Ghanta Naveen Babu (born 24 February 1984), known professionally by his screen nameNani, is an Indian actor, producer, and television presenter who is known for his work in Telugu cinema. He has received two Filmfare Awards and two Nandi Awards.
Nani was born on 24 February 1984 in a Telugu family and was brought up in Hyderabad, India. He did his schooling from St. Alphonsa's High School and then did his intermediate from Narayana Junior College, S. R. Nagar before graduating from Wesley College.[4] His family hails from Challapalli, Andhra Pradesh.
In 2012, Nani married Anjana, after five years of courtship. Their son was born in 2017.[5]
He is affectionately referred to as 'Natural Star' by his fans due to his realistic performances in versatile roles.[6]
Career
Career beginnings and struggle (2008–2011)
As an undergraduate, Nani got addicted to movies, citing Mani Ratnam as a major influence.[4] He wanted to become a director; however, producer Anil Kumar Koneru allowed him to work on his production, Radha Gopalam (2005), as a "clap director", alongside director Bapu.[4] He then worked for films including Allari Bullodu (2005), Astram (2006), and Dhee (2007). Nani took a sabbatical to work on a film script. Bhargavi Mallela, a friend of his, who was then working as a RJ for World Space Satellite, offered Nani work as an RJ.[4] He accepted the offer and worked there for one year, hosting a program named "Non-Stop Nani".[7][8]
Director Mohan Krishna Indraganti noticed Nani in an advertisement and offered him a role in the aforementioned film Ashta Chamma, also starring Swati Reddy.[4]Ashta Chamma was well received by critics and Nani's performance was praised by them. Sify.com wrote "Nani has a very good screen presence. He has good emotions and dances well, though his body language sometimes reminds of Subhalekha Sudhakar – May this be treated as a compliment to the ease that the veteran actor shows on the screen! His addiction is good too."[9][10] His second film, Ride, was produced by Bellamkonda Suresh, with Tanish, Swetha Basu Prasad and Aksha Pardasany playing important roles. Ride was also a notable success at the box office.[11] He next starred in Satyam Bellamkonda's film Snehituda... opposite Maadhavi Latha. Snehituda... opened to negative reviews and the film was a flop at the box office.[12] In 2010, he played the main role in the film Bheemili Kabaddi Jattu, a remake of Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu, with Saranya Mohan reprising her role as the heroine. The film opened to positive reviews with Nani's performance receiving appreciation. Rediff said Nani "perfectly fits into the role" and commended him for selecting the script,[13] and Oneindia Entertainment commented that Nani "has given his best" and was "suited perfectly to the role".[14] The film was a surprise hit at the box office.[15]
Breakthrough and initial success (2011–2012)
His first release in 2011, Ala Modalaindi, was a romantic comedy written and directed by Nandini Reddy. Nithya Menen was the female lead of the film, making her debut in Telugu. Nani's performance in the film received positive reviews, with critics noting that he was "completely natural" and "living [his] role".[16][17] The film was a blockbuster at the box office.[18] Simultaneously he did a Tamil film, Veppam, with his friend Anjana as director which marked his debut in Tamil cinema. Veppam received mixed reviews, but Nani and Bindu Madhavi were appreciated. The Times of India called their debuts "confident"[19] while Sify called Nani's performance "riveting".[20] It was dubbed into Telugu as Sega. Both the versions were flops at the box office.[21] Nani's final release of 2011 was Pilla Zamindar, in which he reunited with fellow Ashta Chamma actor Srinivas Avasarala. Pilla Zamindar opened to mostly positive reviews from critics, and Nani's performance as a spoilt-brat-turned-leader was well appreciated. Rediff wrote "Pilla Zamindar is Nani's show all the way. He lives up to the role and is able to portray the kaleidoscope of emotions demanded of him. "[22] IndiaGlitz wrote, "Performance-wise, Nani delivers a matured output in the second half as a youth in self-introspecting and self-correcting mode."[23] The film was a hit at the box office, prompting a Tamil dubbed release under the title Jameen. Nani's next release was S. S. Rajamouli's live action project Eega. Shot simultaneously in Tamil as Naan Ee, it featured Nani, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Kannada actor Sudeep. Eega received a positive response. IBN Live said that "Nani sizzles as the lover boy in the few scenes he is seen",[24] while Rediff said that he "makes a mark in his brief role".[25] The film was a blockbuster at the box office and was dubbed into Hindi as Makkhi and into Malayalam as Eecha.[26]
Ajay Devgan, Nani and Rajamouli during the special screening of Makkhi-(Hindi dubbed version of Eega (2012))
His last release in 2012 was Gautham Vasudev Menon's Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu opposite Samantha Ruth Prabhu once again. It was the simultaneously shot Telugu version of the Tamil film Neethane En Ponvasantham which featured Jiiva in place of Nani. Nani made a guest appearance in the Tamil version too. His portrayal of Varun Krishna was highly appreciated by critics. The Hindu wrote "Nani rises to the occasion with a mature performance. He speaks volumes through his eyes and conveys Varun's thoughts through the smallest of mannerisms. The climax completely belongs to him."[27]IndiaGlitz wrote "If Samantha's maturity as an actor is obvious, Nani's knack is equally brilliant. He is quintessentially natural and is almost impeccable. The way he sings "Priyatama Neevachata Kushalama" sets the stage for a performance that deserves a big round of applause."[28] His performance in Yeto Vellipoyindi Manasu is considered to be one of his best performances till date. IndiaGlitz while reviewing the Telugu version of his 2014 Tamil film Aaha Kalyanam wrote: "Nani's best-ever act is 'Yeto Vellipoyindi Manasu' and he may not better that act soon, that is in a similar role".[29] Though the film received mixed reviews from film critics,[30] it had a positive response at the box office, especially in multiplexes due to Nani and Samantha's performances.[31]
Commercial fluctuations (2013–2015)
In 2014, Nani was first seen in Krishna Vamsi's Paisa. The film revolved around the power of money and its influence over everything in society.[32] Nani played the role of Prakash, a Sherwani model who is obsessed with earning money.[33] The film opened to negative reviews, yet Nani's performance was appreciated by critics. The Hindu wrote, "Nani holds the film together and proves his merit yet again. He shuns all the refinement he showed in his previous romantic characters and breathes life into the part of a smart Alec threatening to hold up the shooting of a sherwani commercial for Rs. 200 more. The film's highlight is the scene where he chances upon bags of cash and his reaction after that."[34] The film was a disaster at the box office.[35] He next starred in Yash Raj Films' maiden south Indian production Aaha Kalyanam, the Tamil remake of the 2010 Hindi film Band Baaja Baarat (also produced by Yash Raj Films). It was partly shot simultaneously in Telugu under the same title. The film received mixed to negative reviews, but Nani's performance as Shakti was well received. Sify called his performance "pitch-perfect"[36] while IndiaGlitz wrote, "Nani is the apple of everyone's eyes once again, adding a good dose of humour in his presence".[37] Behindwoods commented that "Aaha Kalyanam provides great scope for the leads and Nani, who is known for his intense roles, fits the character of a carefree youth perfectly, with his broken English and casual attitude." This movie was a commercial failure.[38] In 2015, Nani played a dual role for the first time in the political thriller film Janda Pai Kapiraju, co-starring Amala Paul. The film was simultaneously made in Tamil as Nimirndhu Nil with Jayam Ravi in Nani's role. This movie was a disaster at the box office.[39][40]
Critical acclaim and stardom (2015–2016)
Another release of his, Yevade Subramanyam, was released on the same date as Jenda Pai Kapiraju to a majority of positive response and reviews and was commercially successful. Sangeetha Devi of The Hindu wrote "Nani is a fine actor and lives the part of Subramanyam, mirroring the insecurities of the workforce caught in a rat race. As he sheds the corporate mask, he comes into his own, one step at a time on the mountains."[41] On 4 September 2015, Nani's Bhale Bhale Magadivoy hit the screens. It was directed by Maruthi and produced by Geetha Arts in association with UV Creations. The movie received positive responses from critics. Pranita Jonnalagedda of The Times of India gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, who stated that Bhale Bhale Magadivoy comes across as a "breath of fresh air" because it "successfully keeps itself away from the regular formula of romantic comedies [and is] devoid of the oh-so-overused cliches" and is a "delight for anyone looking for wholesome entertainment".[42] The film was a blockbuster at the box office and went on to become the fourth-highest grossing Telugu film of all time at the United States box office. It was also Nani's second blockbuster since Rajamouli's Eega and the first blockbuster in which Nani played a full-length role.[43]
In 2016, his first film was Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha. A romantic comedy interlaced with an adventure thriller plot set against a rural backdrop, it was written and directed by Hanu Raghavapudi and produced under the banner of 14 Reels Entertainment with newcomer Mehreen Pirzada as the female lead. The film opened to positive response from critics, Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu while giving the movie 3 out of 5 stars said "Hanu Raghavapudi proves his mettle with Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha and makes it an entertaining watch".[44] It was praised for the performances of the cast and criticized for the excessive runtime. The movie fared really well at the box office. Thus, it became Nani's biggest opener in India, beating the records of his previous film Bhale Bhale Magadivoy.[45]
Nani's second release in 2016 was Gentleman, a romantic murder mystery thriller directed by his mentor Indraganti Mohan Krishna, who introduced him with Ashta Chamma. Nani played dual roles in the film. Surbhi and Nivetha Thomas starred alongside Nani in the movie, with Nivetha having more of a pivotal and prominent role. The movie was released to positive reviews and went on to become Nani's 3rd highest grosser after Eega and Bhale Bhale Magadivoy.[46][47]Gentleman was praised for the performances but criticized for its predictability. Nani's versatility was praised as GreatAndhra wrote that he was "brilliant from his role as a street-smart youngster to an obscure businessman."
His last release in 2016 was a romantic comedy titled Majnu.[48] Directed by Uyyala Jampala fame Virinchi Varma, the film saw Nani star alongside Anu Emmanuel and Priya Sri. The film was one of Nani's weakest films since Yevade Subramanyam. Praised for its comedy and criticized for its length and weak story, Majnu was given mixed reviews, and collected 58.4 crores and emerged as a hit.
Commercial success (2017–present)
Nani at Aaha Kalyanam's audio launch in January 2014
Nenu Local (2017), directed by Trinadha Rao Nakkina, cast Nani alongside Keerthy Suresh. This movie was given average reviews by the critics, who said that despite the predictability, despite the boring story, despite all the tiring commercial elements, Nani's performance changed everything for the film and led it towards becoming a success. It emerged as a blockbuster, collecting over fifty crores, and became Nani's highest-grossing film (excluding Eega) to date.
Ninnu Kori (2017) was a film that had Nani co-starring alongside Nivetha Thomas once more, with Aadhi Pinisetty in a pivotal role. This film opened to generally positive reviews, being praised for its music, cinematography, and conventionally different love story. It was criticized for its lengthiness and predictability. It became a hit and was Nani's second-highest-grossing film, excluding Eega.
The next and last film released in 2017 was Middle Class Abbayi, directed by Venu Sree Ram, in which Nani co-starred alongside Sai Pallavi of Fidaa fame. This movie was again given strictly average reviews, as the story was very conventional and that the music as well as Nani and Bhumika's performance were the highlights of the film. The film was a Blockbuster at the Box office. The film went on to gross more than 70 crores and became the 7th highest-grossing Telugu film of 2017, becoming the highest-grossing Nani film (excluding Eega), again.
His next project was Krishnarjuna Yudham, which released on 12 April 2018.[49] This film was Nani's first failure after 8 consecutive successes at the box office.[50] It was praised for Nani's performance but criticized for the length, the rockstar role, the commercial elements, and lack of convincing screenplay. The film flopped financially, failing to recover 18 of the ₹30 crores in the budget. His next release was Devadas, a comedy multistarrer in which he played the role of a doctor, and it was released on 27 September 2018. He starred alongside star actor Nagarjuna, who was a don in the film. It was praised for being fun but criticized for having a thin story. It was an Average at the box office due to the relatively big budget and strictly average word of mouth.[51] Nani's first release in 2019 was Jersey, which opened to positive reviews from both critics and audiences and became a feel-good hit at the box office, collecting nearly ₹65 crores.[52] His next release in 2019 was Gang Leader, which was released on 13 September 2019 to positive reviews.[53] His next project was his 25th film, V, directed by Mohan Krishna Indraganti. Nivetha Thomas, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Sudheer Babu co-starred with him, in which he played a character with negative shades. The film received mixed-to-negative reviews with praise towards Nani's performance, cinematography, and background music, but criticism towards the story, screenplay, and direction. He next appeared in Tuck Jagadish, alongside Ritu Varma. It was directed by Shiva Nirvana, marking his second collaboration with him after, Ninnu Kori. The film received negative reviews with criticism towards the story, screenplay, direction, background music, and characters.
Nani's next was the period romantic drama, Shyam Singha Roy. It was directed by Rahul Sankrityan, of Taxiwaala fame. It released, theatrically, on 24 December 2021 and received mixed-to-positive reviews. The story, performances of the entire cast, background score, art design, cinematography, and visual effects were highly praised. The film was a sleeper-hit at the box office, marking the comeback of Nani, after the back-to-back failures of V and Tuck Jagadish. It was the last successful film of 2021, released after Pushpa: The Rise.
Nani was next seen in Vivek Athreya's directorial, Ante Sundaraniki, alongside Malayalam actress, Nazriya Nazim, making her debut in Telugu cinema. Upon release, it received positive reviews with praise towards performances of the cast (especially Nani and Nazim), screenplay, writing, cinematography, and the background score. However, criticism was directed toward the film's long duration and pace. Despite receiving positive reviews, the film failed at the box office and ended up as a below-average grosser. In the mid-credits scene of HIT: The Second Case, Nani's character, Arjun Sarkaar, was introduced into the HIT Verse. He will be the new lead in the sequel, HIT: The Third Case.
His first 2023 release was Dasara, directed by debutant Srikanth Odela. Nani played the role of Dharani, alongside Keerthy Suresh, marking their second collaboration after Nenu Local (2017). It received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for his performance.[54][55] The film collected a total worldwide gross of ₹54 crore on its first two days, becoming his career's highest opening. It grossed over ₹115 crores with a share of ₹61.45 crores at the Indian box office and $2M+ at the USA box office in its lifetime, making it the first film of Nani to achieve both the records. This film was the highest grosser of Nani both in the overseas box office ($2M+) and the Indian box office (₹115+ crores). This film was a super hit at the box office.[56][57]
In 2020, he produced crime thriller, HIT: The First Case, with Vishwak Sen and Ruhani Sharma. It was one of the bigger sleeper hits of the year, right before the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, worldwide, in March 2020. He has also produced the sequel, HIT: The Second Case, with Adivi Sesh and Meenakshi Chaudhary. These films are intended to be part of a universe, with upcoming films being set in various cities of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Only the fictional, Homicide Intervention Team (HIT), will be the common entity connecting all the films in the universe.
In June 2018, Nani made his television debut by hosting the reality TV show Bigg Boss 2. He is the Brand Ambassador of Otto's Minister White.
Murali Sharma is an Indian actor who works predominently in Telugu and Hindi films. Sharma has starred in over 130 feature films including Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Kannada and Malayalam cinema.
Sithara is an Indian actress known for her works predominantly in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada films. She made her Tamil debut in 1989 with K. Balachander's Pudhu Pudhu Arthangal. She is best known for her performances in super-hit films such as Padayappa, Halunda Tavaru, Pudhu Vasantham. She is also known for her works in Television.
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Gopi Sundar C.S. is an Indian music director, programmer, playback singer, songwriter, actor and performer who works in the Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil film industries.
Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu is a 2012 Indian Telugu-language musical romance film co written, co produced and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon. It stars Nani and Samantha. The film features score and soundtrack composed by Ilaiyaraaja and cinematography by M. S. Prabhu. It was simultaneously shot in Tamil as Neethaane En Ponvasantham with Jiiva replacing Nani. The film received five Nandi Awards.
Eega is a 2012 Indian Telugu-language fantasy action film written and directed by S. S. Rajamouli. The film was produced by Sai Korrapati's Vaaraahi Chalana Chitram with an estimated budget of ₹30–40 crore. It was filmed simultaneously in Tamil language with the title Naan Ee. The film stars Nani, Sudeepa, and Samantha. M. M. Keeravani composed the songs and the background score while K. K. Senthil Kumar was the director of photography. Janardhana Maharshi and Crazy Mohan wrote the dialogue for the Telugu and Tamil versions, respectively.
Lavanya Tripathi Konidela is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Telugu films, along with Tamil films. Tripathi is a recipient of several awards along with two SIIMA Awards and one Filmfare Awards South nominations.
Aaha Kalyanam is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by debutant A. Gokul Krishna and produced by Aditya Chopra's Yash Raj Films. A remake of Maneesh Sharma's 2010 Hindi film, Band Baaja Baaraat, the film stars Simran, Nani and Vaani Kapoor. Although it was planned for bilingual release, it was shot completely in Tamil, and a dubbed Telugu version was released simultaneously along with the Tamil version. The film was released worldwide on 21 February 2014.
Maruthi Dasari, known mononymously as Maruthi, is an Indian director, screenwriter, producer who works primarily in Telugu cinema. He is known for directing low budget films like Ee Rojullo and Bus Stop. Maruthi is associated with Maruthi Talkies, a film production house in the Telugu film industry.
Bhale Bhale Magadivoy is a 2015 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Maruthi. Produced by Bunny Vasu under the production companies GA2 Pictures and UV Creations, Bhale Bhale Magadivoy stars Nani and Lavanya Tripathi, with Murali Sharma, Ajay, Naresh, Sithara, and Vennela Kishore in supporting roles. The film revolves around Lucky, an absent-minded plant scientist and his efforts to hide his inherent memory-related flaws from Nandana, a benevolent Kuchipudi dancer with whom he is in a relationship.
Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha is a 2016 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy thriller film written and directed by Hanu Raghavapudi. Produced by Ram Achanta, Gopichand Achanta and Anil Sunkara under 14 Reels Entertainment, the film features Nani and Mehreen Pirzada in the lead roles while Harish Uthaman, Sampath Raj, Murali Sharma, and Brahmaji play supporting roles. The film released on 12 February 2016. The film is considered one of the "25 Greatest Telugu Films Of The Decade" by Film Companion.
Nani Gentleman is a 2016 Indian Telugu-language romantic thriller film directed by Mohan Krishna Indraganti who wrote the film with R.David Nathan. Produced by Sivalenka Krishna Prasad's Sridevi Movies, Gentleman stars Nani in double role alongside Surbhi, Nivetha Thomas, Tanikella Bharani, Srinivas Avasarala and Vennela Kishore. The film narrates the story of two women, Aishwarya and Catherine, whose respective lovers, Jayaram and Gautham, are lookalikes. When Gautham dies in an accident, Catherine suspects Jai's role in it and spies on him, which reveals further truths about Jai and the people around him, including Gautham.
Majnu is a 2016 Telugu-language romantic comedy drama film written and directed by Virinchi Varma. It features Nani, Anu Emmanuel, and Riya Suman in the lead roles. The film was released worldwide on 23 September 2016. Made on a budget of ₹16 crore, the film grossed more than ₹58 crore. Both Anu and Riya made their Telugu debut through this film.
Nenu Local is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film directed by Trinadha Rao Nakkina from a story written by Prasanna Kumar Bezawada. Produced by Dil Raju under banner Sri Venkateswara Creations, the film stars Nani, Keerthy Suresh and Naveen Chandra. The soundtrack and background score was composed by Devi Sri Prasad.
Nizar Shafi is an Indian cinematographer and film director who works mainly in the Tamil film industry and Telugu cinema. He was critically acclaimed for his work in Sutta Kadhai, Naaigal Jaakirathai, Bhale Bhale Magadivoy and Nenu Local. He debuted as a director with Tamil and Telugu bilingual film Seven.
Nani is an Indian actor, producer and television presenter who works predominantly in Telugu cinema and appears in a few Tamil language films. He made his acting debut with Mohana Krishna Indraganti's 2008 comedy film Ashta Chamma, an Indian adaptation of Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest. After Ashta Chamma's commercial success, Nani played the lead roles in three Telugu films in the next two years: Ride (2009), Snehituda (2009) and Bheemili Kabaddi Jattu (2010). In 2011, Nani collaborated with B. V. Nandini Reddy on the romantic comedy film Ala Modalaindi which was profitable. The same year, he made his Tamil cinema debut with Anjana Ali Khan's Veppam, a crime drama set in the backdrop of North Chennai. The following year, Nani collaborated with S. S. Rajamouli and Gautham Vasudev Menon on the Telugu-Tamil bilingual Eega and the romance film Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu respectively. The former, which was about a murdered man reincarnating as a housefly and avenging his death, earned Nani an award in the Best Hero category at the 2013 Toronto After Dark Film Festival. He received the Nandi Award for Best Actor for his performance in Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu.
Krishnarjuna Yudham is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language action comedy film written and directed by Merlapaka Gandhi and produced by Sahu Garapati & Harish Peddi under Shine Screens banner. The film stars Nani, Anupama Parameswaran, Rukshar Dhillon in lead roles. Nani played a dual role for the third time after Janda Pai Kapiraju & Gentleman. Part of the film was shot in Prague, Czech Republic. The film opened worldwide on 12 April 2018 to mixed reviews, with praise for Nani's acting but criticism of the screenplay, lag in second half, its farfetchedness and its formulaic story.
Ghajinikanth is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Santhosh P. Jayakumar and produced by K. E. Gnanavel Raja. The film stars Arya and Sayyeshaa in the lead roles. It is a remake of the 2015 Telugu film Bhale Bhale Magadivoy.
Bhale Bhale Magadivoy is the soundtrack to the 2015 film of the same name directed by Maruthi Dasari starring Nani. The soundtrack featured five songs composed by Gopi Sunder, and lyrics written by Ramajogayya Sastry, Sri Mani, and Bhaskarabhatla Ravi Kumar. The soundtrack was released by Lahari Music on 15 August 2015, after three songs from the album were preceded as singles.
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