Friday Aug 22 2008, Hyderabad

Chiru: Blessed by gods; loved by mortals!

Chiranjeevi, who is celebrating his 53rd birthday today, is a star with the rarest of rare distinctions.For he is one of those rare actors who is blessed by the deities and adored by mortals, and that too in equal measure.If it was Lord Hanuman who appeared in a dream and gave him the name ‘Chiranjeevi’, it’s Lord Venkateswara of Thirupathi, whose blessings he seeks when Chiru (as he is popularly known) makes his foray into politics.And judging by the sway that he enjoys among the masses, it’s a matter of little doubt that he’s definitely going to be a mega-star in politics too.Born in 1955 in Mogalturu, a small village in the coastal West Godavari district, as the eldest son of Venkat Rao (a constable in the excise department) and Anjana Devi, Chiranjeevi’s real name was Konidela Siva Shankara Vara Prasad.

After doing his B.Com, he moved on to Chennai in 1977, with a burning ambition to turn an actor.In his early years Konidela Siva Shankara Vara Prasad was called by different names.While some people called him Prasad, at home he was Shankara Babu.But Vara Prasad was looking for a different name, which would strike a chord with people.

And it was then that one day Lord Hanuman visited him in his dream and called him ‘Chiranjeevi’.And thus Vara Prasad took the name Chiranjeevi.Once in Chennai, Chiranjeevi completed his diploma in acting, after which he got a role in producer-director T.Kranti Kumar’s film ‘Pranam Khareedu’ (1978).That was just a beginning.

And then in the next five years, he did about 60 films as a supporting actor, doing roles of various shades- sometimes playing the villain and sometimes doing character roles.But he was beginning to get noted, especially due to his swift dance movements and also because he shone in fight sequences.And then in 1983 October came ‘Khaidi’, the A.Kodandarami Reddy-directed film which worked the magic for Chiranjeevi.The action flick, inspired by Hollywood blockbuster First Blood, not only catapulted Chiranjeevi  real stardom, but also marked the beginning of a new fruitful partnership, between Chiranjeevi and director Kodandarami Reddy.

If ‘Khaidi’ marked the birth of the star in Chiranjeevi, it was Pasivadi Pranam (1987) that made him a super-star.And then there was no looking back for the enterprising actor.His fame cut across the borders of language and Chiranjeevi became popular not only in Telugu or South India, but all over India.He made his presence felt in Bollywood too.And in his 30-year long acting career, he has won many awards and accolades, which include the Nandi Award (which he won thrice), the Filmfare Best Actor Award (which he won seven times) and the Padma Bhushan.

It was of course quite natural for an actor with so much of mass appeal to turn to politics.Speculation about his entry into politics had already begun in 2007 and it was just recently that he made it all official.Of course it was expected that he would formally launch his political party today, it is now reported that Chiru’s announcement regarding his political party would come out in a few days time, most probably by August 26th.The announcement will be made by Chiru from Thirupathi, after seeking the blessings on Lord Venkateswara. And since it’s Chiranjeevi, it’s not just a star-turning-politician, but something that could probably change political equations in Andhra Pradesh and maybe in near future on the national scenario too.

Let’s just wait and see! Filmysouth takes occasion to wish a ‘Happy Birthday’ to Chiranjeevi and also wishes him, on behalf of all his ardent fans, a bright future in politics too!