Ramcharan’s wife Upasana shares a pic from their early Christmas bash 2022 – Times of India

<p><b>As the Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Anurag Thakur announced on Sunday that the Indian Film Personality of the Year award will be conferred upon Telugu Megastar Chiranjeevi. The prestigious award was announced during the inauguration of the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) here.<br /></b></p><p>In a career spanning nearly four decades, Chiranjeevi has acted in more than 150 films, primarily in the Telugu film industry. On this occasion, ETimes has compiled a list of ten lesser-known facts about the Telugu Megastar Chiranjeevi.</p><p><strong>Image Courtesy: Instagram</strong></p><p><strong>Also Read: <a href=”https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/20-south-celebs-those-wished-prabhas-on-his-birthday-/photostory/95058622.cms” target=”_blank”>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/20-south-celebs-those-wished-prabhas-on-his-birthday-/photostory/95058622.cms</a></strong></p>

<p>Shiva Shankara Vara Prasad (popularly known as Chiranjeevi) was an NCC cadet and participated in the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi in the early 19’70s. His photos in NCC dress often surf the Internet.<br /></p><p><strong>Image Courtesy: Instagram</strong></p><p><strong>Also Read: <a href=”https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/ten-appealing-pictures-of-happybirthday-girl-lavanya-tripathi/photostory/95121072.cms” target=”_blank”>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/ten-appealing-pictures-of-happybirthday-girl-lavanya-tripathi/photostory/95121072.cms</a></strong></p>

<p>Chiranjeevi started his film career with an award-winning film Punadhirallu directed by Gudapati Rajkumar. However, his first released film was ‘Pranam Khareedu’ hence people know Konidela Shiva Shankara vara Prasad as Chiranjeevi with ‘Pranam Khareed’ therefore his first film is often known as ‘Pranam Khareedu’.<br /></p><p><strong>Image Courtesy: Instagram</strong></p><p><strong>Also Read: <a href=”https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/ten-pretty-pictures-of-adipurush-actress-krithi-sanon/photostory/95193546.cms” target=”_blank”>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/ten-pretty-pictures-of-adipurush-actress-krithi-sanon/photostory/95193546.cms</a><a href=”https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/ten-pretty-pictures-of-adipurush-actress-krithi-sanon/photostory/95193546.cms”></a></strong></p>

<p>Yes, He played the anti-hero in films such as I Love You and K. Balachander’s Idi Katha Kaadu, starring Kamal Haasan. In a remake of the Tamil film Avargal, Chiranjeevi portrayed the character played by Rajinikanth in the original. He played the lead antagonist in works such as Mosagadu, Rani Kasula Rangamma, 47 Natkal /47 Rojulu, Nyayam Kavali and Ranuva Veeran.<br /></p><p><strong>Image Coutesy: Instagram</strong></p><p>Also REad: <a href=”https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/ten-sensual-pictures-of-talakona-actress-apsara-rani/photostory/95280111.cms” target=”_blank”>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/ten-sensual-pictures-of-talakona-actress-apsara-rani/photostory/95280111.cms</a></p>

<p>Yes, As both Rajinikanth and Chiranjeevi were trained at the same acting school as Madras Film Institute. If Rajinikanth got graduated from the MFI in 1973, and Chiranjeevi got graduated in the 1977 batch, In that sense, both of them have become film superstars whereas Rajinikanth is still his senior at the film Institute.</p><p><strong>Image Courtesy: Instagram</strong></p><p>Also Read: <a href=”https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/ten-appealing-pictures-of-telugu-actress-anushka-shetty/photostory/95331540.cms” target=”_blank”>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/ten-appealing-pictures-of-telugu-actress-anushka-shetty/photostory/95331540.cms</a></p>

<p>Unlike several Telugu actors, Chiranjeevi trailed his acting skills in Other languages too. Though it is very common for Tamil actors to act in Telugu films. It is very uncommon for Telugu actors with an exception. Chiranjeevi has acted in Tamil in 47 Natkal, Ranuva Veeran, Mappila and Engal Swamy Ayyappan. Hindi in Pratibandth, Aaj Ka Goonda Raj, ‘The Gentleman’ while in Kannada in Sipayi and Sri Manjunatha.</p><p><strong>Image Courtesy: Instagram</strong></p><p><strong>Also Read: <a href=”https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/happy-childrens-day-2022-ten-child-actors-who-are-leading-entertainers-in-tollywood-now/photostory/95499709.cms” target=”_blank”>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/happy-childrens-day-2022-ten-child-actors-who-are-leading-entertainers-in-tollywood-now/photostory/95499709.cms</a></strong><br /></p>

<p>In 1979, Chiranjeevi had eight major film releases and then 14 films in the following year 1980. Even in the following years, he had no less than 10 movies and again in 1983 he had 14 film releases a year.<br /></p><p><strong>Image Courtesy: Instagram</strong></p><p><strong>Also Read: <a href=”https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/ten-most-popular-roles-of-superstar-krishna-in-telugu-cinema/photostory/95521546.cmshttps://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/ten-most-popular-roles-of-superstar-krishna-in-telugu-cinema/photostory/95521546.cms” target=”_blank”>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/ten-most-popular-roles-of-superstar-krishna-in-telugu-cinema/photostory/95521546.cms</a></strong></p>

<p>Yes, His 1987 film Swayamkrushi directed by K.Viswanath premiered at the Moscow International Film Festival. The following year he co-produced a film called Rudraveena (1988), which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration.<br /></p><p><strong>Image Courtesy: Instagram</strong></p><p><strong>Also Read: <a href=”https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/ten-rare-photographs-of-legendary-superstar-krishna/photostory/95535698.cms” target=”_blank”>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/ten-rare-photographs-of-legendary-superstar-krishna/photostory/95535698.cms</a> </strong></p>

<p>Chiranjeevi’s 1992 film Gharana Mogudu, is often said to be the first south Indian film to collect over ₹10 crores at the South Indian box office.<br /></p><p><strong>Image Courtesy: Instagram</strong></p><p>Also Read: <a href=”https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/ten-pretty-pictures-of-masooda-actress-kavya-kalyanram/photostory/95600013.cms” target=”_blank”>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/ten-pretty-pictures-of-masooda-actress-kavya-kalyanram/photostory/95600013.cms</a></p>

<p>Post the super success of his film SwayamKrushi, Chiranjeevi is said to have become the highest-paid actor in India at the time catapulting him to the cover pages of national weekly magazines in India. The entertainment magazines Filmfare and India Today named him “Bigger than Bachchan”, a reference to Bollywood’s Amitabh Bachchan. News magazine The Week hailed him as “the new money machine”.<br /></p><p><strong>Image Courtesy: Instagram</strong></p><p><strong>Also Read: <a href=”https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/happy-mens-day-2022-check-out-ten-most-stylish-pictures-of-telugu-actor-naga-chaitanya/photostory/95618772.cms” target=”_blank”>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/happy-mens-day-2022-check-out-ten-most-stylish-pictures-of-telugu-actor-naga-chaitanya/photostory/95618772.cms</a></strong></p>

<p>In 2002, Chiranjeevi was given the Samman Award for being the highest Income Taxpayer for the 1999–2000 assessment year by any actor in India and the Govt of India, the Minister of state for finance reportedly felicitated him with the Samman Award.<br /></p><p><strong>Image Courtesy: Instagram</strong></p><p>Also Read: <a href=”https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/photo-gallery-naga-shaurya-weds-anusha-shetty-in-bengaluru-2022/photostory/95651583.cms” target=”_blank”>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/photo-gallery-naga-shaurya-weds-anusha-shetty-in-bengaluru-2022/photostory/95651583.cms</a></p>

<p>He is also said to be the first Indian actor to start a personal website on the internet to publish all his stills, upcoming film information and other stuff and to directly interact with his fans. Having Facebook Twitter and Instagram accounts of a star is seen as great by fans these days but chiru is said to have personal Private websites at the Initial stages of the Internet.<br /></p><p><strong>Image Courtesy: Instagram</strong></p><p><strong>Also Read: <a href=”https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/photo-gallery-naga-shaurya-weds-anusha-shetty-in-bengaluru-2022/photostory/95651583.cms” target=”_blank”>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/web-stories/photo-gallery-naga-shaurya-weds-anusha-shetty-in-bengaluru-2022/photostory/95651583.cms</a><u></u></strong></p>