# Allari Naresh (అల్లరి నరేష్)
**Allari Naresh** (అల్లరి నరేష్; born Edara Naresh, 1982, [Hyderabad](https://www.edgepedia.org/hyderabad)) is an Indian actor who works in [Telugu cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/telugu-cinema), known first as a comedy lead and since 2021 for dramatic roles such as the prisoner Surya in *Naandhi*. He is the son of the veteran Telugu director and producer [E. V. V. Satyanarayana](https://www.edgepedia.org/e-v-v-satyanarayana) (ఈ. వి. వి. సత్యనారాయణ), and his screen name comes from his debut film *Allari* (2002).[1](https://www.maagulf.com/view/103658/stories/about-allari-naresh) • [2](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/telugu/2015/Jul/23/a-laugh-riot-with-a-twist-790287.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name and date | Edara Naresh, born 1982 in Hyderabad, Telangana[1](https://www.maagulf.com/view/103658/stories/about-allari-naresh) • [3](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/allari-naresh/2640/filmography) |
| Screen name | 'Allari' prefix adopted after his debut film *Allari* became a hit in 2002; another actor named Naresh was already working in the industry[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/allari-naresh-goes-nostalgic-about-his-character-ravi-from-maharshi/articleshow/69268547.cms) • [1](https://www.maagulf.com/view/103658/stories/about-allari-naresh) |
| Output | was set to complete 49 films by 2014 and had appeared in 55 by 2019, across 17 years; reported as the fastest hero of his generation to reach fifty Telugu films[5](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/140629/entertainment-tollywood/article/it-isn%E2%80%99t-easy-do-comedy-allari-naresh) • [4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/allari-naresh-goes-nostalgic-about-his-character-ravi-from-maharshi/articleshow/69268547.cms) • [1](https://www.maagulf.com/view/103658/stories/about-allari-naresh) |
| Major awards | Nandi Award and Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award, both 2008, for Gali Seenu in *Gamyam*[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2863651/bio/) |
| Career turn | *Naandhi* (2021), a critical and commercial success, moved him from comedy leads to serious roles[7](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/telugu-cinema/happy-birthday-allari-naresh-naandhi-to-maharshi-five-best-performances-of-the-actor-101625045325624.html) |
| Off-screen work | Produces films with his elder brother Aryan Rajesh under the company E. V. V. Cinema[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2863651/bio/) |
## Early life and family
Naresh was born in 1982 in Hyderabad to the director and producer E. V. V. Satyanarayana and Saraswati Kumari, and studied at Chettinad Vidyashram in Chennai.[1](https://www.maagulf.com/view/103658/stories/about-allari-naresh) • [3](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/allari-naresh/2640/filmography) The Telugu-language press prints his name as అల్లరి నరేష్, alias ఈదర నరేష్ (Edara Naresh).[1](https://www.maagulf.com/view/103658/stories/about-allari-naresh)
**Direction, not acting, was his first plan.** In a Deccan Chronicle interview he explained that his father wanted his elder brother Rajesh to be the actor in the family, while Naresh himself wanted to pursue direction; Rajesh was launched as a hero with the film *Hayi* (హాయ్).[5](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/140629/entertainment-tollywood/article/it-isn%E2%80%99t-easy-do-comedy-allari-naresh) • [1](https://www.maagulf.com/view/103658/stories/about-allari-naresh) Naresh had appeared as a child actor in about one and a half dozen of his father's films before his own debut.[1](https://www.maagulf.com/view/103658/stories/about-allari-naresh) The acting break came without him asking for it: director Ravi Babu asked whether he was interested in a role in *Allari*.[5](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/140629/entertainment-tollywood/article/it-isn%E2%80%99t-easy-do-comedy-allari-naresh)
## Debut and the 'Allari' name
*Allari*, directed by Ravi Babu, released on 10 May 2002 and became a huge hit; Naresh recalled it as "the movie that gave me acceptance".[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/allari-naresh-goes-nostalgic-about-his-character-ravi-from-maharshi/articleshow/69268547.cms) Because another [Naresh](https://www.edgepedia.org/naresh-actor) was already established in Telugu cinema, the success of the film fixed 'Allari' as his professional prefix, and his screen name changed from Edara Naresh to Allari Naresh.[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/allari-naresh-goes-nostalgic-about-his-character-ravi-from-maharshi/articleshow/69268547.cms) • [1](https://www.maagulf.com/view/103658/stories/about-allari-naresh) His Tamil debut followed with *Kurumbu* (కురుంబు), a remake of *Allari*.[1](https://www.maagulf.com/view/103658/stories/about-allari-naresh) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2863651/bio/)
## Career as a comedy lead
After the debut, producers and distributors steered him toward comedy. He said they told him he was "more apt for comedy" even though he had also done a few serious films.[5](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/140629/entertainment-tollywood/article/it-isn%E2%80%99t-easy-do-comedy-allari-naresh) By mid-2014 he was regarded as bankable and was seen as filling the comedy-film slot once occupied by [Rajendra Prasad](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajendra-prasad), the veteran comedy hero of an earlier generation.[5](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/140629/entertainment-tollywood/article/it-isn%E2%80%99t-easy-do-comedy-allari-naresh)
The Telugu feature on his career lists the run that built that reputation: *Kitakitalu*, *Attili Sattibabu LKG*, *Seema Sastri*, *Gamyam*, *Bendu Apparao RMP*, *Siddhu from Srikakulam*, *Yamudiki Mogudu*, *Action 3D*, and *Sudigadu*, after which came a phase of failures.[1](https://www.maagulf.com/view/103658/stories/about-allari-naresh) In 2015, aged 33, he appeared in the con-entertainer *Bandipotu* and then in *James Bond*, which he described as a family entertainer unlike his earlier spoof-heavy films.[2](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/telugu/2015/Jul/23/a-laugh-riot-with-a-twist-790287.html) He later went through a rough patch before his comeback.[8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/allari-naresh-pens-a-heartfelt-note-as-he-completes-20-years-in-the-industry/articleshow/91463282.cms)
## Shift to serious roles
Two 2019 releases marked the turn. In [Vamshi Paidipally](https://www.edgepedia.org/vamshi-paidipally)'s *Maharshi*, one of the most popular Telugu films of that year, he played Ravi, a college friend of [Mahesh Babu](https://www.edgepedia.org/mahesh-babu)'s character, echoing the character name Ravi from his debut; *Maharshi* received two National Awards.[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/allari-naresh-goes-nostalgic-about-his-character-ravi-from-maharshi/articleshow/69268547.cms) • [7](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/telugu-cinema/happy-birthday-allari-naresh-naandhi-to-maharshi-five-best-performances-of-the-actor-101625045325624.html)
**Naandhi made the reinvention stick.** The 2021 film, co-starring [Varalaxmi Sarathkumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/varalaxmi-sarathkumar), tells of an IT professional dragged into a high-profile murder case who spends years in prison awaiting trial; it was a critical and commercial success.[7](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/telugu-cinema/happy-birthday-allari-naresh-naandhi-to-maharshi-five-best-performances-of-the-actor-101625045325624.html) The Telugu account adds a commercial detail: the film initially had good word of mouth but weak collections, and then grew into an unexpected success that shifted him toward serious roles, followed by *[Ugram](https://www.edgepedia.org/ugram-film)* (ఉగ్రం), *Itlu Maredumilli Prajaneekam* (ఇట్లు మారేడుమిల్లి ప్రజానీకం), and *Bachhala Malli* ([బచ్చల మల్లి](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachchala-malli)).[1](https://www.maagulf.com/view/103658/stories/about-allari-naresh)
## By the numbers
The documented output figures trace a high-volume career. He was set to complete 49 films by 2014 and planned to start his fiftieth on 1 January 2015.[5](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/140629/entertainment-tollywood/article/it-isn%E2%80%99t-easy-do-comedy-allari-naresh) By *Maharshi* in 2019 he counted 55 films across 17 years in the industry.[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/allari-naresh-goes-nostalgic-about-his-character-ravi-from-maharshi/articleshow/69268547.cms) As of 2021, in a career of nearly 20 years, he had worked in over 50 films.[7](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/telugu-cinema/happy-birthday-allari-naresh-naandhi-to-maharshi-five-best-performances-of-the-actor-101625045325624.html) The Telugu-language source records him as the fastest hero of his generation to complete fifty films in Telugu cinema.[1](https://www.maagulf.com/view/103658/stories/about-allari-naresh)
## Awards and recognition
He received the Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award in 2008 for playing Gali Seenu in *Gamyam*, directed by Krish Jagarlamudi.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2863651/bio/) • [8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/allari-naresh-pens-a-heartfelt-note-as-he-completes-20-years-in-the-industry/articleshow/91463282.cms) *Gamyam* was remade widely, as *Kadhalna Summa Illai* in Tamil, *Dui Prithibi* in Bengali, and *Saari* (Savaari) in Kannada.[8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/allari-naresh-pens-a-heartfelt-note-as-he-completes-20-years-in-the-industry/articleshow/91463282.cms) Earlier, he had gained notice in a negative role in *Nenu*.[8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/allari-naresh-pens-a-heartfelt-note-as-he-completes-20-years-in-the-industry/articleshow/91463282.cms)
## Reception and off-screen work
His own account draws the line between his two registers: "Comedy is something that comes very natural to me, so I was scared to do serious content."[2](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/telugu/2015/Jul/23/a-laugh-riot-with-a-twist-790287.html) The success of *Naandhi* is evidence reviewers and trade writers point to when weighing his dramatic range against the comic timing that made his reputation.[1](https://www.maagulf.com/view/103658/stories/about-allari-naresh) • [7](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/telugu-cinema/happy-birthday-allari-naresh-naandhi-to-maharshi-five-best-performances-of-the-actor-101625045325624.html)
Off screen, he produces films with his elder brother Aryan Rajesh under their production company E. V. V. Cinema, named for their father.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2863651/bio/) He is reported to be fluent in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, and English.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2863651/bio/)
## References
1. [టాలీవుడ్ సుడిగాడు-అల్లరి నరేశ్, Maa Gulf (Telugu)](https://www.maagulf.com/view/103658/stories/about-allari-naresh)
2. [A Laugh-Riot With a Twist, The New Indian Express (2015)](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/telugu/2015/Jul/23/a-laugh-riot-with-a-twist-790287.html)
3. [Allari Naresh - Movies, Biography, BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/allari-naresh/2640/filmography)
4. [Allari Naresh goes nostalgic about his character Ravi from Maharshi, Times of India (2019)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/allari-naresh-goes-nostalgic-about-his-character-ravi-from-maharshi/articleshow/69268547.cms)
5. [It Isn't easy to do comedy: Allari Naresh, Deccan Chronicle (2014)](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/140629/entertainment-tollywood/article/it-isn%E2%80%99t-easy-do-comedy-allari-naresh)
6. [Allari Naresh - Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2863651/bio/)
7. [Happy Birthday Allari Naresh: Naandhi to Maharshi, five best performances, Hindustan Times (2021)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/telugu-cinema/happy-birthday-allari-naresh-naandhi-to-maharshi-five-best-performances-of-the-actor-101625045325624.html)
8. [Allari Naresh pens a heartfelt note as he completes 20 years in the industry, Times of India (2022)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/allari-naresh-pens-a-heartfelt-note-as-he-completes-20-years-in-the-industry/articleshow/91463282.cms)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Indian and South Asian film actors by industry and language › Telugu film actors › Surnames H to R*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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