# Vijay Deverakonda (విజయ్ దేవరకొండ)
**Vijay Deverakonda** (విజయ్ దేవరకొండ; born 1989) is an Indian actor and film producer who works primarily in [Telugu cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/telugu-cinema). Named Deverakonda Vijay Sai at birth, he rose from supporting roles to become one of Telugu cinema's prominent stars of the 2010s, with his portrayal of the title character in *Arjun Reddy* (2017) as the turning point of his career[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/). He has won a Filmfare Award, a Nandi Award, and three SIIMA Awards[2](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/vijay-deverakonda/umc.cpc.3t76a9dbiimzkvwsf0jf3nesl).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Deverakonda Vijay Sai; born 1989 to a family of farmers from Achampet in the Nagarkurnool district of Telangana[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/) |
| Film debut | *Nuvvila* (2011), a romantic comedy directed by Ravi Babu[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/bio/) |
| Breakthrough | *Pelli Choopulu* (2016), which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu at the 64th National Film Awards[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/) |
| Signature role | The title character in *Arjun Reddy* (2017); Filmfare Award for Best Actor, Telugu, 2018[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/) |
| Remakes | *Arjun Reddy* was remade in Hindi as *Kabir Singh* and in Tamil as *Adithya Varma*[4](https://tvaartha.com/tollywood-stars/vijay-deverakonda/) |
| Other ventures | King of the Hill Entertainment production banner (2019); Rowdy clothing and lifestyle brand (2019); The Deverakonda Foundation non-profit (2019)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/) • [4](https://tvaartha.com/tollywood-stars/vijay-deverakonda/) |
| Rankings | 72nd on Forbes India's Celebrity 100 in 2018; 2nd on The Times Most Desirable Men list in 2020[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/) |
## Early life and education
Deverakonda was born in 1989 to Devarakonda Govardhan Rao and Devarakonda Madhavi; his parents hail from Thummanpet in the present-day Nagarkurnool district of [Telangana](https://www.edgepedia.org/telangana)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/) • [5](https://telugu.abplive.com/entertainment/cinema/interesting-facts-about-vijay-deverakonda-s-film-journey-160398). His father is a TV director[6](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/vijay-deverakonda/13416), and his younger brother Anand Deverakonda later became a Telugu lead actor[4](https://tvaartha.com/tollywood-stars/vijay-deverakonda/).
He studied up to the 10th standard at Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School in [Puttaparthi](https://www.edgepedia.org/puttaparthi), completed his Intermediate studies at Little Flower Junior College in [Hyderabad](https://www.edgepedia.org/hyderabad), and took a graduation degree in commerce[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/). After graduating he joined the theater group Sutradhar, where his first play was *Sherlock Home*; the audience response, he has said, sparked his love for acting[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/). He has described theater as what "unshackles you" and "frees you up", and recalled that breaking into the Telugu film industry was hard and involved many early rejections[7](https://www.nationpress.com/entertainment/vijay-deverakonda-on-theatre-it-frees-you-up) • [8](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/telugu/when-vijay-deverakonda-recalled-working-at-a-ticket-counter-facing-rejections-9991235/).
## Career
**Debut and supporting roles.** Deverakonda made his film debut with *Nuvvila* (2011), a romantic comedy directed by Ravi Babu[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/bio/). He played supporting roles in [Sekhar Kammula](https://www.edgepedia.org/sekhar-kammula)'s ensemble drama *Life Is Beautiful* (2012), where he appeared as a minor antagonist with brief screen time[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/telugu/before-arjun-reddy-vijay-deverakonda-bad-guy-nobody-noticed-in-life-is-beautiful-10680751/), and in *Yevade Subramanyam* (2015), which earned him a Special Jury Award at the [Nandi Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/nandi-awards) in 2017[10](https://www.primevideo.com/person/Vijay-Deverakonda/amzn1.dv.gti.ad4deafe-5ab6-4ab8-947d-8d10f801f5c8/ref%3Datv_dp_md_pp).
**Breakthrough.** His first solo lead came in [Tharun Bhascker](https://www.edgepedia.org/tharun-bhascker)'s *Pelli Choopulu* (2016), in which he played [Prashanth](https://www.edgepedia.org/prashanth), an aimless graduate pushed into a matchmaking meeting[11](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/movies/regional-cinema/story/vijay-deverakonda-kingdom-release-rise-slump-and-road-to-redemption-2762525-2025-07-29) • [12](https://telugucinema.com/reviews/pelli-choopulu-movie-review). Made on a budget of 6 million rupees (60 lakh rupees), the film became one of the biggest hits of 2016 and won the [National Film Award for Best Feature Film](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-film-award-for-best-feature-film) in Telugu[13](https://www.gqindia.com/entertainment/content/gq-india-exclusive-unpacking-the-sudden-crazed-national-hype-around-vijay-deverakonda) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/).
**Arjun Reddy and stardom.** [Sandeep Reddy Vanga](https://www.edgepedia.org/sandeep-reddy-vanga)'s *Arjun Reddy* (2017), in which Deverakonda played a short-tempered, self-destructive, alcoholic surgeon with anger management issues, made him a nationwide name[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/). The performance won him the [Filmfare Award for Best Actor](https://www.edgepedia.org/filmfare-award-for-best-actor), Telugu, in 2018, and Film Companion listed it among the 100 Greatest Performances of the Decade in 2019[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/). The film was remade in Hindi as *Kabir Singh* and in Tamil as *Adithya Varma*[4](https://tvaartha.com/tollywood-stars/vijay-deverakonda/).
**The 2018 run and later films.** In 2018 he appeared in *Mahanati*, *Nota*, *Geetha Govindam*, and the supernatural comedy thriller *Taxiwala*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/). *Geetha Govindam*, opposite [Rashmika Mandanna](https://www.edgepedia.org/rashmika-mandanna), won him the Zee Cine Awards Telugu Favourite Actor award in 2019 and the Critics' Choice Best Actor Award at SIIMA 2019[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/). He followed with the romantic action drama *Dear Comrade* (2019) and the romantic drama *World Famous Lover* (2020)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/). In *Liger* (2022), a bilingual sports action film directed by [Puri Jagannadh](https://www.edgepedia.org/puri-jagannadh) and produced under Puri Connects and [Dharma Productions](https://www.edgepedia.org/dharma-productions), he played the lead[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/). Later credits include *Khushi* (2023, with Samantha), *The Family Star* (2024), and a role as Arjuna in *Kalki 2898 AD* (2024)[4](https://tvaartha.com/tollywood-stars/vijay-deverakonda/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/). His upcoming slate includes *Ranabaali* (2026), in which he appears opposite Rashmika Mandanna[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/) • [7](https://www.nationpress.com/entertainment/vijay-deverakonda-on-theatre-it-frees-you-up).
## Off-screen ventures
Deverakonda ventured into production in 2019 under the King of the Hill Entertainment banner, backing films such as *Meeku Maathrame Chepta* (2019) and *Pushpaka Vimanam* (2021)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/). In the same year he founded the Rowdy clothing and lifestyle brand[4](https://tvaartha.com/tollywood-stars/vijay-deverakonda/) and started The Deverakonda Foundation, a non-profit supporting the training and employment of underprivileged but meritorious youth in [Andhra Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/andhra-pradesh) and Telangana[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/bio/). He won the Youth Icon South (Male) Award at SIIMA in 2022[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/).
## Personal life
Deverakonda married actor Rashmika Mandanna on February 26, 2026[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/bio/). In June 2026 the couple announced the Virosh Scholarship and honored 180 meritorious students from 44 government schools in Telangana's Achampet Mandal[14](https://indianexpress.com/about/vijay-devarakonda/).
## References
1. [Vijay Deverakonda, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/)
2. [Vijay Deverakonda, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/vijay-deverakonda/umc.cpc.3t76a9dbiimzkvwsf0jf3nesl)
3. [Vijay Deverakonda, Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4797922/bio/)
4. [విజయ్ దేవరకొండ జీవిత చరిత్ర, tvaartha](https://tvaartha.com/tollywood-stars/vijay-deverakonda/)
5. [Interesting facts about Vijay Deverakonda's film journey, ABP Desam](https://telugu.abplive.com/entertainment/cinema/interesting-facts-about-vijay-deverakonda-s-film-journey-160398)
6. [Vijay Deverakonda, BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/vijay-deverakonda/13416)
7. [Vijay Deverakonda: Theatre gave me a platform to discover my passion, Nation Press](https://www.nationpress.com/entertainment/vijay-deverakonda-on-theatre-it-frees-you-up)
8. [When Vijay Deverakonda recalled working at a ticket counter, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/telugu/when-vijay-deverakonda-recalled-working-at-a-ticket-counter-facing-rejections-9991235/)
9. [Before Arjun Reddy, Vijay Deverakonda was the bad guy nobody noticed in Life is Beautiful, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/telugu/before-arjun-reddy-vijay-deverakonda-bad-guy-nobody-noticed-in-life-is-beautiful-10680751/)
10. [Vijay Deverakonda: biografia e filmografia, Prime Video](https://www.primevideo.com/person/Vijay-Deverakonda/amzn1.dv.gti.ad4deafe-5ab6-4ab8-947d-8d10f801f5c8/ref%3Datv_dp_md_pp)
11. [In Vijay Deverakonda's Kingdom, the rise, slump and the road to redemption, India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/movies/regional-cinema/story/vijay-deverakonda-kingdom-release-rise-slump-and-road-to-redemption-2762525-2025-07-29)
12. [Pelli Choopulu: Movie Review, Telugu Cinema](https://telugucinema.com/reviews/pelli-choopulu-movie-review)
13. [Unpacking the sudden, crazed national hype around Vijay Deverakonda, GQ India](https://www.gqindia.com/entertainment/content/gq-india-exclusive-unpacking-the-sudden-crazed-national-hype-around-vijay-deverakonda)
14. [Vijay Devarakonda news, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/about/vijay-devarakonda/)
---
*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 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 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