Chiranjeevi Birthday Special: 5 Reasons Why He Is Rightly Called ‘The Megastar of Telugu Cinema’

On August 22, 2019, Telugu Megastar Chiranjeevi is turning 64. On this occasion, we wish the dynamic personality Many Many Happy Returns of the Day! And in the matter of a few weeks, we are also going to see the mass hero in his biggest and his most ambitious project ever, Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy. A historical film made on a huge budget, Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy has Chiranjeevi play the titular character, considered as one of the earlier freedom fighters to have rebelled against the British. The movie is directed by Surender Reddy and features an ensemble cast filled with popular names from Bollywood, Kollywood, Tollywood and Sandalwood. What's more, the teasers of the film has given us the impression that this is a role Chiranjeevi was born to play, a role fit for his Megastar image. Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy Teaser: From Prabhas’ Baahubali to Kangana Ranaut’s Manikarnika, 5 Movies That Chiranjeevi’s Magnum Opus Reminded Us Of!

That reminds us that it is time to discuss why there is a need to add the prefix 'Megastar' every time we talk about Chiranjeevi. It is a term that Indian fans don't usually throw around, but only offer it for a select few. In Kollywood, we usually associate it with the likes of Rajinikanth. In Malayalam cinema, it is confined to the two big M's - Mammootty and Mohanlal. And for Tollywood, Chiranjeevi deserves that epithet. Why, you ask? We have five reasons to explain that!

A Real Rags to Riches Success Story

We all love a real rags-to-riches story, don't we? Sure, the Telugu industry is seeped in nepotism just as in Bollywood. Even Chiranjeevi's half the lineage is in the industry, from son (Ram Charan) to nephews (Allu Arjun, Allu Shirish). But when he began his innings, Chiranjeevi was a stark outside, born to middle-class parents. His father was a constable. A commerce graduate, Chiranjeevi focussed on his acting aspirations, starting off with small roles, making his debut in 1978. Now, 41 years later, Chiranjeevi is considered as one of the biggest superstars in the Industry. IBN LIVE even named him as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema" in their curated list made in 2013. We really can't disagree with that! Chiranjeevi Birthday Special: Family Pics of Tollywood’s Megastar Will Make Chiru Fans’ Day Brighter!

A Superstar Who Is an Actor

A big flaw with Chiranjeevi's movie career is that he really hasn't pushed himself as an actor. Which is a little annoying, because the man can really turn out an excellent performance even in very averagely written movies. But that is just a concern of this writer and nothing more. Not for his fans,  Thanks to his obsession with masala entertainers like Khaidi, Gang Leader, Rowdy Alludu, Yamudiki Mogudu, Donga Mogudu, Vijeta et al, Chiranjeevi established himself a superstar, and he was quite comfortable in that mould. Even a ten-year gap from being an active performer that he took from 2017 didn't dent his superstardom one bit, as his comeback film, Khaidi No 1, was a huge blockbuster. As for his credibility as an actor, do four state Nandi Awards, and ten Filmfare Awards South count as proof of that?

Comfortable with the Genres

Chiranjeevi first made his mark as an actor as an antagonist, just like Rajinikanth, and he really made a great impression in films like Idi Katha Kaadu, Nyayam Kaavali, Ranuva Veeran and Mosagadu. When he turned the lead actor, the reason why Chiranjeevi was so loved by Telugu movie lovers was that he was quite comfortable in action, romance, emotions and comedy, and many of blockbusters. Chiranjeevi is also one of the few South stars who clicked well with the Hindi audiences with movies like Pratibandh, Aaj Ka Goondaraj and The Gentleman doing decent business. Even though, his stint in Hindi cinema was very brief for some reason.

An Excellent Dancer Too

Most of the big stars in Telugu cinema are good dancers, but Chiranjeevi comes from a generation where his moves would induce awe among the audiences. His 'veena dance step' is very popular and has been emulated by many, including his own son, Ram Charan.

A Leader and a Humanitarian

Like with most of the South stars, even Chiranjeevi harboured political ambitions and made good of them, at least in the beginning. In the ten-year gap from acting, Chiranjeevi has started his own party, Praja Rajyam, in 2008 and won an MLA seat for himself in the 2009 State Assembly Elections. His popularity among the masses was so high that his party was later given an offer to merge with the Indian National Congress. A year after doing so, Chiranjeevi was elected into the Rajya Sabha as an MP. However, with the populist wave going against the Congress in 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, even Chiranjeevi was affected by it. Which is why, he never took active participation in elections since 2017 and returned to his first love, movies.

While his political career was a mixed affair, Chiranjeevi is also loved by his fans for the humanitarian work he is often engaged in. He started an NGO, Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust (CCT) that engages in blood and eye donations. Since 1998, CCT has helped about one lakh needy recipients with blood and eye donations, and even got the blessings of the late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 22, 2019 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).