This article contains text that is written in a promotional tone .(February 2023) |
Sumanth | |
---|---|
Born | Sumanth Kumar Yarlagadda 9 February 1975 |
Alma mater | Columbia College Chicago |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1999–present |
Spouse | |
Relatives | See Daggubati-Akkineni Family |
Sumanth Kumar Yarlagadda (born 9 February 1975), known mononymously as Sumanth, is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He is the eldest grandson of Telugu actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao. He is also a partner in Annapurna Studios. [1]
Sumanth's most notable films are Prema Katha (1999), [2] Yuvakudu (2000), Satyam (2003), [3] Gowri (2004), [4] Godavari (2006), Madhumasam (2008), Golconda High School (2011), Malli Raava (2017), and Sita Ramam (2022).
Sumanth was born in Hyderabad, India, on 9 February 1975. [5] [6] He is the only son of Surendra Yarlagadda and Satyavathi Akkineni. He is the eldest grandchild of the Telugu film actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao. A few months after his birth, Sumanth's parents returned to the US where they were residing. Sumanth, however, remained in India on the request of his grandfather Akkineni Nageswara Rao, who was then on a hiatus from films after a major heart surgery. The latter had often said that his busy acting career prevented him from fully experiencing fatherhood with his own children, so he wished to raise his first grandchild himself. Subsequently, Sumanth was adopted by his maternal grandparents. [7]
Sumanth's father, Surendra Yarlagadda, is a former film producer, noted for several hit films such as Muchataga Mugguru (1985), Collector Gari Abbayi (1987), Rao Gari Illu (1988), Siva (1989), and Gaayam (1993). He has one younger sister: Supriya Yarlagadda, who is the executive director of Annapurna Studios. Actor Nagarjuna Akkineni is his maternal uncle. [8] Actors Naga Chaitanya, Akhil Akkineni, and Sushanth are his cousins. [9]
In August 2004, Sumanth married former actress Keerthi Reddy. They were divorced amicably in 2006. [10]
Sumanth studied at the Hyderabad Public School, graduating in 1991. For his undergraduate studies, he enrolled in an engineering course in Michigan. Realising after two years that it wasn't in his best interest, he transferred to Columbia College Chicago, from where he graduated with a B. A. in Film Studies in 1997. [11]
Sumanth made his debut as a lead actor in Ram Gopal Varma's Prema Katha in 1999. [12] [13] Although not commercially successful , [14] the film was critically acclaimed and received five Nandi awards, including the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film. [15] Even though it was just an average earner when released, his second film Yuvakudu (2000) directed by Karunakaran would go on to be widely considered an underrated film later on . [16] [17] Sumanth’s lean box office run continued with his next films Pelli Sambandham , Ramma Chilakamma , and Snehamante Idera , despite popular actors from his family Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Nagarjuna sharing screen in two of them. [18]
Sumanth’s box office breakthrough came in late 2003 with Satyam (2003 film) [19] where he played the role of a struggling lyricist. In addition to commercial success, Sumanth received critical acclaim, with Idlebrain.com commenting, "there is not even a single moment where you can find any shortcomings in his histrionics". [20] This was followed by another hit Gowri in 2004. This action drama was a remake of the Tamil film Thirumalai . Idlebrain.com Jeevi wrote, “Sumanth was good as usual and performed really well in fights”. [21] After consecutive hits, he continued in the action genre with Dhana 51 (2005), which was a flop, and the average running Mahanandi (2006). [22] [23]
Sumanth altered his path in 2006, starring in Sekhar Kammula's Godavari , which remains one of the most acclaimed films in his career. On top of immense critical and commercial success, this film also garnered five Nandi awards and a Filmfare award. [24] Rediff.com said that Godavari is “a film that reminds us that cinema can be so much more ”. [25] Sumanth next acted in Chinnodu, which released in October 2006 and was an average grosser. [26] In 2007, he starred in the romantic drama Madhumasam, produced by D. Ramanaidu and directed by Chandra Siddhartha. This film was a hit, having a 100 days theatrical run. [27] Sumanth next did the lead in Classmates , which generated a curiosity as it was the first time that its director K. Vijaya Bhaskar was without his usual collaborator Trivikram Srinivas as dialogue writer. [28] Additionally, it was a remake of the trend-setting Malayalam film Classmates . [29] Despite positive reviews, the film however failed at the box office. Sumanth’s next two films were Pourudu (2008), which was a moderate success, [30] and Boni (2009) which was a failure. [31]
Sumanth's following film Golconda High School in 2011 was a sports drama directed by Mohana Krishna Indraganti. Based on an English Novel "The Men Within" written by Harimohan Paruvu, an ex Ranji Trophy cricketer, [32] this film was positively reviewed and was well received by audiences. Idlebrain.com said that Sumanth's role as a cricket coach was his "career best performance". [33] This was followed by failures like Raaj (2011), Daggaraga Dooranga (2011), Emo Gurram Egaravachu (2014) and Naruda Donoruda (2016). [34] [35] [36] [37] Among these, Naruda Donoruda was anticipated as it was a remake of the Bollywood hit Vicky Donor . The film however received disappointing reviews, and its theatrical run was further negatively affected by the coinciding 2016 Indian banknote demonetisation. [38] [39]
Sumanth made a comeback in late 2017 with the romantic drama Malli Raava , under the direction of debutant Gowtam Tinnanuri. This film was a box office hit and was well reviewed, [40] [41] with Firstpost calling it “a pleasant surprise” and "Sumanth's best film in a long time". [42] It won four awards including best film from the Telugu Chamber of Film and Commerce. [43] Sumanth next played the lead role in Subrahmanyapuram (2018). This mystery thriller was commercially an average runner after receiving mixed reviews. [44] It was followed by the flop Idam Jagath (2018). Sumanth then played the lead role in Kapatadhaari , which was a remake of the Kannada Neo-noir Thriller Kavaludaari . This film released in February 2021 with 50% theatre occupancy COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and turned out to be commercially unsuccessful despite positive reviews. [45] [46] His next film Malli Modalaindi (2021) released directly on OTT to negative reviews. [47] However, the popular website Greatandhra.com called it a “soft hit” based on streaming hours. [48]
The various supporting and cameo roles Sumanth did starting from 2019 received a positive response. Despite the film’s commercial failure, Sumanth's supporting role as his grandfather Akkineni Nageswara Rao was well received in NTR: Kathanayakudu . [49] In 2022, he did a key supporting role in the film Sita Ramam , a war romance starring Dulquer Salmaan. This film was a major commercial and critical success and Sumanth's performance received appreciation. [50] He then appeared in an integral cameo role in the Dhanush starrer Vaathi (2023) which was also successful. [51] [52]
† | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Year | Film | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1999 | Prema Katha | Suri | Debut in a lead role | |
2000 | Yuvakudu | Siva | ||
Pelli Sambandham | Grandson | |||
2001 | Ramma Chilakamma | Kasi | ||
Snehamante Idera | Chandrasekhar "Chandru" | |||
2003 | Satyam | Satyam | ||
2004 | Gowri | Gowri Shankar | ||
2005 | Soggadu | Himself | Cameo appearance | |
Dhana 51 | Dhana | |||
Mahanandi | Shankar | |||
2006 | Godavari | Sreeram "Ram" | ||
Chinnodu | Chinna | |||
2007 | Classmates | Ravi Kiran | ||
2008 | Madhumasam | Sanjay | ||
2009 | Pourudu | Ajay | ||
Boni | DD | |||
2011 | Golconda High School | Sampath | ||
Raaj | Raaj | |||
Daggaraga Dooranga | Gowtham | |||
2014 | Emo Gurram Egaravachu | Bullebbai | ||
2016 | Naruda Donoruda | Vicky | ||
2017 | Malli Raava | Karthik | ||
2018 | Subrahmanyapuram | Karthik | ||
Idam Jagath | Nishith | |||
2019 | NTR: Kathanayakudu | Akkineni Nageswara Rao | ||
NTR: Mahanayakudu | ||||
2021 | Kapatadhaari | Gowtham | ||
2022 | Malli Modalaindi | Vikram | ||
Sita Ramam | Brigadier Vishnu Sharma | |||
2023 | Vaathi | A. M. Kumar | Cameo appearance; Shot simultaneously in Tamil | [53] |
Sir | A. S. Murthy | |||
Anangana Oka Rowdy† | Waltair Seenu | Pre- production | [54] | |
Vaarahi† | TBA | Announced | [55] |
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.
Chukkallo Chandrudu is a 2006 Indian Telugu-language romance film directed by Siva Ananth in his directorial debut It is produced by Alexander Vallabha on Creative Commercials. The film stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Siddharth, Sadha, Charmme Kaur and Saloni Aswani. The music is composed by Chakri. Siddharth also worked as a writer for the film. Many scenes of this movie were shot in exotic locations around Innsbruck city.
Godavari is a 2006 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy drama film written and directed by Sekhar Kammula, and produced by G. V. G. Raju. Sumanth and Kamalinee Mukherjee played the lead roles. The film was a commercial success at the box office in addition to receiving unanimous critical acclaim. It won several Nandi and Filmfare awards. The music of the film was composed by K. M. Radha Krishnan. There is a similarity in the names of the protagonists and the cruise boat on the river Godavari. This film was later dubbed In Hindi as Jheel Se Gehra Pyar. The film was an above average grosser in India but was successful in the US. Godavari is considered a modern day classic by some critics
Annapurna Studios is an Indian film production company, founded in 1976 by the actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR). Located in the heart of Hyderabad, India the 22-acre (8.9 ha) studio mainly provides services for films including sound stages for set construction, outdoor sets, floors, back-lots, data storage, editing, dubbing, sound effects, visual effects, digital intermediate, Dolby Vision/HDR, stereo and near field mixing, Dolby Atmos sound mixing, 5.1/7.1/9.1 sound mixing, conforming and mastering, HD/UHD/DCP mastering, screening theatres among other amenities.
Gowri is a 2004 Indian Telugu-language action film directed by B. V. Ramana. It stars Sumanth and Charmme Kaur in the lead roles, and was produced by Sravanthi Ravi Kishore. It is a remake of the 2003 Tamil Blockbuster film Thirumalai, starring Vijay and Jyothika. It received positive reviews and was a hit at the box office. The film was later dubbed into Hindi under the title The Gunda.
Meghasandesam is a 1982 Telugu-language drama film, produced and directed by Dasari Narayana Rao under his Taraka Prabhu Films banner. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Jaya Prada, Jayasudha and music composed by Ramesh Naidu. This film is the 200th movie of Akkineni Nageswara Rao. The film was featured in the Indian Panorama section at the 9th International Film Festival of India, and the Moscow film festival. It won four Awards including Best Feature Film in Telugu at the 30th National Film Awards "For its lyrical and aesthetic qualities", the Filmfare award for Best Telugu Film and Nandi award for Best Feature Film. The film won nine Nandi Awards.
Madhumasam is a 2007 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film directed by Chandra Siddhartha. The film stars Sumanth, Sneha, and Parvati Melton in the lead roles. It was produced by D. Ramanaidu on Suresh Productions banner. Madhumasam released on 9 February 2007 to mixed reviews and was a hit at the box office, having a run of over 100 days in a few centres.
Pourudu (transl. Citizen) is a 2008 Telugu language action drama film written and directed by Raj Aditya. The film stars Sumanth and Kajal Aggarwal, while Suman, Nassar, Brahmanandam, Ali, Subbaraju, and Kota Srinivasa Rao play supporting roles. The film was produced by Sumanth's sister, Supriya, under the S.S Creations / Annapurna Studios banner. The music score was by Mani Sharma with cinematography by Sudhakar Yekkanti. The film released on 13 January 2008. It was a moderate success at the box office, having a run of 100 days in a couple of centers. The film was later dubbed into Hindi as Giraftaar: The Man on a Mission in 2008.
Sisindri is a 1995 Indian Telugu-language comedy film directed by Siva Nageswara Rao and produced by Nagarjuna. The film stars Nagarjuna's son Akhil Akkineni. Nagarjuna Akkineni, Giri Babu, Tanikella Bharani, Sudhakar, Aamani, Sarath Babu and Subhalekha Sudhakar play supporting roles. Music is composed by Raj, his debut film. The film is inspired by the American film Baby's Day Out (1994).
Kasko is a 2009 Telugu romantic drama film directed by G. Nageswara Reddy. The film stars Vaibhav and Shweta Basu Prasad in the lead roles. The film was a box office failure.
Mooga Manasulu is a 1964 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film directed by Adurthi Subba Rao who co-wrote the film with Acharya Aatreya and Mullapudi Venkata Ramana. The film stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Savitri and Jamuna, with music composed by K. V. Mahadevan. It is based on the concept of reincarnation.
Venu Thottempudi is an Indian actor who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He has appeared in several successful Telugu films as a lead actor from 1999 to the early 2000s.
Pelli Sambandham (transl. Marriage Alliance) is a 2000 Indian Telugu-language comedy-drama film, produced by C. Aswini Dutt and K. Raghavendra Rao and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Sumanth, Sakshi Shivanand, Sanghavi, with music composed by S. A. Rajkumar. The film is a remake of the Tamil language film Pooparika Varugirom (1999).
Mahanandi is a 2005 Indian Telugu-language action drama film, directed by V. Samudra, starring Sumanth, Anushka Shetty and Srihari in the Lead. The movie was released on 3 December 2005. It was a moderate success at the box office. It was dubbed into Hindi as Ek aur Mahayudh, in Tamil as Thirupachi Aruva and into Malayalam under the title Ullasam.
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.
Anubandham (transl. Relation) is a 1984 Telugu-language drama film directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy. The film stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Radhika and Sujatha, with music composed by Chakravarthy. It is a remake of the Bengali film Uttar Purush (1966) which was previously remade in Tamil as Uyarndha Manithan (1968).
Malli Raava is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film written and directed by debutant Gowtam Tinnanuri, and produced by Rahul Yadav Nakka. The film stars Sumanth and Aakanksha Singh, the latter making her debut in Telugu cinema. The music is composed by Shravan Bharadwaj. The film was released on 8 December 2017, received positive reviews from critics, and went to become a box office hit
NTR: Kathanayakudu is a 2019 Indian Telugu-language biographical drama film based on the real life and acting career of N. T. Rama Rao (NTR). It was directed by Krish Jagarlamudi and produced by Nandamuri Balakrishna, Sai Korrapati, Vishnu Vardhan Induri under NBK Films, Vaaraahi Chalana Chitram, Vibri Media banners. It is the first installation of a two-part film. The film stars an ensemble cast with Nandamuri Balakrishna, as his father N. T. Rama Rao, Vidya Balan in lead roles. Music is composed by M. M. Keeravani. The film has a sequel, NTR: Mahanayakudu, that showcases the political journey of Rama Rao.
Dhana 51 is a 2005 Indian Telugu-language romantic action film directed by R. Soorya Kiran and starring Sumanth and Saloni Aswani with Mukesh Khanna in a negative role. Structural similarities were found between the plot of this movie and the 2008 Kannada film Bindaas penned by Janardhana Maharshi.
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