Known for hit films like 'Rudra Veena', 'Indra', and 'Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy', Chiranjeevi received the prestigious award from President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.
"It’s only the unconditional and invaluable love of the people, audiences, fans, my blood brothers and sisters that allowed me to reach here." - Chiranjeevi
Megastar Chiranjeevi, one of the biggest names in Indian cinema, has gone from strength to strength ever since the beginning of his acting career. What's more, he is a distinguished politician and receives lots of love for his devotion to the people. Now, in recognition of his work, the government of India honored him with the Padma Vibhushan – India's second-highest civilian award - on Thursday. He received the prestigious award from President Droupadi Murmu in the presence of PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.
#WATCH | Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu confers Padma Vibhushan to Konidela Chiranjeevi in the field of Art. pic.twitter.com/dh1ehQJz8m
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2024
(Credit: ANI)
At the ceremony, the megastar was accompanied by his wife Surekha, their children Ram Charan and Sushmita, and Ram Charan's wife, Upasana. The entire auditorium erupted in cheers when he took to the stage to receive the award. And besides him, veteran actress Vyjanthimala and Former Vice President M Venkiah Naidu were also among the recipients of the honor.
(Credit: alwaysramcharan)
Well, with the coveted Padma Vibhushan, our beloved Chiranjeevi Garu has added yet another feather to his cap. As we congratulate him for this, let's have a look at some of the remarkable achievements in his career.
Chiranjeevi has starred in over 150 feature films (predominantly in Telugu, as well as some films in Hindi, Tamil, and Kannada) in a career spanning over four decades. And well, his films have consistently dominated the box office, making him one of India's highest-grossing actors. His breakthrough film, 'Khaidi', was a massive commercial success, grossing around ₹8 crores at the box office, which is equivalent to ₹136 crores today. His 1992 film 'Gharana Mogudu' was the first Telugu film to collect over ₹10 crore at the box office. Besides, he has been part of numerous other blockbuster films including 'Stalin', 'Shankar Dada MBBS', 'Indra', 'Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy', 'Waltair Veerayya', and 'Acharya' among others.
It's no surprise that Chiranjeevi has always been a favorite of award ceremonies. He received his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu in 1982 for 'Subhalekha'. And it was just the beginning as he went on to win eight more Filmfare Awards (five Best Actor – Telugu, one Special Award – South in 2006, and one Lifetime Achievement Award – South in 2010) along the way. Also, he has received three Nandi Awards for Best Actor and also the honorary Ragupathi Venkaiah Award. In 2006, he received the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honor in India. And in 2014, he was awarded International Face of Indian Cinema at the 3rd South Indian International Movie Awards by Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.
Yes, long before his son's 'RRR' made waves at the Oscars, Chiranjeevi graced the stage of the Academy Awards and made heads turn. Back in 1987, he was made the Guest of Honor at the Oscars, becoming the first actor from South India to achieve the feat. At that time, he was at his peak and was a force to be reckoned with.
(Credit: pvrcinemas_official)
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Chiranjeevi became absolutely unstoppable in the industry. With his 1992 film 'Gharana Mogudu', he became the highest-paid actor in India, making it to the cover pages of almost all national weekly magazines. That same year, he was paid a whopping ₹1.25 crore for 'Aapadbandhavudu', breaking his own records. The kind of stardom he achieved was unparalleled in the truest sense of the term.
Considering his insane craze, Filmfare and India Today named him "Bigger than Bachchan". On the other hand, the news magazine The Week hailed him as "the new money machine".
Chiranjeevi founded the Praja Rajyam Party in Andhra Pradesh in 2008. He contested from both Tirupati and Palakollu constituencies in the 2009 general elections, winning in Tirupati but losing out in Palakollu. He achieved unprecedented success in his political career as well, and on 29 March 2012, he was nominated to Rajya Sabha. In October of that year, he was elected as the Union Minister of State (Independent charge), Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. He went on to serve in that position until May 2014.
Well, Chiranjeevi is simply a phenomenon, and there's no one like him. We wish him even more success ahead!
