Happy birthday Chiranjeevi: 5 popular movies that prove ‘Megastar’ is an actor par excellence

It is no secret that Chiranjeevi is one of the biggest and most popular names in the Telugu film industry. The mass hero enjoys a strong fan following due to his impressive screen presence, intense dialogue delivery, remarkable range and flawless selection of roles. He has starred in some of Tollywood’s most unforgettable movies, proving his mettle. On Saturday, as the ‘Megastar’ turns a year older, here is a look at five films that prove he is an actor par excellence.

Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy (2019)

A period drama, Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy featured ‘Chiru’ in the role of a freedom fighter and opened to a fantastic response at the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana box office. The pan-India biggie hit the right notes with its gripping execution and powerful dialogues, proving to be a feast for 'Mega' fans. The cast included Tamannaah, Nayanthara, Jagapathi Babu, Sudeep and Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan.

Indra (2002)

A treat for the mass audience, Indra revolved around the exploits of a taxi driver with a past. A runaway hit at the box office, it featured quite a few hard-hitting dialogues, which left fans asking for more. The B Gopal-directed movie, which was set in Varanasi, featured Aarthi Agarwal and Sonali Bendre as the leading ladies. It is quite popular in the Hindi belt as well.

Sneham Kosam (1999)

A remake of the Tamil film Natpukaaga, Sneham Kosam featured Chiranjeevi in a double role and served as strong proof of his abilities. A smash hit, it revolved around the friendship between a wealthy man and his loyal helper. The KS Ravikumar-helmed movie was later dubbed into Hindi as Main Hoon Rakhwala.

Gharana Mogudu (1992)

A remake of Dr Rajkumar’s Anuraga Aralithu, Gharana Mogudu was one of the biggest hits of Chiranjeevi’s career and catapulted him to international stardom. A magazine even referred to him as ‘bigger than Bachchan’ while commenting on the film’s success.

Gang Leader (1991)

A cult hit, Gang Leader was directed by popular filmmaker Vijaya Bapineedu and revolved around the impact of ‘mob mentality’ on society. The film featured Chiranjeevi in a ‘rough’ avatar and clicked with a vast section of the audience. It was remade in Hindi as Aaj Ka Gioondaraj with ‘Annayya’ reprising his role from the original version.