Nani

Nani Biography

Ghanta Naveen Babu, known professionally as Nani, was born on 24 February 1984 and is an Indian actor and producer who works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He was brought up in Hyderabad in a Telugu Hindu family whose roots lie in Challapalli, Andhra Pradesh. He attended St. Alphonsa’s High School in Hyderabad, completed his intermediate at Narayana Junior College, S. R. Nagar, and graduated from Wesley Degree College, Secunderabad. Audiences refer to him as the “Natural Star” for his understated, realistic performances.

Nani made his debut as a lead in the romantic comedy Ashta Chamma (2008) and achieved his breakthrough with Ala Modalaindi (2011). He followed it with commercial successes including Pilla Zamindar (2011), S. S. Rajamouli’s Eega (2012) and Yevade Subramanyam (2015), and won the Nandi Award for Best Actor for Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu (2012). He also made his Tamil-cinema debut in 2011 with Veppam. After a run of unsuccessful releases he re-established himself with Bhale Bhale Magadivoy (2015), Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha and Gentleman (both 2016), Nenu Local, Ninnu Kori and Middle Class Abbayi (all 2017).

His later hits include Jersey and Nani’s Gang Leader (2019), Shyam Singha Roy (2021), Ante Sundaraniki (2022), Dasara and Hi Nanna (2023), Saripodhaa Sanivaaram (2024) and HIT: The Third Case (2025). He turned producer with D for Dopidi (2013) and launched his production house Wall Poster Cinema in 2018, which has made Awe (2018), HIT: The First Case (2020), HIT: The Second Case (2022) and Court – State vs a Nobody (2025). In 2018 he hosted the second season of Bigg Boss Telugu. Nani will next appear in The Paradise.

Basic Details

• Full Name: Ghanta Naveen Babu
• Known As: Nani; nicknamed the “Natural Star”
• Date of Birth: 24 February 1984
• Age: 42 (as of July 2026)
• Birthplace: Hyderabad, India
• Nationality: Indian
• Occupation: Actor, producer, television presenter
• Years Active: 2008 – present
• Education: St. Alphonsa’s High School, Hyderabad; Narayana Junior College; Wesley Degree College, Secunderabad
• Debut: Ashta Chamma (2008), as lead actor
• Production House: Wall Poster Cinema (founded 2018)
• Spouse: Anjana Yelavarthy, a software engineer (married 27 October 2012 in Visakhapatnam)
• Children: Son, Arjun (born 2017)

Career Highlights

Major Awards

• Two Nandi Awards, including Best Actor for Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu
• Three Filmfare Awards South — Critics Best Actor – Telugu for Bhale Bhale Magadivoy and Shyam Singha Roy, and Best Actor – Telugu for Dasara
• Four SIIMA Awards
• Best Hero and Best Fight, Toronto After Dark Film Festival, for Eega
• Jersey named among Film Companion’s “100 Greatest Performances of the Decade”