# Chiranjeevi filmography
The **Chiranjeevi filmography** (చిరంజీవి) covers the screen career of Konidela Siva Sankara Vara Prasad, an Indian actor who has worked predominantly in [Telugu cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/telugu-cinema) since his film debut in *Punadhirallu* (1978), with additional Hindi, Tamil, and Kannada appearances.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0158112/) Compiled counts of his films differ by source and cutoff: the Padma Awards citation records 155 films over a 45-year career,[2](https://www.padmaawards.gov.in/Document/pdf/CitationsForTickets/2024/20242.pdf) while the BOI24 trade database lists 138 releases between 1978 and 2026,[3](https://www.boxofficeindia24.com/box-office-records/actor/chiranjeevi) and his own website counts 151 films as a lead actor.[4](https://www.kchiranjeevi.com/?lang=te) The filmography is dominated by commercial mass entertainers, punctuated by a small group of critically acclaimed off-beat dramas made with directors K. Vishwanath and [K. Balachander](https://www.edgepedia.org/k-balachander).[5](https://igmlnet.uohyd.ac.in/docs/hi-res/hcu_images/TH2253.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Debut | *Punadhirallu* (1978); first major success with *Intilo Ramayya Vidhilo Krishnayya* (1981)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0158112/) |
| Output | 138 releases 1978–2026 per BOI24; 155 films over 45 years per the Padma Awards citation[3](https://www.boxofficeindia24.com/box-office-records/actor/chiranjeevi) • [2](https://www.padmaawards.gov.in/Document/pdf/CitationsForTickets/2024/20242.pdf) |
| Director partnerships | 23 films with A. Kodandarami Reddy and 13 with K. Raghavendra Rao, 36 of the total from two directors[3](https://www.boxofficeindia24.com/box-office-records/actor/chiranjeevi) |
| Signature awards | Nargis Dutt Award for *Rudra Veena* (1989); Nandi Best Actor for *Swayam Krushi* (1988), *Aapathbandavudu* (1992), and *Indra* (2003)[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0158112/awards/) |
| Highest-rated on IMDb | *Rudraveena* at 8.6 leads his filmography ratings[3](https://www.boxofficeindia24.com/box-office-records/actor/chiranjeevi) |
| Comeback | Returned after a ten-year gap with *Khaidi No. 150* (2017)[2](https://www.padmaawards.gov.in/Document/pdf/CitationsForTickets/2024/20242.pdf) |
| Upcoming | *Vishwambhara* (2026), *Kaaka* (2027), and *Chiru Odela Cinema*[7](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/chiranjeevi/upcoming-movies.html) |
## Beginnings and rise, 1978–1985
Chiranjeevi trained at the Madras Film Institute and worked as an amateur stage actor before entering films; his first public performance was in the [Republic Day](https://www.edgepedia.org/republic-day) parade ballet of [Andhra Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/andhra-pradesh) on 26 January 1976.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0158112/) His debut film *Punadhirallu* was made in 1978, though the first of his films to reach theaters was *Pranam Khareedu* (1978).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0158112/) • [8](https://telugu.filmibeat.com/celebs/chiranjeevi/filmography.html) Early work included supporting and antagonistic parts in films such as Bapu's *Mana Voori Pandavulu* (1978) and *Kukka Katuku Cheppu Debba* (1979).[3](https://www.boxofficeindia24.com/box-office-records/actor/chiranjeevi)
**1981 as the turning point.** Telugu-language coverage of that year records that he acted in twelve films in 1981, half of them multi-starrers, and that *Nyayam Kavali*, directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy, was his first film as hero with that director; the pairing went on to become one of the most successful hero-director combinations in Telugu film history.[9](https://tv9telugu.com/entertainment/tollywood/chiranjeevis-1981-films-megastars-defining-year-rise-to-stardom-1722061.html) His mainstream success is dated from *Intilo Ramayya Vidhilo Krishnayya* (1981).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0158112/) Through the mid-1980s he alternated commercial roles with character work: a negative role in *Punnami Nagu* (1980), an ambitious footballer in *Vijetha* (1985), and comedy in *Chantabbai* (1986).[10](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/telugu/on-chiranjeevi-birthday-looking-at-the-films-that-show-his-versatility-5924432/lite/)
## The mass-film peak and director partnerships
The shape of the filmography is unusually concentrated for its size: two directors account for 36 of the 138 releases in the BOI24 record, with 23 films directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy and 13 by [K. Raghavendra Rao](https://www.edgepedia.org/k-raghavendra-rao), and although Kodandarami Reddy directed a substantial number of his films in the 1980s, he also worked with many other directors.[3](https://www.boxofficeindia24.com/box-office-records/actor/chiranjeevi) • [16](https://www.idlebrain.com/celeb/filmography/chiranjeevi.html) The average IMDb rating across 135 rated titles is 6.56, which the database describes as high for that volume of work.[3](https://www.boxofficeindia24.com/box-office-records/actor/chiranjeevi)
**Commercial peak.** *Gharana Mogudu* (1992), directed by K. Raghavendra Rao, set box-office records as the first Telugu film to gross more than 100 million (10 crore; about 620 million (62 crore) or 8.7 million US dollars in 2019 terms), was screened at the 1993 [International Film Festival of India](https://www.edgepedia.org/international-film-festival-of-india), and put [Chiranjeevi](https://www.edgepedia.org/chiranjeevi) on the covers of national weeklies; *Filmfare* and *India Today* magazines celebrated him as "Bigger than Bachchan".[4](https://www.kchiranjeevi.com/?lang=te) In the same year, as a regional-language actor, he surpassed [Amitabh Bachchan](https://www.edgepedia.org/amitabh-bachchan) in remuneration by charging Rs 12.5 million (Rs 1.25 crore) per film.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0158112/) He also worked in Hindi cinema, with *Pratibandh* (1990) and *Aaj Ka Gunda Raaj* among his recognized Hindi films.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0158112/)
## Off-beat films and critical recognition
Within the commercial run, Chiranjeevi made three off-beat films in which he was cast in uncharacteristically deglamorized roles: *Swayamkrushi* (K. Vishwanath, 1987), *Rudraveena* (K. Balachander, 1988), and *Aapadbandhavudu* (K. Vishwanath, 1992). A [University of Hyderabad](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-hyderabad) dissertation records that he received more critical acclaim for these roles than for any others, while all three performed poorly at the box office by his standards.[5](https://igmlnet.uohyd.ac.in/docs/hi-res/hcu_images/TH2253.pdf)
The awards attached to this strand anchor his critical record. He won the state Nandi Award for Best Actor for *Swayam Krushi* (1988) and *Aapathbandavudu* (1992), and later for *Indra* (2003).[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0158112/awards/) *Rudra Veena* won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration at the 1989 [National Film Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-film-awards), shared with Nagendra Babu and K. Balachander.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0158112/awards/) *Swayamkrushi* was the first Telugu film screened at the Moscow International Film Festival and was dubbed into Russian.[11](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/regional/under-rated-performances-revisited-on-chiranjeevis-60th-bday/) *Rudraveena* won three National Film Awards, including Best Music Direction, and was remade in Tamil as *Unnal Mudiyum Thambi* with [Kamal Haasan](https://www.edgepedia.org/kamal-haasan).[11](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/regional/under-rated-performances-revisited-on-chiranjeevis-60th-bday/)
**A turning point in role selection.** Film Companion argues that the commercial failure of *Aapadbandhavudu* effectively ended his willingness to make films that did not center his star image; his first three Filmfare Best Actor awards had gone to a comedy (*Subhalekha*, 1982), a tragedy (*Vijetha*, 1985), and a romantic drama (*Aapadbandhavudu*, 1992), and after the flop he returned to action-heavy masala films (formulaic films mixing action, romance, comedy, music).[12](https://www.filmcompanion.in/amp/story/features/telugu-features/aapadbandhavudu-a-flop-that-changed-telugu-cinema-chiranjeevi-k-viswanath-indra-shankar-dada-mbbs)
## Later career, comeback, and recent films
After a decade-long gap taken for politics, during which he served as Union Minister of State for Tourism with Independent Charge from October 2012, Chiranjeevi returned to films in 2016 with *Khaidi No. 150* releasing in January 2017.[2](https://www.padmaawards.gov.in/Document/pdf/CitationsForTickets/2024/20242.pdf) • [8](https://telugu.filmibeat.com/celebs/chiranjeevi/filmography.html) The comeback slate has run through *Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy* (2019), in which he played freedom fighter [Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy](https://www.edgepedia.org/uyyalawada-narasimha-reddy), *Acharya* (2022), *Godfather* (2022), *Waltair Veerayya* (2023), *Bhola Shankar* (2023), and *Mana ShankaraVaraprasad Garu* (2026).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0158112/) On Rotten Tomatoes his highest-rated film is *Waltair Veerayya* (2023) at 80 percent and his lowest is *Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy* (2019) at 57 percent.[13](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/chiranjeevi) *Sye Raa* earned him the Zee Telugu Cine Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2020, and *Waltair Veerayya* brought Filmfare Telugu and SIIMA Best Actor nominations in 2024.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0158112/awards/)
Upcoming projects listed for release include *Vishwambhara* (2026), *Chiru Odela Cinema* (2026), *Auto Jaani* (2026), and *Kaaka* (2027), the last directed by Bobby Kolli.[7](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/chiranjeevi/upcoming-movies.html)
## Honors attached to the filmography
The Padma Awards citation records three [Nandi Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/nandi-awards) and nine Filmfare Best Actor awards, the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award from the [Government of Andhra Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/government-of-andhra-pradesh), and the [Padma Bhushan](https://www.edgepedia.org/padma-bhushan) in 2006.[2](https://www.padmaawards.gov.in/Document/pdf/CitationsForTickets/2024/20242.pdf) Resono's profile counts four Nandi Awards and nine Filmfare Awards South, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, and adds the Padma Vibhushan (2024) and the IFFI Indian Film Personality of the Year Award (2022).[14](https://resono.studio/people/chiranjeevi) The Indian Film Personality of the Year award for 2022 was presented at the 53rd International Film Festival of India at Goa.[15](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2022/dec/doc2022122139701.pdf) IMDb's awards page separately lists a CineMAA Award for Best Actor for *Indra* (2003), a Cinema Express Award for *Swayam Krushi* (1988), and a 2011 Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award shared with Jayasudha.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0158112/awards/)
## References
1. [Chiranjeevi, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0158112/)
2. [Shri Konidela Chiranjeevi, Padma Awards citation, Government of India](https://www.padmaawards.gov.in/Document/pdf/CitationsForTickets/2024/20242.pdf)
3. [Chiranjeevi: Movies List & Filmography, BOI24](https://www.boxofficeindia24.com/box-office-records/actor/chiranjeevi)
4. [Chiranjeevi official website (Telugu)](https://www.kchiranjeevi.com/?lang=te)
5. [S. V. Srinivas-related dissertation on Chiranjeevi and the Telugu mass film, University of Hyderabad](https://igmlnet.uohyd.ac.in/docs/hi-res/hcu_images/TH2253.pdf)
6. [Chiranjeevi – Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0158112/awards/)
7. [Chiranjeevi Upcoming Movies, Filmibeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/celebs/chiranjeevi/upcoming-movies.html)
8. [Chiranjeevi Filmography in Telugu, Filmibeat Telugu](https://telugu.filmibeat.com/celebs/chiranjeevi/filmography.html)
9. [Chiranjeevi's 1981 films: the Megastar's defining year, TV9 Telugu](https://tv9telugu.com/entertainment/tollywood/chiranjeevis-1981-films-megastars-defining-year-rise-to-stardom-1722061.html)
10. [On Chiranjeevi's birthday, the films that show his versatility, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/telugu/on-chiranjeevi-birthday-looking-at-the-films-that-show-his-versatility-5924432/lite/)
11. [Under-rated performances revisited on Chiranjeevi's 60th birthday, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/regional/under-rated-performances-revisited-on-chiranjeevis-60th-bday/)
12. [Aapadbandhavudu: A Flop That Changed Telugu Cinema, Film Companion](https://www.filmcompanion.in/amp/story/features/telugu-features/aapadbandhavudu-a-flop-that-changed-telugu-cinema-chiranjeevi-k-viswanath-indra-shankar-dada-mbbs)
13. [Chiranjeevi Movies List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/chiranjeevi)
14. [Chiranjeevi: Filmography & Biography, Resono](https://resono.studio/people/chiranjeevi)
15. [Actor, Producer Chiranjeevi Konidela Received Indian Film Personality of the Year Award 2022, Press Information Bureau](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2022/dec/doc2022122139701.pdf)
16. [Telugu cinema hero Chiranjeevi's filmography](https://www.idlebrain.com/celeb/filmography/chiranjeevi.html)
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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 symbols to G*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license