Chiranjeevi

Who is Chiranjeevi?

Chiranjeevi is an Indian actor, producer, politician and a member of the Indian National Congress. He is the Minister of State with independent charge for the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Prior to politics, Chiranjeevi has attended the Madras Film Institute, and had worked primarily in Telugu cinema, including Tamil, Kannada and Hindi films. He made his acting debut in 1978, in the film Punadhirallu. However, Pranam Khareedu was released earlier at the box office.

In a film career spanning more than thirty years, known for his dancing skills, Chiranjeevi has starred in 149 feature films. In 1987, he was invited to the 59th Academy Awards ceremony. In the same year, he was starred in Swayam Krushi, which was screened at the Moscow International Film Festival. In 1988, he co-produced Rudraveena, which won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. He has won four state Nandi Awards and ten Filmfare Awards South. In 2006, Chiranjeevi was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, for his contributions towards Indian cinema. In 2006, he was presented with an honorary doctorate from Andhra University.