BIRTHDAY SPECIAL CELEBRATING THE CINEMA SUPERSTAR’S LIFE AND CAREER
by ASJAD NAZIR
HE MAY be the son of movie megastar Chiranjeevi, but Ram Charan has made a name for himself globally as an actor, producer, philanthropist and a businessman.
On March 27, he will celebrate his 35th birthday and receive good wishes from around the world.
Eastern Eye decided to celebrate the man, affectionately known as mega power star, turning a year older with an all you need to know A to Z about him.
A is for Awards: The popular actor has received a number of accolades during his action packed career, which began with winning prestigious Nandi and Filmfare South Awards for his first two films Chirutha and Magadheera.
B is for Bruce Lee: This fact isn’t about his impressive onscreen fighting skills, but Ram Charan starring in a 2015 Telugu action comedy titled Bruce Lee – The Fighter, which was also dubbed into Hindi. The movie was later remade in Bangladeshi in 2019 as Beporowa.
C is for Chiranjeevi: Ram Charan, born in Chennai in 1985, is the son of legendary actor Chiranjeevi, who is considered an all-time great cinema icon and starred in over 150 films. He has worked with his father a number of times, including as a producer and appears in his next film.
D is for Debut: The actor made his cinematic debut as a leading man in 2007 Telugu language film Chirutha, which was declared a huge success and won awards. The film also marked the debut of Neha Sharma, who would go on to carve out a career in Hindi cinema.
E is for Endorsements: The huge superstardom means the actor has been in demand with major brands since early on in his career and has earned vast sums of money in the process.
F is for Film school: He took some acting classes from Kishore Namit Kapoor’s famous acting school, whose past alumni include Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh and Varun Dhawan.
G is for Gambling: The actor, who hasn’t been afraid to take risks throughout his career, famously played a gambler in 2012 Telugu action film Racha, which was shot at international locations, including China. It received multiple award nominations and was later dubbed into Tamil (Ragalai), Malayalam (Raksha) and Hindi (Betting Raja).
H is for Horses: The actor has been riding horses since he was a child and that equestrian passion led him to buy his own polo club. He owns a polo team and has helped revive interest in the sport.
I is for Inspirational: Away from being a movie star, the actor has done a lot of philanthropic deeds, which have helped those in need and included donating money, along with setting up health camps for the poor. Many fans will celebrate his birthday by doing charitable deeds.
J is for Jana Sena Party: Ram Charan is the nephew of movie megastar turned politician and philanthropist Pawan Kalyan, who founded the Jana Sena party.
K is for Khaidi No. 150: Ram Charan produced the 2017 smash hit action film Khaidi No. 150, which was his legendary father Chiranjeevi’s 150th film as a leading man and comeback to acting after 10 years. It was a remake of 2014 Tamil blockbuster Kaththi.
L is for Leisure: When the actor, producer, businessman and philanthropist does get free time, he has a number of passions, which includes wildlife photography. He has also showcased his work.
M is for Magadheera: For his second film Magadheera, the actor teamed up with ace director SS Rajamouli, who would later deliver the record-breaking Baahubali films. The 2009 multi award-winning film ran in some cinemas for over 1,000 days and received great acclaim.
N is for Naayak: The actor had portrayed two characters in reincarnation drama Magadheera, but played his first proper double role in 2013 action film Naayak. Although the film is set in India, some songs were shot in Dubai, Iceland and Slovenia.
O is for Orange: His 2019 Telugu action comedy Orange had a huge opening at the box office, but didn’t do well. The new age love story would later gain a cult following.
P is for Planes: The actor is also an astute businessman, and his ventures include founding budget airline TruJet, which provides low cost air travel around India.
Q is for Quit India: Ram Charan is the grandson of Allu Rama Lingaiah, who was a doctor actively involved in his country’s freedom struggle pre-independence and was part of the Quit India Movement in 1942.
R is for RRR: The mega-budget movie with the working title RRR releases in January 2021 and is expected to smash box office records when it releases. He plays a lead role alongside Jr NTR in Baahubali director SS Rajamouli’s next film, which revolves around freedom fighters in pre-independence India. The impressive supporting cast includes Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn.
S is for Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy: The actor also produced visually spectacular 2019 film Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, which was inspired by a legendary freedom fighter and had his father Chiranjeevi play the title role. The hit film was dubbed and simultaneously released in Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil.
T is for Tollywood: Today, Ram Charan is one of the most bankable names in Telugu cinema, which is popularly known as Tollywood, and is also a powerful producer. He is known as the mega power star, which is a combination of megastar, associated with his father Chiranjeevi, and power star, a title given to his uncle Pawan Kalyan.
U is for Upasana Kamineni: The actor got married to long time love Upasana Kamineni on June 14, 2012, after dating for a long time. She comes from a wealthy well-renowned family, and they are considered a power couple in India.
V is for Vinaya Vidheya Rama: Although it was visually spectacular, the actor’s last film Vinaya Vidheya Rama under performed at the box office and didn’t generate the expected numbers when it released in 2019.
W is for Workout: The secret behind the actor’s toned physique is that he is a huge fitness enthusiast and has a rigorous daily routine. His wife is also into health and fitness.
X is for X Factor: The main thing that has turned Ram Charan into a star and given him that X Factor is his ability to give 100 per cent to every project, which has included doing his own stunts and taking care of his co-stars.
Y is for Yevadu: The actor starred opposite Shruti Haasan and British actress Amy Jackson in action thriller Yevadu, which was partially inspired by 1997 Hollywood film Face/Off. The film, later dubbed in Tamil and Malayalam, was remade in Bangladeshi as Gunda The Terrorist.
Z is for Zanjeer: The South Indian superstar made his Bollywood debut with 2013 film Zanjeer, which was a remake of the 1973 classic of the same name. The film, simultaneously shot in Hindi and Telugu, didn’t perform as expected, which meant the actor didn’t venture back into Bollywood.
