Nagarjuna Akkineni celebrates his 66th birthday on Friday today! He is one of Telugu cinema’s most respected and multifaceted personalities. As fans fondly call him, Nagarjuna has had an illustrious journey in a career spanning four decades. In this journey, Nag evolved as one of the best actors of his time, apart from being a philanthropist and a mentor. His professional and personal contributions have enriched the film industry and society and earned him admiration from fans and peers alike.

Also Read: Nagarjuna Akkineni Confirms His Next Film KING100, Says He Will Play The Protagonist

Blockbuster films

Nagarjuna first appeared in front of the camera as a child artiste in Velugu Needalu (1961), followed by Sudigundalu (1967), directed by his father Akkineni Nageswara Rao. But after having completed a Master’s degree in Automobile Engineering in the US, he debuted as a lead actor in Vikram in 1986. And as they say, the rest is history.

Nagarjuna tasted success in the initial phase of his career with films like Majnu, Collector Gari Abbai, Vicky Dada, Aakhari Poratam and Janaki Ramudu. The box office numbers of these films have established him as a true-blue commercial hero. But Nag’s biggest success came with the 1989 film, Geethanjali. Directed by Mani Ratnam, the romantic drama turned out to be an industry hit; it has set a new benchmark for romantic films. The landmark film is remembered even now for Ilaiyaraaja’s magnificent music. Five months later, Nagarjuna’s film Shiva went on to become a trendsetter. The Ram Gopal Varma directorial was a rage among the youth. The youthful drama was a sensation at the box office breaking all previous records in the film industry. In fact, even today, film critics and pundits comment about the Telugu film industry saying, ‘before and after Shiva.’ The film not only strengthened Nagarjuna’s image among the trade but has also put him on the pedestal, catapulting him into superstar status.

Box office landmark films

After a series of failures, Nagarjuna struck back at the box office with vengeance with the 1992 film President Gari Pellam. The rustic drama directed by Kodandarami Reddy, was declared a commercial success at the box office. And Nag was back to winning ways as he followed it up with super hits like Rakshana, Varasudu, Allari Alludu, Hello Brother and Sisindri.

At a time when Nagarjuna was commanding a huge following among the audiences, his film Ninne Pelladutha took the box office by storm. The Krishna Vamsi directorial turned out to be an industry hit where audiences flocked to the theatres. The family drama won many awards at various filmy events. In 1997, Nag starred in the devotional drama, Annamayya. Directed by K Raghavendra Rao, the film was a blockbuster at the box office. Nag’s performance as a devotee of Lord Venkateswara received great applause. Many commented that Nag’s ability to navigate through a different genre film was effortless.

Back to winning ways

After having gone through a low phase, Nag bounced back with Nuvvu Vasthavani and Ninne Premistha. But his biggest hit again came with the family drama, Santosh (2001). The actor didn’t look back with a series of super hits like Manmadhudu, Nenunnanu, Mass, Sriramadasu, Don and King.

While films like Ragada and Shirdi Sai were average fare at the box office, Nag’s prestigious film Manam (2014) was a super hit. The film was all the more special because it featured three generations of Akkineni actors — Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Nagarjuna, Naga Chaitanya and Akhil. He followed it up with Soggade Chinni Nayana, Oopiri, Devdas and Bangarraju. His latest release Kuberaa saw him in a supporting character for the first time. His settled performance was lauded. In Coolie, for the first time, Nag don the role of an antagonist, and boy, didn’t he enthral the audience.

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