Chiranjeevi's birthday special: Films that established him as a megastar
Megastar Chiranjeevi is one awesome star who carved a path in Tollywood paving way for several others to follow. Though it's almost impossible to list out his legacy in one article, in the spirit of celebrating his 67th birthday, let's take a look at five of his films that helped in establishing him as a megastar. Happy birthday, our dearest Chiru!
'Swayam Krushi' (1987)
Swayam Krushi, directed by K Viswanath was a story-heavy movie, which emphasized the importance of manual labor. It revolved around the life of a cobbler (played by Chiru) who believes in hard work and morality. Megastar bagged the Nandi Award for the film under the Best Actor category. Also starring Vijayashanti and Sumalatha, the full film is available on YouTube.
'Rudraveena' (1988)
Directed by late filmmaker K Balachander, Rudraveena featured Chiranjeevi as a classical singer, who is on a mission to change the society for better through his music. It also featured late actor Gemini Ganesan in a pivotal role, while Shobana played the leading lady. In case you want to give it a watch, the full film is available on YouTube.
'Khaidi' (1983)
Directed by Kodandarami Reddy, Khaidi was loosely based on the 1982 American film First Blood. The blockbuster's Himalayan success took Chiranjeevi to massive stardom and played a major role in making him the megastar that he is. Also starring Madhavi as the leading lady, the film was remade in Hindi and Kannada as Qaidi and Khaidi, respectively. It's available on Amazon Prime Video.
'Tagore' (2003)
Tagore, the official Telugu remake of Vijayakanth's Tamil film Ramana, had Chiranjeevi playing a college professor. The VV Vinayak-directed venture had Jyotika as the leading lady, while Shriya Saran played an important role. It revolves around the professor, who joins hands with his former students and forms a rebel force to eradicate corruption in the country. The film is available on ZEE5.
'Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari' (1990)
Chiranjeevi and Sridevi's Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari is a fantasy drama. Chiru played a man who gets a magical ring originally owned by a goddess. It gives the bearer immense powers. Directed by K Raghavendra Rao, it's available on SunNext. A couple of years back, it was reported that the film would get a sequel. However, there are no updates after the announcement.
