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Chiranjeevi

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Chiranjeevi (చి్రంజీవి) (born August 22, 1955) is one of the most popular actors in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Though his major interest remains Telugu cinema (also called Tollywood), he has grown in popularity and is well-known throughout India.


Career

Though his first movie role was in Punaadi Raallu, his first movie to be released was Pranam Khareedu (1978). After doing some cameos and villain roles he started doing hero (main) roles, he gained fame with the film Khaidi. His career spans 25 years and to date he has acted in over 146 films. He took a hiatus from acting due to a string of failures between 1993 and 1995. He returned to the screen with Hitler, a re-make of a Malayalam movie. At the peak of his career, he was rumoured to be the highest paid actor in India. He also acted in three Hindi movies (popularly called Bollywood) and 2 Kannada movies. Allu Aravind, his brother-in-law, produced many successful films with him.

Though some critics say Chiranjeevi makes mostly mass-oriented films (movies with songs, dance sequences, double entendres and fights), he has appeared in some less mainstream films, such as Swayam Krushi (Self Perseverence) and Rudra Veena, although with less commercial success. Chiranjeevi produced the movie Rudra Veena under his banner Anjana Productions with K. Balachandar, a Tamil director. The film received national acclaim (notably the National Integration Award).

He has a wide fan base in Andhra Pradesh. Chiranjeevi is currently settled in Hyderabad.

In September 1991 Gang Leader also starring Vijayashanti & in April 1992 Gharana Mogudu became the biggest block busters in the Telugu movie industry and also his career peak. India Today and Week had put his photo on the cover page with the titles "Bigger than Bachchan" and "The new money machine" respectively.

Two other films - Indra (2002), Tagore(2003) and Shankardada MBBS (2004) - created history with the highest number of 100 day centers (192) in south India.

Charity

In 1998, he founded the Chiranjeevi Mega Charitable Trust to serve the less fortunate, which is the state's largest recipient of Eye and Blood Donations. He raised social awareness through the Chiranjeevi blood and eye banks, the latter formed in consultation with Late Dr. P. Siva Reddy.

With the help of Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust more than 20,000 people have donated blood and more than 10 lakh people have pledged their eyes. Chiranjeevi also assists people for medical expenses in genuine cases.


Filmography