Konidela Chiranjeevi is an Indian actor, film producer and former politician who works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential actors in the history of Indian cinema. In a career spanning over four decades, he starred in over 150 feature films, predominantly in Telugu, as well as some films in Hindi, Tamil and Kannada. Chiranjeevi won the Andhra Pradesh state's highest film award, the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, three Nandi Awards, and nine Filmfare Awards South including the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2024, The Government of India honoured him with Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour. Earlier In 2006, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award, for his contributions to Indian cinema. In 2013, CNN-IBN named him as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema".
Penmetsa Ram Gopal Varma, often referred to by his initials RGV, is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer, known for his works in Telugu cinema in addition to Hindi, Kannada language films, and television. Varma has directed films across multiple genres, including parallel cinema and docudrama noted for their gritty realism, technical finesse, and craft. Regarded as one of the pioneers of new age Indian cinema, he was featured in the BBC World series Bollywood Bosses in 2004. In 2006, Grady Hendrix of Film Comment, published by the Film Society of Lincoln Center cited Varma as "Bombay's Most Successful Maverick" for his works on experimental films.
Kanneganti Brahmanandam, known mononymously as Brahmanandam, is an Indian actor, comedian, impersonator, and voice actor known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He is particularly known for his comic performances. He holds the Guinness World Record for the most screen credits for a living actor, appearing in over 1000 films to date. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Acharya Nagarjuna University. Regarded as one of the finest and highest-paid comic actors of India, he was honoured with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in India, for his contribution to Film Art.
Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu cinema is based in Film Nagar, Hyderabad. As of 2021, Telugu cinema is the largest film industry in India in terms of box-office. Telugu films sold 23.3 crore tickets in 2022, the highest among various film industries in India.
Vijayashanti Srinivas (née Shanti Satti; is an Indian actress, producer and politician. In a film career spanning 40 years, she has acted in 187 feature films in a variety of roles in various languages predominantly in Telugu cinema, in addition to Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam films. She is widely referred as the "Lady Superstar", "Lady Amitabh", and "The Action Queen of Indian Cinema", for garnering women-oriented action roles when heroines were mere glam dolls in hero-dominated films, Vijayashanti held her own with directors scripting stories for her and creating characters that celebrated righteousness and womanhood.
Bhupatiraju Ravi Shankar Raju, known professionally as Ravi Teja, is an Indian actor and film producer who mainly works in Telugu cinema. Known for his roles in action comedy films, he is popular by the moniker "Mass Maharaja". One of the highest-paid Telugu film actors, Teja has won three state Nandi Awards and one Filmfare Award South. He was featured by Forbes India in the list of top 100 Celebrities in 2012, 2013, and 2015.
Gadde Rajendra Prasad is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Telugu films. He is a recipient of four Andhra Pradesh state Nandi Awards, three SIIMA Awards, and three Santosham Film Awards.
Sharwanand Myneni, known mononymously as Sharwanand, is an Indian actor and producer who primarily works in Telugu films alongside a few Tamil films. He made his acting debut in 2004 with the film Aidho Tareekhu.
Bommireddy Narasimha Reddy, professionally known as B. N. Reddy, was an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was an early figure in the Telugu cinema. Many of his earlier films like Vande Mataram (1939), Devatha (1941) had V. Nagayya as the lead. His Malliswari (1951) starring N. T. Rama Rao and Bhanumathi is considered a timeless Indian film classic. Reddy was the first film personality to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award from South India the highest honorary award of Indian cinema. He was awarded India's third highest civilian honor the Padmabhushan, and the Doctor of Letters.
Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, commonly known as Singeetam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, composer, and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the most versatile directors of India. He is credited with having revolutionised the South Indian cinema with experimental films. He has directed about sixty films in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, and English languages across multiple genres. He has garnered two National Film Awards, five Nandi Awards, three Karnataka State Film Awards, and three Filmfare Awards South. In 2011, Rao was honored with Life Achievement Award from the Film Federation of India.
Adurthi Subba Rao was an Indian film director, cinematographer, screenwriter, editor and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. Rao is widely regarded as the intellectual fountain head of Indian drama films. He has garnered seven National Film Awards. Rao made his foray into cinema as Associate to Uday Shankar in the 1948 dance film Kalpana, which was showcased in the "Treasures from National Film Archive of India" at the 39th International Film Festival of India.
Maa Bhoomi is a 1979 Indian Telugu-language social problem film directed by Goutam Ghose in his debut. The film is produced by B. Narsing Rao, who also wrote the film with Goutam Ghose. The film is based on the novel Jab Khet Jage by Krishan Chander on the Telangana Rebellion in Hyderabad State. It depicts a typical life of villagers under feudalistic society in the Telangana region. The film features Sai Chand, Rami Reddy and Telangana Shakuntala in pivotal roles. The plot follows Ramayya, a landless peasant who joins the Telangana Rebellion of 1948.
R. Narayana Murthy, also known as People's Star, is an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, composer, singer, and producer. He works predominantly in Telugu Cinema. He received Nandi Special Jury Award for his film Dandora (1993).
L. B. Sriram is an Indian actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, and thespian known for his works in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He made his feature film debut with Kokila (1990) as a dialogue writer.
Bongu Narsing Rao is an Indian film director, screenwriter, littérateur, composer, poet, producer, actor and painter known for his works in Telugu cinema, and Telugu theatre. Rao has garnered five National Film Awards, three Nandi Awards, various international honors, and has served as a jury in various Asian film festivals. He directed, Daasi "(Bonded Woman)" and Matti Manushulu "(Mud People)" which won the Diploma of Merit awards at the 16th and 17th Moscow International Film Festivals in 1989 and 1991 respectively.
P Suneel Kumar Reddy is an Indian director, screenwriter, and film producer who works primarily in Telugu cinema. He is well known for directing critically acclaimed films such as Sontha Ooru, Gangaputrulu, Gulf, Oka Romantic Crime Katha and Oka Criminal Prema Katha. Suneel Kumar Reddy is associated with Sravya Films, a film production house in South. He is also managing director of Screenshot Infotainment Pvt Ltd. His films won 18 State Awards and participated in several international film festivals. He was awarded as best director and best dialogue writer for his film Gangaputrulu. He directed a film Nenem…Chinna Pillana? for movie mogul D. Rama Naidu under the banner of Suresh Productions. He served as a jury member for International Children's Film Festival India. He rendered his services as a guest faculty for Annapurna Film School and Ramanaidu Film School and conducted several film workshops across India.
Maa Ooru is a 1987 Indian Telugu-language anthropological film written and directed by B. Narsing Rao. The film won the Best Ethnographic Film at the 36th National Film Awards "For recalling with nostalgia the life of a village community of the fifties in Telangana and does so with sensitivity and a graphic lyricism", as cited by the Jury.
Ankusam is 1989 Indian Telugu-language action film directed by Kodi Ramakrishna and produced by Shyam Prasad Reddy. The film stars Dr. Rajashekar and his wife Jeevitha, while Rami Reddy and M. S. Reddy play supporting roles. The film became a blockbuster at the box office and provided a major breakthrough in the career of Rajasekhar. Ravi Raja Pinisetty directed the Hindi and Kannada remakes - Pratibandh and Abhimanyu with Chiranjeevi and V. Ravichandran respectively in 1990. The film won three Nandi Awards.
Raju Maharaju is a 2009 Telugu-language film directed by Shankaranath Durga. The film stars Mohan Babu, Sharwanand, Surveen Chawla, and Ramya Krishna in the lead roles. This film has been music composed by Chakri. The film was dubbed into Tamil as Raja Maharaja. The film won two Nandi Awards.
Karthik Rathnam is an Indian actor who works in Telugu theatre and Telugu cinema. Rathnam made his debut with the critically acclaimed film C/o Kancharapalem (2018), which was the first Telugu film to be screened at New York Film Festival. Followed by his appearance in ZEE5's Gods of Dharmapuri (G.O.D), Rathnam reprised his role in Tamil remake of C/o Kancharapalem.
