Telugu superstar Akkineni Nagarjuna is turning 60 on August 29, 2019. It's another matter that he is maturing like fine wine, never looking a year beyond 40, despite being a father of two grownup stars, who are also established stars. On behalf of the LatestLY desk, we wish the handsome superstar Many Many Happy Returns of the Day! And celebrate the special day in waxing over some of the finest performances the actor has given over the years. These Pics of Nagarjuna Akkineni With Rakul Preet, Samantha Akkineni and Others From the Sets of Manmadhudu 2 Are Unmissable!

Sure, Nagarjuna is what you call a starkid, the son of the legendary Akkineni Nageshwar Rao (whom his grandson Naga Chaitanya portrayed in Mahanati). But he has been one of the few 'starkids' who has grown beyond the tag to create his own legacy. What's special about Nagarjuna's career is that unlike some of his peers in his industry, the superstar is not very fussy about doing one particular genre or role. If he has done a masala actioner like Don, then Nagarjuna also excels in a romcom like Manmadhu or a devotional film like Annamayya. In a career spanning more than 50 years (Nagarjuna started off as a child artiste), Nagarjuna revelled in variety.

In this special feature, we look at five handpicked wonderful performances of the actor, out of many, that you should definitely not miss.

Shiva

Nagarjuna in Shiva

The movie that marked the beginning of Ram Gopal Varma's ascent to being legendary (before he screwed it up all). Shiva is perhaps, his most intense movie and also the grittiest film made on college rowdyism. Leading the show is Nagarjuna's awe-worthy performance as the titular character, who speaks a few words but packs a bigger punch.

Criminal

Nagarjuna in Criminal

Nagarjuna's Bollywood career hasn't been much to crow about, but he has been a part of a couple of good movies like Criminal and Zakhm. In this remake of The Fugitive, directed by Mahesh Bhatt, Nagarjuna gives a very empathetic act as a doctor on the run after being wrongly accused of killing his wife.

Annamayya

Nagarjuna in Annamayya

When mainstream actors usually avoid taking roles in devotional movies, Nagarjuna decided to take the risk and played the 15th-century composer, Annamacharya. The result? Nagarjuna was truly mind-boggling in his performance as the saint, with near-perfect body language and diction delivery. Annamayya also became one of the biggest hits of the superstar.

Geethanjali

Nagarjuna in Geethanjali

The thing about Nagarjuna is that he can fluently slip into action and sensitive roles with immaculate ease. He has done quite a few romantic roles, but very few match the passion he displays in this Mani Ratnam film. Empowered by a beautiful storyline and wonderful songs, Nagarjuna was a treat to watch in this tragic love story.

Manam

Nagarjuna in Manam

Aka The Akkineni Family blockbuster. Starring nearly everyone in the household, Manam was an interesting family drama, with Nagarjuna, his father Akkineni Nageswara Rao and son Naga Chaitanya playing the main leads in this reincarnation drama. Nagarjuna, especially, is the soul of the film, as the man who is trying to reunite the lookalike of his dead parents, while dealing with his warped love story.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 29, 2019 12:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).