Naga Chaitanya | |
---|---|
Born | Akkineni Naga Chaitanya 23 November 1986 Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India |
Other names | Yuva Samrat, Chay (nickname) |
Alma mater | St. Mary's College, Hyderabad |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 2009–present |
Spouse | |
Parents |
|
Family | Daggubati–Akkineni family |
Akkineni Naga Chaitanya (born 23 November 1986), known professionally as Naga Chaitanya, is an Indian actor who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He has received one Filmfare Award South and one Nandi Award for his work. [1] [2]
Son of actor Nagarjuna, Chaitanya made his acting debut in 2009 with Josh , which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut – South. He achieved his career breakthrough with the romantic drama Ye Maaya Chesave (2010) and went on to further establish himself with notable films such as 100% Love (2011), Tadakha (2013), Manam (2014), Premam (2016), Rarandoi Veduka Chudham (2017), Majili (2019), Venky Mama (2019), Love Story (2021), and Bangarraju (2022), while receiving the Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actor for Manam and three Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu nominations for Ye Maaya Chesave, Premam, and Love Story. [3] In 2022, Chaitanya made his Hindi film debut with the comedy drama Laal Singh Chaddha .
In addition to his film career, Chaitanya is the owner of the cloud kitchen chain Shoyu and is a celebrity endorser for numerous brands and products. He was married to actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu from 2017 to 2021. [4]
Chaitanya was born on 23 November 1986 in Hyderabad to actor Akkineni Nagarjuna and Lakshmi Daggubati. [5] [6] [7] His paternal grandfather, actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao and his maternal grandfather, producer D. Ramanaidu are prominent figures in Telugu cinema. [8] Chaitanya's parents got divorced when he was a child. Both his parents later remarried. While Nagarjuna married former actress Amala Mukherjee, Lakshmi married Sharath Vijayaraghavan, a corporate executive at Sundaram Motors. [9] Chaitanya has a paternal half-brother, actor Akhil Akkineni [10] and a maternal step brother. [9] His maternal uncle Venkatesh and first cousins Rana Daggubati, Sumanth and Sushanth are also actors. [11]
Chaitanya grew up in Chennai, where he was raised for 18 and a half years. [12] He was educated at Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, Chennai [13] and at AMM School, Chennai. [13] He then completed his graduation from St. Mary's College, Hyderabad. [14] He expressed his desire to Nagarjuna to take up acting as his profession during his second year in college. [15] He enrolled in a three-month acting course in Mumbai. He received further training in acting and martial arts in Los Angeles, apart from taking voice and dialogue coaching for one year before making his acting debut. [16] [17]
Chaitanya debuted in 2009 with the film Josh , directed by Vasu Varma, in which he played a college student. [18] Rediff.com wrote: "As a debutant, Naga Chaitanya has performed well. He has his moments where he's proven himself. There is always scope for improvement and one hopes that he will hone his skills in the years to come." [19] Chaitanya won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut - South. [20]
He next starred in the 2010 romantic drama Ye Maaya Chesave , directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, which was simultaneously shot in Tamil as Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa , with a different cast and climax. [21] He played a Hindu Telugu assistant director who falls in love with a Christian Malayali girl. A reviewer from Sify.com wrote: "Naga Chaitanya is at home in romantic scenes. His asset is his voice and his casual acting style. Chaitanya has improved his performance from his first film. He can now confidently act in more romantic films and strengthen his position." However, the reviewer felt that he should concentrate on his looks as he felt that Chaitanya looked "very boyish". [22] The film was a success at the box office and went on to receive a cult status. [15] [23] He also received a nomination for Filmfare Award South for Best Actor Male. [24] [25]
After Ye Maaya Chesave, he paired up with Tamannaah Bhatia in 2011 for love story titled 100% Love , in which he played a studious and egotistical college student who is the top ranker of his college. It was a box office success. [26] 123telugu stated, "Naga Chaitanya is suave to the level of being egoist. He performs well and gives a calm skin to his character." [27] His next film was Dhada (2011). The Times of India wrote, "After good performances in his last two films, Naga Chaitanya doesn't live up to expectations. He has the same expression stuck on his face throughout the movie." [28]
His next release that year was Bejawada , directed by Vivek Krishna. The film saw Chaitanya portraying the role of a college student-turned-gangster. The film received negative reviews, with critics calling it his worst film. [29] [30] His performance was also panned by critics. The Times of India wrote: "This film might have even outdone "Dhada", in being called the worst film of Chaitanya's career. While the young actor still needs to work on his facial expressions, he was saddled with a poorly sketched character in this film, devoid of all heroism, and he fails to rise above it." [31]
Chaitanya's next film, Tadakha in 2013, was an official remake of N. Lingusamy's Tamil action film Vettai . The Hindu wrote: "Naga Chaitanya shows tremendous improvement even his last outing, the debacle called Bejawada. He is in sync with his role, exudes over confidence and seems to have had funny stunt sequences and comic portions. Reprising a role played by an established actor like Arya is no mean task and Chaitanya pulls it off rather well." [32] The film was commercially successful, giving the actor a much needed break. [33]
In 2014, Chaitanya appeared in the period-drama Manam , which also featured his grandfather, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, and father, Nagarjuna. [34] He played two roles in the film, which were of a middle class father in 1983 and a happy-go-lucky college student. Deccan Chronicle wrote: "Naga Chaitanya has done a decent job and compared to his earlier films he matured a lot as an actor." [35] Sify.com wrote "There is lot of improvement in Naga Chaitanya's acting. He looks natural and has done justice to his role." [36]
His next release was the political-drama Autonagar Surya , directed by Deva Katta, in which he played Surya, a skilled mechanic. [37] Upon release, the film received mixed reviews from critics, who however appreciated Chaitanya's performance in the film calling it one of his best efforts. The film ended up as a flop. [38] The Hindu wrote: "One rarely gets to see Naga Chaitanya smiling in this film. Chaitanya brings in the right amount of grit and intensity required for his role and shows that he can carry a film on his shoulders with the help of an able director." [39] He later starred in romantic comedy Oka Laila Kosam in 2014. The Times of India wrote, "Oka Laila Kosam is a simple love story which doesn't quite leave you with a big smile on your face, but it has enough mojo, if you are a big sucker for romance." [40] In 2015, he played the lead in the action-crime drama Dohchay , directed by Sudheer Varma. [41]
In 2016, he starred in the remake of the 2015 Malayalam cult-romantic film Premam , of the same name, alongside Shruti Hassan. [42] The film became a commercial success. [43] Times of India noted, "Naga Chaitanya shows the variation in his portrayal that leave you in awe of him and makes you wonder why he never showed the prowess before." [44] After the success of Premam, his next release was Sahasam Swasaga Sagipo , released two days after demonetization and won him critical acclaim. [45] received positive reviews. [46] The New Indian Express stated, "Naga Chaitanya's casting for a role like this was spot on, and the actor delivers one of his finest performances till date". [47] [48] [49] In 2017, he had two releases. Firstly, the family drama Rarandoi Veduka Chudham , directed by Kalyan Krishna opposite Rakul Preet Singh. [50] Firstpost wrote, "Naga Chaitanya has, quite clearly, put his best foot forward. In this film, he doesn't let his silence do most of the talking, his body language is different and the actor does a pretty job. [51] Secondly, the thriller film Yuddham Sharanam opposite Lavanya Tripathi. [52] [53]
Chaitanya starred in a brief role in the 2018 Savitri's biopic, Mahanati , directed by Nag Ashwin, which was a huge hit. He played his grandfather Nageswara Rao. [54] In the same year, he starred in Maruthi-directed Shailaja Reddy Alludu alongside Anu Emmanuel and Ramya Krishnan. Hindustan Times wrote, "The film is a commercial entertainer and the same old formula of a sincere son-in-law who helps his lady love's family is presented well." Two months later, his next film, the thriller Savyasachi directed by Chandoo Mondeti featured Chaitanya in the role of an ambidextrous man. India Today wrote, "Chaitanya does his part well but looks caricaturish in the romantic portions and they test your patience." [55] [56]
Chaitanya featured in the 2019 film Majili along with Samantha Ruth Prabhu, in their fourth film together. [57] With a gross of ₹ 700 million (equivalent to ₹870 millionorUS$11 million in 2023), Majili become the highest-grossing film in Chaitanya's career. [58] The Hindu noted, "As Poorna, we see a new Naga Chaitanya. He looks the part and shines in his portrayal of a young, aspiring cricketer." [59] [60] India Today stated, "Naga Chaitanya has delivered his career-best performance as Purna. As a grief-stricken guy, he shines in the portions where he is still recovering from his tragic break-up." [61] Later that year, he starred in Venky Mama alongside his maternal uncle Venkatesh and Raashi Khanna. The film was a profitable venture, grossing ₹720 million (equivalent to ₹890 millionorUS$11 million in 2023). [62] [63]
In 2021, Chaitanya starred as a lower caste boy in the film Love Story opposite Sai Pallavi. [64] The film grossed over ₹90 crore at the box office, and became a commercially successful venture. [65] Deccan Chronicle noted, "Naga Chaitanya delivers his career's best; he's brilliant as a guy constantly facing caste discrimination yet moving on. Indeed, he had to unlearn much for the role, which is evident in his performance." While Times of India wrote, "Naga Chaitanya easily delivers one of his career's best performances. He is handed a character that's sensitive, polite and someone who's not afraid to go the extra mile for love – and he pulls it off well." [66] [67]
Chaitanya had three releases in 2022. He appeared in Bangarraju along with his father, Nagarjuna Sakshi stated, "Nagarjuna and Chaitanya are the core strength of the film". [68] The film received mixed reviews but was a commercial success. [69] [70] He next appeared in Thank You with Raashi Khanna. [71] The film received mixed to negative reviews, The Hans India wrote "Though, Chaitanya nailed it with his performance but that is not sufficient to save this rudderless drama with no proper mission." [72] [73] Chaitanya made his Hindi film debut with Laal Singh Chaddha , his final release of the year. [74] [75] He played an army officer alongside Aamir Khan. It was declared a box office bomb, but became the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2022 at international box office. [76] Filmfare noted, "Naga Chaitanya isn't playing the central character, but manages to leave an impact through his sincerity and commitment to the role." [77]
In 2023, he played a constable in the Telugu-Tamil bilingual film, Custody , alongside Krithi Shetty. It marked his Tamil debut. [78] [79] Hindustan Times wrote, "Naga Chaitanya plays his part quite well and this is definitely an attempt worth some praise." [80] Chaitanya then made his digital debut with the Amazon Prime Video's web series, Dhootha , where he played an investigation journalist alongside Priya Bhavani Shankar. [81] Hindustan Times stated, "Dhootha gives Naga Chaitanya the chance to do something he hasn't before – shed his 'good boy' image. His performance might not always land, but he keeps you invested in most of the episodes that require him to do the heavy-lifting." [82]
In 2024, Chaitanya is set to star in an upcoming film titled Thandel, featuring Sai Pallavi as the female lead. The movie is helmed by director Chandoo Mondeti. [83]
Chaitanya met actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu on the sets of Ye Maaya Chesave in 2010 and after being in a relationship since November 2015, Chaitanya got engaged to Samantha on 29 January 2017. [84] Later that year, they married in Goa, in a Hindu religious ceremony on 6 October and a Christian ceremony on 7 October. Both were private ceremonies, where only close friends and family were present. The public fondly called them as "ChaySam". [85] [86] After much speculated rumours, Chaitanya and Samantha announced their separation on 2 October 2021, ending their four years of marriage. [87]
Chaitanya is considered as one of the most popular and highest paid Telugu actors. [2] [88] Mayukh Majumdar of Filmfare termed him a "star down South". [89] Karthik Kumar of Hindustan Times noted, "Chaitanya has proved himself as the heartthrob of Telugu cinema with his good looks and his romantic films." [90] In Rediff.com's list of "Top 5 Telugu actors", he was placed second in 2010. [91]
Chaitanya has frequently featured on the Hyderabad Times' Most Desirable Men list. He ranked 12th in 2017, 7th in 2018, 11th in 2019 and 6th in 2020. [92] [93] [94] [95] Chaitanya has also been associated with social causes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he donated Rs 25 lakhs, to support daily wage workers in the film industry. [96] Chaitanya is a celebrity endorser for brands and products including Ariel, Big Bazaar and Colgate among others. [97] [98] In 2016, he also became the brand ambassador of Tollywood Thunders in the first season of the Celebrity Badminton League. [99]
In 2022, Chaitanya started his own chain of cloud kitchen brand "Shoyu" in Hyderabad. [100] Chaitanya also ventured into Motor Racing by acquiring the ownership of Motorsport racing team "Hyderabad Blackbirds (HBB)". [101]
† | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Josh | Sathya | ||
2010 | Ye Maaya Chesave | Karthik | ||
Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa | Himself | Tamil film; simultaneously shot with Ye Maaya Chesave ; cameo | ||
2011 | 100% Love | Balu Mahendra | [102] | |
Dhada | Vishwa | |||
Bejawada | Shiva Krishna | |||
2013 | Tadakha | Karthik | [103] | |
2014 | Manam | Nagarjuna / Radha Mohan | [104] | |
Autonagar Surya | Surya | |||
Oka Laila Kosam | Karthik | |||
2015 | Dohchay | Chandu | ||
Krishnamma Kalipindi Iddarini | Himself | Cameo | ||
2016 | Premam | Vikram Vatsalya | [105] | |
Aatadukundam Raa | Himself | Cameo | ||
Sahasam Swasaga Saagipo | Rajinikanth Nagarjuna Muralidhar | [106] | ||
2017 | Rarandoi Veduka Chudham | Shiva | ||
Yuddham Sharanam | Arjun | |||
2018 | Mahanati | Akkineni Nageswara Rao | Cameo | [107] |
Shailaja Reddy Alludu | Chaitanya 'Chaitu' | |||
Savyasachi | Vikram Aditya | |||
2019 | Majili | Poorna Chandra Rao | [108] | |
Oh! Baby | Young Chanti | Cameo | ||
Venky Mama | Capt. Karthik Shivaram Veeramachineni | |||
2021 | Love Story | Revanth | [109] | |
2022 | Bangarraju | Chinna Bangarraju | [110] | |
Thank You | Abhiram "Abhi" | [111] | ||
Laal Singh Chaddha | Balaraju "Bala" Bodi | Hindi film | [112] | |
2023 | Custody | A. Shiva | Simultaneously shot in Tamil | [113] |
TBA | Thandel† | Filming | [114] |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | Dhootha | Sagar Varma Avuduri | Debut | [115] |
Akkineni Nageswara Rao, widely known as ANR, was an Indian actor and producer, known for his work majorly in Telugu cinema. He starred in many landmark films in his seventy five-year career, and became one of the most prominent figures of Telugu cinema. Akkineni received seven state Nandi Awards, and five Filmfare Awards South. He is a recipient of the Dada Saheb Phalke Award and Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, for his contributions to the fields of Art and Cinema.
Akkineni Nagarjuna Rao, known mononymously as Nagarjuna, is an Indian actor, film producer, television presenter, and entrepreneur. Nagarjuna has acted predominantly in Telugu cinema, along with a few Hindi and Tamil films. He received two National Film Awards namely, for Ninne Pelladata (1996), which he produced won the Best Feature Film in Telugu and a Special Mention as actor for Annamayya (1997); nine state Nandi Awards, and three Filmfare Awards South.
The Filmfare Best Actor Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Telugu films. The awards were extended to "Best Actor" in 1972. The year indicates the year of release of the film. Chiranjeevi is the most nominated with 21 nominations and the most awarded with seven times winning the award.
Amala Akkineni is an Indian actress, Bharatanatyam dancer, and activist. She has predominantly worked in Tamil films, in addition to Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada-language films. She was a leading actress in the Tamil film industry from 1986 to 1992 and has appeared in many blockbusters in Tamil and other languages. She has won two Filmfare Awards South, namely Best Actress – Malayalam for the 1991 film Ulladakkam and Best Supporting Actress – Telugu for the 2012 film Life Is Beautiful. Amala is the co-founder of Blue Cross of Hyderabad, a non-government organisation (NGO) in Hyderabad, India, which works towards the welfare of animals and preservation of animal rights in India.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu is an Indian actress who works primarily in Telugu and Tamil films. She is the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards South.
Ye Maaya Chesave is a 2010 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film written and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon. The film stars Naga Chaitanya and Samantha in her debut as lead. It was produced by Manjula Ghattamaneni under the banner Indira Productions with soundtrack composed by A. R. Rahman. The film featured cinematography by Manoj Paramahamsa, editing by Anthony Gonsalves, and dialogue by Umarji Anuradha.
Vikram K. Kumar is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Telugu and Tamil cinema. In 1998, he directed his breakthrough non-feature film, Silent Scream, for which he won the National Film Award For Best Instructional Film. He made his directorial debut in Telugu cinema industry with Ishtam in 2001, and then directed the Tamil movie, Yavarum Nalam.
100% Love is a 2011 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film directed by Sukumar and produced by Bunny Vasu under the banner Geetha Arts. The film stars Naga Chaitanya and Tamannaah Bhatia with music composed by Devi Sri Prasad. It revolves around Balu and Mahalakshmi, cousins who share a love–hate relationship.
Umarji Anuradha is an Indian writer known for her works in Telugu cinema and journalism. She wrote continuously on The Legends of Indian Cinema for Sitara Film Weekly Magazine, the largest circulated Telugu film weekly in India. She also wrote number of dramas for All India Radio and television channels, for daily serials like Pelli Chesukundamra, for E TV., Vaisaali Serial for Zee Telugu and Gharshna serial for E TV. She was also the winner of Akkineni Abhinandana Award for Best Dialogue Writer of the year 2010 and Super Hit Film Weekly Award Super Hit Film Weekly Magazine, for the blockbuster movie, Ye Maaya Chesave.
The Akkineni–Daggubati family is a prominent Indian film family with a history predominantly in Telugu cinema. Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Daggubati Ramanaidu are the prominent heads of both families. Members of the family include actors, film directors, and producers.
Manam (transl. Us) is a 2014 Indian Telugu-language fantasy drama film written and directed by Vikram Kumar, and produced by the Akkineni Family under the Annapurna Studios banner. The film stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Nagarjuna, Naga Chaitanya, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Shriya Saran. The film is set in various time periods, over the course of a hundred years up until 2013, and deals with the concepts of rebirth and eternal love. The plot features a wealthy businessman, Nageswara Rao (Nagarjuna), attempting to bring a young couple together resembling his deceased parents and the elderly Chaitanya's attempts to bring the businessman and a doctor together. They resemble Chaitanya's deceased parents, who died because of a mistake committed by him in his childhood.
Oka Laila Kosam is a 2014 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Vijay Kumar Konda. Produced by Nagarjuna on his home banner Annapurna Studios, the film features Naga Chaitanya and Pooja Hegde. Anoop Rubens composed the music for this film while I. Andrew and Praveen Pudi handled the cinematography and editing departments respectively. The film released worldwide on 17 October 2014. This film marked the Telugu debut of Pooja Hegde.
Manam is the feature film soundtrack album composed by Anup Rubens for the 2014 Telugu Period drama film of the same name directed by Vikram Kumar which featured Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Nagarjuna and Naga Chaitanya along with Shriya Saran and Samantha in the lead roles. The film, which marks Akkineni Nageswara Rao's last on screen appearance is also Anup Rubens' 25th film as a Music Director.
Akhil Akkineni is an Indian actor who works in Telugu cinema. Akhil was born in San Jose, California, and was raised in Hyderabad, India. Akhil debuted as a child artist in the children's film Sisindri (1994), for which he won a Filmfare Special Award. He is also the captain of Telugu Warriors cricket team that competes in Celebrity Cricket League.
Premam (transl. Love) is a 2016 Indian Telugu-language coming-of-age romantic drama film co-written and directed by Chandoo Mondeti. It is a remake of the 2015 Malayalam film of the same name, and features Naga Chaitanya and Shruti Haasan, portraying the respective roles played by Nivin Pauly and Sai Pallavi in the original, whilst Madonna Sebastian and Anupama Parameswaran reprise their roles from the original. Venkatesh and Nagarjuna appear in guest roles. The plot shows Vikram and his friends' life from teenage to adulthood.
Chandoo Mondeti is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Telugu cinema. He has directed films like Karthikeya (2014), Premam (2016), Bloody Mary (2022), and Karthikeya 2 (2022). For his work on Karthikeya, he was nominated for "Best Director – Telugu" at the 62nd Filmfare Awards South and the 1st IIFA Utsavam awards.
Rarandoi Veduka Chudham is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Kalyan Krishna Kurasala, and produced by Nagarjuna Akkineni under Annapurna Studios banner. It stars Naga Chaitanya, Rakul Preet Singh, Jagapathi Babu and Sampath Raj. The film was released on 26 May 2017.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu is an Indian actress who has appeared predominantly in Telugu and Tamil films. She made her acting debut with a small role in Gautham Vasudev Menon's Tamil film Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa. She had her first lead role in 2010 with Gautham Vasudev Menon's Telugu romance film Ye Maaya Chesave. The film earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut – South and a Nandi Award. In 2012, Samantha featured in live action Telugu-Tamil bilingual project Eega. The film received positive reviews in both Telugu and Tamil languages and it was one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of the year, earning ₹1.15 billion globally. Her performance as a micro artist who runs a NGO and takes revenge for the murder of her lover earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Actress. In the same year, she appeared in the trilingual romantic drama Neethaane En Ponvasantham (2012). The film earned her praise from critics, and Samantha won her first Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actress. 2012 became her most prolific award-winning year and she secured further recognition for Best Actress at the Vijay Awards, Santosham Film Awards and the CineMAA Awards. Popular playback singer and dubbing artist Chinmayi Sripada has been the voice of Samantha in most of her Telugu language films right from her debut in Ye Maaya Chesave. She has also dubbed for Samantha in a few of her Tamil and Hindi language films.
Majili is a 2019 Indian Telugu-language romantic sports drama film directed by Shiva Nirvana and produced by Sahu Garapati and Harish Peddi under the banner of Shine Screens Production. The film stars Naga Chaitanya, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Divyansha Kaushik, with Subbaraju, Rao Ramesh, and Atul Kulkarni in supporting roles.
Bangarraju is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language supernatural drama film directed by Kalyan Krishna Kurasala. Produced by Annapurna Studios and Zee Studios, Bangarraju is a sequel to the 2016 film Soggade Chinni Nayana and stars Nagarjuna, Naga Chaitanya, Ramya Krishna, and Krithi Shetty.