggestion due to his belief in numerology.
Sen pursued a degree in journalism at Little Flower College in Hyderabad. Later, he pursued theatre at Actors Prepares in Mumbai.
Sen debuted with the Telugu film Vellipomakey (2017) in 2017, where he played the role of Chandrashekar. The romantic drama was written and directed by Mohammed Ali. He was nominated for the SIIMA Award (2017) for Best Debutant Actor for his role in the film.
In 2018, Sen acted in the comedy-drama Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi (2018), directed by Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam. He won the award for Best Debut Actor at the 17th Santosham Film Awards for his portrayal of Vivek in the movie. The next year, Sen acted in the romance action Falaknuma Das (2019), which he also wrote and directed, while his father, Karate Raju, produced the film.
In 2020, Sen acted in the popular film HIT (2020), directed by Sailesh Kolanu. Sen played the role of inspector Vikram Rudraraju. The film was picked up for a Hindi remake, Hit: The First Case (2022), starring Rajkummar Rao and Sanya Malhotra.
He played the role of Prem in the 2021 romantic comedy film Paagal (2021), directed by Naresh Kuppili and produced by Lucky Media. In 2022, he portrayed the character of Arjun Kumar Allam in the Telugu romantic comedy film Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam (2022), written by Ravi Kiran Kola and directed by Vidyasagar Chinta.
Vishwak starred in the film Ori Devuda (2022) in 2022 as Arjun Durgaraju, a remake of the Tamil film Oh My Kadavule (2020) directed by Ashwath Marimuthu. He also appeared in Mukhachitram (2022) as Vishwamitra in 2022 and in HIT: The 2nd Case (2022) as Vikram Rudraraju.
Vishwak's films also include Das Ka Dhamki (2023) and Gaami (2023) and October 31st Ladies Night (????), where he has a cameo appearance.- Actor
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Sai Srinivas Bellamkonda is an actor and producer, known for Alludu Seenu (2014), Sambo Siva Sambho (2010) and Nagavalli (2010). In 2016, he starred in Speedunnodu, a Telugu remake of the Tamil super-hit film Sundarapandian, along with Sonarika Bhadoria and Prakash Raj, he also featured in Jaya Janaki Nayaka, Saakshyam, Kavacham and Sita. He also starred in Rakshasudu, the Telugu remake of the Tamil blockbuster film Ratsasan, opposite Anupama Parameswaran.- Abhinaya Anandis a South Indian film actress and model born on November 13 1991 in Kadalur district, Karnataka to a minor film artist Anand and his wife Hemalatha. From her birth itself she had hearing and speech impairments even then she has been acting in various advertisements since her childhood. Thanks to years of therapy and training, she partially overcame her speech and hearing impairments.
Her interest towards both modelling and acting at a very young age was well noticed and encouraged by her father. Eventually, at the age of 17 she entered into the film industry making her acting debut in Naadodigal (2009), a Malayalam movie and went on to reprise the role in its Telugu and Kannada remakes.
Since her adolescence, Abhinaya had mastered sign language and lip reading in English. She had also undergone a risky operation (Cochlear Implantation) that had helped her hear with the help of a machine. She would write her script dialogues in English and practice with the help of her mother. Co-artistes would also keep communicating with her guiding and helping her. The collective efforts of the directors, her parents and Abhinaya's determination ensured that the teenager did most of her parts without retakes.
Abhinaya , who loves pets and Sudoku, has discontinued her studies at Std X to focus on her career. Actress Abhinaya's Father worked in Tamil and Telugu films as a minor artist in few supporting roles. So she made her interest like her father. Her photo session in model well gathered the attention of directors especially by the South Indian Actor cum choreographer Lawrence Ragavendra.
She acted in various Television programs and advertisements which eventually resulted in superior facial expressions. Abhinaya's dancing skills were highly impressive and attention-seeking. One day, Director Samudrakani gave her a chance in the film "Nadodikal" after appreciating her photo session and her dancing skills. Being highly determined and hopeful Abhinaya stunned everyone with her amazing acting skills even though her voice was being dubbed.
After this film's success she well started settling in the Tamil Industry and eventually into Telugu and Kannada film industries after getting various offers. Telugu Film Actor, Ravi Teja stood as another inspiration in her life apart from her father who morally supported her acting. Though she was physically challenged, she literally posed a challenge against various young actors of her age with her impressive acting skills. - Actor
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Jagapathi Babu was born on 12 February 1962 in Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. He is an actor and producer, known for Rangasthalam 1985 (2018), To Father with Love (2016) and Legend (2014).- Vaishnavi Chaitanya was born on 4 January 1994 in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. She is an actress, known for Valimai (2022), Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020) and The software devLOVEper (2020).
- Actress
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Savitri, also known as Savitri Ganesan, was an Indian film actress, director, producer, singer and race car enthusiast who predominantly worked in Telugu and Tamil cinema. She also worked in Malayalam, Hindi, and Kannada movies. Starring in more than 250 films. "Mahanati" (i.e.,) Greatest of all actresses by the Telugu Cinema and famously referred to as the "Nadigaiyar Thilagam" (i.e.,) Doyenne of all actresses by the Tamil Cinema. Her performance in the 1957 Telugu Epic film "Mayabazar" skyrocketed her to stardom.
Savitri was born on 6 December 1934 in a Telugu family in Chirravuru, Guntur district of present-day Andhra Pradesh.Her father died when she was six months old, after which her mother took Savitri and an older sibling, Maruti to live with an aunt and uncle. Her uncle, Kommareddy Venkataramaiah enrolled her in classes when she began to show a talent for dance.
Savitri acted in dance dramas as a child, including some work with a theatre company run by Jaggayya. She made an unsuccessful speculative trip to find film work in Madras at the age of 14 when she was deemed to be too young to play heroine roles, but in 1950 was cast as the female lead in Samsaram. That role did not become actuality because she became too excited, necessitating numerous retakes and eventually her replacement in the part. She was given a minor speaking role in the film and in the next year had two more minor roles, in Roopavati and Patala Bhairavi, before getting her big break as the second heroine in Pelli Chesi Choodu. She, later on, was propelled to stardom with critically acclaimed roles in blockbusters such as Devadasu and Missamma.
Savitri won several awards for her performance. She also received the prestigious Rashtrapathi Award. In 2011, the Government of India issued a postage stamp in commemoration of Savitri.
While Savitri was married to Gemini Ganesan, the couple separated in the meantime. They had two children together. Savitri passed away in 1981 after slipping into a coma for 19 months; she was suffering from diabetes and hypertension.- Actress
Anandhi is an Indian actress working predominantly in Tamil and Telugu movies and television shows. She made an impressive entrance into the film industry when she starred in the coming-of-age movie Bus Stop (2012).
In 2013, she played minor roles in the romantic drama Priyathama Neevachata Kusalama and the action comedy Naayak (2013). The following year, she acted in Green Signal (2014), directed by Vijay Maddhala, and played lead roles in the movies Poriyaalan (2014) and Kayal (2014).
Anandhi had to audition twice for Kayal (2014), directed by Prabu Solomon, but her performance earned her remarkable recognition and appreciation. She played the titular role in Kayal (2014), which earned her the Special Jury Award for Best Actress at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.
In 2015, Anandhi starred alongside Atharvaa Murali in A. Sarkunam's Chandi Veeran (2015), and played the lead role of Ramya alongside G.V. Prakash Kumar in the adult comedy flick Trisha Illana Nayanthara (2015). Anandhi also briefly appeared in the movie Visaaranai (2015). The same year, she again worked with G.V. Prakash Kumar in two films, Enakku Innoru Per Irukku (2016) and Kadavul Irukaan Kumaru (2016).
Anandhi starred in three movies in 2017, including Rubaai (2017), Pandigai (2017), and En Aaloda Seruppa Kaanom (2017). In 2018, she appeared in Mari Selvaraj's debut film Pariyerum Perumal (2018), considered one of the best Tamil movies on caste discrimination. The movie received positive reviews from critics, and the cast's performances were highly appreciated. The movie won several awards, including Best Tamil Feature at the 16th Chennai International Film Festival, Best Story at the Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards, and many more.
Anandhi's subsequent project Irandam Ulagaporin Kadaisi Gundu (2019), also known as Gundu (2019), received positive reviews. She also debuted in the Malayalam film industry with the movie Yugi (2022).
Apart from her work in film, Anandhi has also appeared in web series and television shows. She plays the role of Kalai in the thriller Disney Hotstar show Live Telecast (2021), directed by Venkat Prabhu. She also appeared as a judge for the reality show Dance India Dance (2009) Telugu.- Actor
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Naga Shourya Mulpuri is an Indian film actor known for his works in Telugu cinema. He made his debut with the 2011 Telugu film Cricket, Girls And Beer. He then made a cameo appearance in the National Award-winning anthology film, Chandamama Kathalu. He then appeared in box-office hits such as Oohalu Gusagusalade and Dikkulu Choodaku Ramayya.- Actor
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Varun Tej is an actor and producer, known for Suryakantham (2019), Gaddalakonda Ganesh (2019) and Antariksham 9000 kmph (2018). Varun Tej is an Indian film actor known for his works in Telugu Cinema. He made his debut as a lead in the film Mukunda, directed by Srikanth Addala opposite Pooja Hegde. His second film Kanche, also being the first Indian film on WWII, became a super hit and Varun Tej's portrayal of Dhupati Haribabu was critically acclaimed. Varun Tej played the role of protagonist in space thriller film Antariksham 9000 kmph- Writer
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Trivikram Srinivas is an Indian screenwriter and director famous for his works in Telugu Cinema. Hailed by his admirers as "Guruji" and "Maatala Maanthrikudu" or the "Wizard of Words", he is famous for his witty and thought provoking dialogues. Born as Akella Naga Srinivasa Sarma, he started his career as a dialogue and scriptwriter for many hit movies like Swayamvaram (1999), Nuvve Kavali (2000), Nuvvu Naaku Nachchav (2001) and Malliswari (2004) to name a few. He debuted as director with the critically acclaimed movie Nuvve.. Nuvve... (2002). He later went on to direct many successful movies with big stars in the lead.- Actress
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Gouthami Tadimalla, widely known as Gautami, is a versatile South Indian actress with a remarkable career spanning across Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, and Kannada films. Her cinematic journey commenced with the Telugu film "Dayamayudu," a production centered around the life of Jesus Christ.
Hailing from Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, Gautami's entry into the film industry unfolded during her college days at GITAM College. She marked her debut in Tamil cinema with "Guru Shishyan," sharing the screen with the legendary Rajnikanth. During the late 80s to the mid-90s, she dominated Tamil cinema, emerging as a formidable competitor to contemporaries like Kushboo and Banupriya.
Gautami's filmography boasts diverse roles, including notable performances in films such as "Thevar Magan" and Mani Ratnam's "Iruvar" (1997), alongside an ensemble cast featuring Mohanlal, Prakash Raj, Aishwarya Rai, Tabu, Nasser, and Revathi. Her versatility extended to Kannada films with projects like "Elu Suttina Kote," "Chikkejamana," and "Cheluva." In Hindi, she left her mark in movies like "Pyar Hua chori chori," "Janata ki Adalat," "Trimurti," and "Dhaal."
Gautami faced a challenging battle against breast cancer at the age of 35, demonstrating resilience and emerging victorious. Following a hiatus from acting, she made a comeback as a costume designer for films starring her partner, Kamal Haasan. Notably, she received the Vijay Award for Best Costume Designer for her work in "Dasavathaaram."
In a significant return to the silver screen after sixteen years, Gautami showcased her acting prowess in the Tamil film "Papanasam," sharing the screen once again with Kamal Haasan. Beyond her film endeavors, she graced the Tamil serial "Indira" as the lead character and ventured into hosting with the talk show "Anbudan" on Sun TV. Currently, she captivates audiences with her portrayal in the serial "Abhirami," broadcasted on Kalingar TV, showcasing the enduring talent and versatility that define Gautami's illustrious career.- Dimple Hayathi was born on 21 August 1998 in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. She is an actress, known for Atrangi Re (2021), Khiladi (2022) and Veerame Vaagai Soodum (2022).
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Nag Ashwin Reddy, more commonly known as Nag Ashwin, is an Indian film director and screenwriter who is best known for his work in Telugu cinema.
After finishing his schooling at Hyderabad Public School, Ashwin pursued his Bachelor's in Mass Communication from the Manipal Institute of Communication. He later enrolled in a Film Direction course at the New York Film Academy.
Ashwin entered the film industry as an assistant director for the filmsNenu Meeku Telusa...? (2008)), Leader (2010), and Life Is Beautiful (2012).
In 2013, he directed his first short film, Yaadon Ki Baraat (2013). Followed by this, he directed the philosophical drama film Yevade Subramanyam (2015) which won the Nandi Award for Best Debut Director in 2015.
In 2018, Ashwin wrote and directed Mahanati (2018) (Nadigaiyar Thilagam in Tamil), a biographical film on Savitri (a popular South Indian actress who ruled the industry for two decades during 50s and 60s) starring Keerthy Suresh, Dulquer Salmaan, and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
Mahanati won several awards and nominations, including the Equality in Cinema Award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2018, the Best Feature Film in Telugu award at the 66th National Film Awards 2019, the Zee Cine Award - Telugu in the Best Director category, and the Filmfare Award for Best Director - Telugu at the 66th Filmfare Awards South.
Ashwin has been a director and screenwriter for the Netflix anthology Pitta Kathalu (2021). In 2021, he worked as a producer for Jathi Ratnalu (2021) as well.- Murali Sharma was born on August 09, 1972, in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh to Mr. Vrijbhushan Sharma and his wife Mrs. Padma Sharma. He is an Indian actor who works in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Malayalam cinema since 1996. He is widely best known for portraying a cop on-screen and has featured in over 130 films of different Indian languages. He is married to actress Ashwini Kalsekar since 2009.
- Shree Rapaka was born on 11 March 1992 in West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, India. She is an actress, known for Gulabi (2023), Naked: The Lust (2020) and Maranam (2021).
- Rami Reddy was born on 1 January 1959 in Valmikipuram, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, India. He was an actor, known for Gunda (1998), Jeevan Yudh (1997) and Anaganaga Oka Roju (1997). He died on 14 April 2011 in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
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- Music Department
Nikhil was born in Begumpet, Hyderabad. Nikhil did his schooling in Hyderabad Public School (HPS) in Begumpet and St. Patricks' High School, Secunderabad. He was brilliant in school and was a merit student. He studied at the RVR&JC engineering college, Guntur. He started out as an assistant director for the film Hyderabad Nawaabs. He had minor roles in various movies before doing Happy Days, the first movie in Tollywood with an overseas release date earlier than the Indian release. Directed by an Indian national award winner Sekhar Kammula, Nikhil plays one of the 4 male leads in the movie. It was declared a smash hit and gave Nikhil overnight fame. Happy Days was one among the few low budget movies made in 2007 that became commercially successful. His first solo lead movie was Ankit, Pallavi & Friends. He appeared in hit movies like Yuvatha and Veedu Theda which ran for 50 days in Andhra Pradesh and got his major breakthrough in 2013 with the smash hit film Swamy Ra Ra, which was a blockbuster. His next movie, titled Karthikeya, (October 2014) earned him brilliant reviews from critics. The trade pundits declared the movie to have collected over 20 crores at the worldwide box office and certified the film a super hit. His first release in 2015 was Surya vs Surya, which opened to largely positive reviews and was appreciated for its fresh theme and story line. It went on to gross 11 crores in less than two weeks and stood as another success at the box office. His next movie Shankarabaranam opened to mixed reviews but took him to record collections. His next, Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada (2016), turned out to be a blockbuster. Collecting nearly 40 crores during its run, the movie as one of the biggest blockbusters of 2016 for Telugu film industry taking Nikhil to stardom. In 2017 Nikhil once again teamed up with Swamy Ra Ra Director Sudheer Varma for Keshava which is a revenge drama where Nikhil plays the character facing a issue of having heart on right side and a rare problem to it Film released on 19th May 2017 which got positive reviews for Nikhil's performance, musical score, visuals and backdrop of the plot but criticism was for second half was very dull and simple but still movie grossed 20 crores and become another hit for Nikhil. Nikhil Sidharth is in remake of 2016 Kannada campus hit Kirik Party directed by Sharan Koppisetty, screenplay is providing by Sudheer Varma and Dialogues by Chandoo Mondeti and also once again teaming up with Chandoo Mondeti for the sequel to his hit thriller Karthikeya.- Writer
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Best known for his commercially storytelling abilities acclaimed writer-director Puri Jagannadh was born September 1, 1966 in Kothapalli, Andhra Pradesh, India. Over the course of 20 years of filmmaking, Puri Jagannadh has gone from small budget independent films to working on some of the biggest blockbusters ever made on Indian silver screen making heroes to super stars through his films!
Director Puri Jagannadh is considered as the Star Maker & Path Breaker of Tollywood. His dynamism in crafting each & every character of his films,his ease in redefining attitude, characterization & mannerism of all his actors, his super race screenplay and above all his command of dialogues & stories etc., made him one of the most successful directors of his time!
Hailed by his numerous fans & admirers as "Guruji" ,"The Star Maker" ,"The Rebellion" and "Gun of Words", he is famous for his films with sensible screenplay and dialogues without missing the commercial aspects required to acquire the Box office.
Puri Jagannadh is well known for his mark way of filmmaking. His biggest USP is the power of his pen and the rapid speed with which he shoots any and all his film.He is known as 'The' Super fast director of Tollywood,ever! An it's well known fact that any actor or actress who works with him will get a 360 degree change over, right from the attire to their attitude in the film which indeed makes him a hot selling cake in the market.
It's the doors of Puri Jagannadh which gets the knock by any star(s) or producers who wants to introduce their heir to the film industry. Puri Jagannadh has introduced many actors & actress like Ram Charan,Sai Ram Shanker,Puneeth RajKumar of Kanada,Anuksha Shetty( The Bahubali fame) Ameesha Patel, Renu Desai,Asin Thottumkal,Rakshita,Ayesha Takia, Haniska Motwani,Neha Sharma,Aah Sharma,Aditi Arya, Kangna Ranaut, etc all later went on to become superstars in both South and North film Industry. He is considered as the Golden Hand for actors & actress of Tollywood.
Right from the age of 7 years, Puri Jagannadh started writing short stories out of his interest and was an ardent book reader from his very childhood. By the age of 14 he almost read the holy Mahabharath,Bhagavad Gita, writing of the renowned writers & social philosophers like Gudipati Venkatachalam,Muppala Ranganayakamma etc,., which helped him to develop a strong character of his own and to develop his very own style & perspective of looking at things.
He started his career as an assistant director to Ram Gopal Varma and had worked for several Telugu films like Shiva(1990) Ninne Pelladata (1996) His Telugu directorial debut, Badri (2000) was a blockbuster, starring Pawan Kalyan in the lead role, along with Renu Desai, Prakash Raj, and Amisha Patel in supporting roles.
In 2006, Puri Jagannadh captivated audiences big time with his Action-Thriller 'Pokiri(2006) starring Mahesh Babu which he directed and produced. The commercial action thriller was a blockbuster, earning a distributor's share of Rs. 420 million. The film grossed Rs. 660 million worldwide and remained the highest-grossing Telugu film for three years and smashed all the previous records of all the films till date it was released. The same film was remade into various languages like Hindi,Tamil, Kanada etc by stars like Vijay (Tamil) Salman Khan (Hindi) & Darshan (Kanada) which too became super sensation hits. Pokiri's success all over catapulted Puri Jagannadh to nationwide recognition and every super star from all parts of the country urged to work with him,at least once. Pokiri, premiered at the 7th IIFA Film Festival held in Dubai.
Puri Jagannadh made many super duper commercial blockbusters hits throughout starting from his very first film 'Badri'(2000) and carried the legacy by 'Itlu Sravani Subramanyam'(2001) 'Appu' (2002) 'Amma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi' (2003) 'Sivamani'(2003) 143 (2004) 'Pokiri' (2006) 'Desamuduru' (2007) 'Chirutha' (2007) 'Bujjigadu'(2008) 'Neninthe(2008) 'Ek Niranjan' (2009) 'Businessman(2012)' 'Cameraman Gangatho Rambabu' (2012) 'Iddarammayilatho'(2013) 'Heart Attack' (2014) 'Temper' (2015) 'ISM' (2016) 'Paisa Vasool' (2017) etc.,which all went to become biggest blockbusters with a bombastic bang at Box Office making Puri Jagannadh one of the most super successful commercial directors of South Indian Film Industry.
He produces films under his own production companies, 'Puri Jagannadh Touring Talkies', 'Puri Connects' & 'Vaishno Academy'. He bankrolled many films on his own like Idiot(2002) , Amma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi(2003) Sivamani(2003) 143(2004) Pokiri(2006) Heart Attack (2014) etc., and all turned out to super successful at box office which not only made him a successful director but also proved him to be a successful producer too.
In the year 2011, Puri Jagannadh made 'Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap' with Indian Super Star and world wide renowned actor "Amitabh Bachchan" and the film turned out to be a blockbuster in B-town and Puri Jagannadh sent a strong shock wave to B-town through his dialogues, taking and by the way he could see and present Amitabh Bachchan as a anger young man, with a whole new different attire and attitude.
In his 20 years in film fraternity, he has made 33 films (with 90% success rate) which by itself is a unbeatable record for any director of his time period to break.
One Film on shot, one on pre-production and one on post production, this is how Puri Jagannadh tends to work, nonstop! To stop or to rest is something he doesn't believe in! There were many a times where he had 3 releases a year.
At present Puri Jagannadh is making a launch film for none other than his very own son 'Akash Puri' entitles 'Mehbooba' which is slated to be a high intense love story on the backdrop of 1971 Indo-Pak war, which is one of the most awaited film in South Indian.
'Mehbooba' fetched nationwide attention & grabbed the eyeballs of the people throughout the nation with it's teaser which got released recently, for the span,standard of making & for the breathtaking visuals in it,which is being produced by Puri Jagannadh himself on his home banner 'Puri Connects'
Owned Production Houses:
Puri Jagannadh Touring Talkies Puri Connects Vaishno Academy Puri Sangeet- Satya Dev Kancharana is an Indian actor who primarily works in Telugu and Hindi films. Satya hails from Visakhapatnam. He studied Computer Science engineering from MVGR College of Engineering, located in Vizianagaram, and graduated in year 2008. Sarting his career as a short films maker in Visakhapatnam Satya ventured into feature films with Mr. perfect in 2011 in a minor role.
- Actress
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- Director
Rohini is an Indian actress, lyricist, screenwriter, voice actor and director. She has mainly acted in south Indian, notably Malayalam and Tamil films. Having started her acting career at five, she has about 130 south Indian films to her credit. She received National Award of Special mention and Andhra Pradesh State Award for Best Female Actor in 1996 for the film Stri (1995).
She started her career in 1976 as a child artist. She was first seen as a wide-eyed five-year-old in Yashoda Krishna, a Telugu film. She is also a popular dubbing artist in the Telugu and Tamil industries. She has voiced six characters in five of Mani Ratnam's films. She lent her voice to actresses like Jyotika (Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu (2006)), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (Iruvar (1997) and Raavanan (2010)), Manisha Koirala (Bombay (1995)) and Amala Akkineni (Shiva (1989)). She has also dubbed for Girija Shettar in Mani Ratnam's only Telugu movie till date Geethanjali (1989).
She wrote lyrics for the Tamil film Pachaikili Muthucharam (2007), before ending another hiatus by writing all songs in the album, Maalai Pozhudhin Mayakathilaey. Her acting skills were recognized and she was given the Kalaimamani award recently.
She writes episodes for Tamil TV serials. She started writing scripts for TV series way back in 1996 and has adapted the Sahithya Academy Award winning novel Verukku Neer for a tele film in 2005. She hosted the live TV talk show Kelvigal Aayiram for Vijay TV, which she said: "dealt with issues close to my heart". She moderated the Tamil program Azhagiya Tamizh Magal on Kalaignar TV and has worked as the anchor of Raj TV's show, Rohini's Box Office in which she reviewed the latest releases.
Being an activist for AIDS awareness, Rohini has also directed short films for M.G.R. Medical University and Tamil Nadu Aids Control Society. In 2008, Rohini had directed a 50-minute documentary Silent Hues about film industry's child artists, she being one herself. In 2013, she has directed a feature film Appaavin Meesai (2014) which is yet to be released.- Rashmi Gautam was born on 27 April 1988 in Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. She is an actress, known for Bholaa Shankar (2023), Bomma Blockbuster (2022) and Prasthanam (2010).
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Farah Naaz Hashmi is an Indian Bollywood actress from the mid-1980s and 1990s. Naaz made her debut under Yash Raj Banner in Faasle (1985). She starred opposite the late Sunil Dutt and Rekha in the film. Next, she was seen in the Bengali film Amar Tumi (1989) opposite Prasenjit Chatterjee and directed by Bimal Roy.
In 1986, Naaz starred in Naseeb Apna Apna (1986) opposite the late Rishi Kapoor. The film was a remake of the Tamil film Gopurangal Saayvathillai (1982) and was one of the landmark films of her career. Naaz was next seen in Imaandaar (1987), directed by Sushil Malik and starring the late Sunil Dutt.
In 1988, Naaz starred in two films Woh Phir Aayegi (1988), a horror film directed by B.R. Ishara, and Yateem (1988), a romantic drama directed by J.P. Dutta. She also starred in many other films, including Baap Numbri Beta Dus Numbri (1990), Begunaah (1991), and Sautela Bhai (1996).
She was later seen in multiple TV serials, including Amar Prem (1996) and Andaz. She has also played the role of Neha in Deepak Anand's Bhai No 1 (2000). In 2002, she starred in Bharat Bhagya Vidhata (2002). In 2004, she played the role of Gopi in Priyadarshan's Hulchul, and in 2005 she starred in Shikhar (2005).- Actor
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- Producer
Sharwanand was born on 6 March 1985 in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. He is an actor and producer, known for Malli Malli Idi Rani Roju (2015), Engeyum Eppodhum (2011) and Run Raja Run (2014). He has been married to Rakshitha Reddy since 3 June 2023.