Bollywood is filled with superstars who have aspiring stories including Dilip Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, and Shah Rukh Khan. It is quite difficult to sustain the same kind of stardom or fame as the popularity increases. Do you know, there was one such star who started his career in the South and had big plans for his debut in Bollywood?
This South actor did make an impressive start but unfortunately suffered back-to-back failures. His films became super flops, but he did not lose hope and went back to his roots. He gave his best performance in Telugu cinema and became a superstar. There was a time when he gave a tough competition to Amitabh Bachchan. Can you guess who this superstar of the South is? Well, it is one other than Chiranjeevi.
Chiranjeevi started his career by playing antagonist roles. He got his breakthrough in the lead role with Khaidi in 1983. In 1980s and early 1990s, Chiranjeevi’s films became the highest-grossing films including Pasivadi Pranam, Yamudiki Mogudu, Attaku Yamudu Ammayiki Mogudu, Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari and more. He soon made his Bollywood debut with Pratibandh which became a super hit. He was considered to be the next superstar in Hindi films. Aaj Ka Goonda Raaj and The Gentleman tanked at the box office. Chiranjeevi went back to Telugu cinema and continued his work. As per the news report, Chiranjeevi charged Rs 1.25 crore for his role in Aapadbandhavudu and was the highest-paid actor in India at the time. He was the first Indian actor to command a Rs 1 crore remuneration for a film. His film Gharana Mogudu earned over Rs 10 crores in distributor share and he was labeled as Bigger than Bachchan in Week magazine.
Reportedly, his net worth is estimated to be around Rs 1,650 crore. His Konnidela family includes son Ram Charan, and daughter-in-law Upasana Kamineni. On the work front, Chiranjeevi will next be seen in Vishwambhara which will be released in 2025.
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