Megastar Chiranjeev

Megastar Chiranjeevi Biography

Konidela Chiranjeevi, born Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad on 22 August 1955, is an Indian actor, philanthropist and former politician known for his work in Telugu cinema. Widely called “Megastar”, he is regarded as one of the most successful and influential actors in Indian cinema and one of its finest dancers. He was born in Mogalthur, West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, to Konidela Venkata Rao, a police constable whose job moved the family often, and Anjana Devi.

He was schooled across Nidadavolu, Gurazala, Bapatla, Ponnur, Mangalagiri and Mogalthur, completed his Intermediate at C. S. R. Sarma College in Ongole and took a commerce degree at Sri Y. N. College, Narsapuram, before moving to Chennai and joining the Madras Film Institute in 1976. His first released film was Pranam Khareedu (1978), and his breakthrough came with Khaidi (1983), then the highest-grossing Telugu film. Gharana Mogudu (1992) was the first South Indian film to collect over ₹10 crore in distributor share, and for Aapadbandhavudu (1992) he was paid ₹1.25 crore, making him the highest-paid actor in India at the time.

Chiranjeevi founded the Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust in 1998 and the Praja Rajyam Party in 2008, served as a Rajya Sabha MP from 2012 to 2018 and was Union Minister of Tourism from October 2012 to May 2014. He returned to cinema with Khaidi No. 150 (2017), his 150th film. His honours include the Padma Bhushan (2006) and the Padma Vibhushan (2024), the IFFI Indian Film Personality of the Year Award (2022), the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award (2016), three Nandi Awards and nine Filmfare Awards South, among them the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 and an Honorary Award. In 2024 he was recognised by Guinness World Records as the most prolific actor-dancer in Indian cinema.

Basic Details

• Full Name: Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad
• Popular Name: Chiranjeevi
• Nickname: Megastar
• Date of Birth: 22 August 1955
• Age: 70 (as of 2026)
• Birthplace: Mogalthur, West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, India
• Nationality: Indian
• Occupation: Actor, philanthropist, former politician
• Years Active: 1978 – present
• Education: Intermediate, C. S. R. Sarma College, Ongole; commerce degree, Sri Y. N. College, Narsapuram; Madras Film Institute (1976)
• Family: Parents Konidela Venkata Rao and Anjana Devi; brothers Nagendra Babu and Pawan Kalyan; married Surekha, daughter of Allu Ramalingaiah, on 20 February 1980; children Sushmita, Sreeja and Ram Charan

Career Highlights

Major Awards

Recent Activity

• Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, directed by Anil Ravipudi and co-starring Venkatesh and Nayanthara, released on 12 January 2026. It drew generally mixed reviews, with praise for Chiranjeevi’s performance and criticism of the writing, and performed well at the box office.
• Vishwambhara, directed by Mallidi Vassishta, is in post-production.
• A second collaboration with director Bobby Kolli, following Waltair Veerayya, is in production and currently slated for 2027.
• A further project with director Srikanth Odela has been announced.