'Tholi Prema' to 'Vakeel Saab': 5 films to watch on Pawan Kalyan's birthday

Pawan Kalyan was last seen in 'Vakeel Saab''

It's no secret that Pawan Kalyan is one of the biggest and most celebrated stars in Telugu cinema.

The mass hero, who is Megastar Chiranjeevi's brother, began his acting career with the 1996 release Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi and soon emerged as a force to be reckoned with due to his 'massy' reel image.

On Thursday, as the 'Power Star' turns 50, here is a look at most of his most popular films:

Tholi Prema (1998)

Widely regarded as the film that established PK as a household name, Tholi Prema was a romantic drama that revolved around a carefree guy who falls for an 'ammayi' after their first meeting. It had pretty It proved to be a treat for the younger audience and emerged as a big hit at the box office. Pawan Kalyan channelled the youthfulness of his character reasonably well, giving strong proof of his abilities as a performer.

Kushi (2001)

The movie was a remake of Vijay-Jyothika's popular Tamil movie of the same name and attained cult status due to the crackling chemistry between PK and Bhoomika Chawla. It was directed by S J Suryah, who had wielded the microphone for the original version, and did pretty well at the box office.

Gabbar Singh (2012)

Pawan Kalyan stepped into Bollywood star Salman Khan's shoes for the Telugu remake of Dabangg and delivered a performance that catered to the masses. The biggie set the box office on fire as it had pretty much everything-- right from punch dialogues to action scenes -- that one would expect from a commercial potboiler. Gabbar Singh starred Shruti Haasan as the leading lady, marking her first collaboration with Pawan Kalyan.

Attarintiki Daredi (2014)

Pawan Kalyan delivered a 'massy' yet restrained performance in Attarintiki Daredi, a moving drama about the bond between the protagonist and ihis aunt. It was directed by Trivikram Srinivas and appealed to the family audience. The compelling storyline and Pawan Kalyan's star power helped Attarintiki Daredi open to a thunderous response at the box office. The cast included Samantha Akkineni, Pranitha and Nadhiya, Boman Irani and Brahmanandam.

Vakeel Saab (2019)

The mass hero reprised Amitabh Bachchan's role from Pink in its Telugu remake and received rave reviews for doing justice to a layered character. The narrative revolved around the importance of consent and highlighted that 'no means no'. The courtroom scenes the emotional flashback sequences were the biggest highlights of the blockbuster. The film had an impressive cast that included Anali, Nivetha Thomas, Ananya Nagalla, Prakash Raj and Shruti Haasan.

Honourable mentions: Johny, Thammudu, Badri, Jalsa, and Gopala Gopala