HYDERABAD, Sept 25: Recently, when superstar Aamir Khan went on record that he is a “huge fan” of Telugu star Chiranjeevi, he was not alone. For most in the Telugu film industry, Chiranjeevi is a beacon that not only led the way, but also put a shine on their dreams and ambitions.
Khan was sharing the stage with the megastar when he was handed over the Guinness World Certificate for being the most prolific film star in the Indian film industry on September 22.
Interestingly, the debut film of Chiranjeevi, who has done 156 films in his career spanning 45 years, was released also on September 22 in 1978.
Initially, the megastar played antagonist characters and within a span of a year he had eight major film releases. It wasn’t until 1982, that he got to play the leading character. The rest, as they say, is history. “You can say, he is a god for me,” said Venu Yeldandi, a comedian turned director who won the 68th Filmfare Award for Best Director (Telugu) for his debut film ‘Balagam’. Yeldandi said he had to wait for nearly a decade before he could act with Chiranjeevi.
“My film with him, ‘Bhola Shankar’ (2023 action drama) is a dream come true for me. I play his friend. I had heard so much about how Chiranjeevi garu makes sure everyone acting with him is on the same page and that the energy compliments each other. I witnessed this firsthand in the sets of our movie. He is a thorough professional,” said Yeldandi. ‘Bhola Shankar’, incidentally, is the 156th film for megastar.
The director of his 155th film, ‘Waltair Veeraya’, K S Ravindra, popularly known as Bobby Kolli, recalled how way back in 2003, before he entered the film industry, he chanced upon Chiranjeevi in Hyderabad. (PTI)
