Namrata Shirodkar to Kiara Advani! 7 Bollywood beauties who romanced Mahesh Babu in their Tollywood debut

Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu is undoubtedly one of the most handsome actors in the country. Despite having only 25 films in his kitty, the Greek God of Tollywood is a force to reckon with when it comes to box-office numbers both in India and abroad. In fact, he is one of the first Telugu actors to be highly regarded and widely mentioned among Bollywood circles. So naturally, Hindi actresses show good interest to star opposite Mahesh which would eventually strengthen their reach in Southern states.

Since 2000, a bunch of Hindi heroines have been introduced to Telugu cinema through Mahesh Babu’s films. While Namrata Shirodkar kicked-off her journey with Vamsi, Sonali Bendre made her Tollywood debut with Murari and Bipasha Basu with Takkari Donga. Scroll down for all the beauties who have romanced the Prince of Tollywood in their debut Telugu film.

Namrata Shirodkar stepped foot into Hindi cinema with a cameo role in Salman Khan’s ‘Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai’ and turned into a leading lady with films like ‘Mere Do Anmol Ratan’, ‘Hero Hindustani’, Vaastav and Pukar. In 2000, she made her Tollywood debut opposite Mahesh Babu in Vamsi. Though the romantic-drama was a colossal failure at the ticket counters, she went on to share the screen opposite Chiranjeevi in the 2004 fantasy actioner Anji. She fell in love with Mahesh during the shoot of Vamsi and tied the knot in 2005.

Despite enjoying star status in Bollywood, Sonali Bendre made her Telugu debut in 2001 with the Mahesh Babu starrer Murari. Helmed by creative director Krishna Vamsi, the supernatural drama released to a stupendous response from the viewers and was adjudged as a box-office hit. Along with the engaging storyline and foot-tapping songs, the captivating chemistry between Mahesh and Sonali struck the right chord with the Telugu audience. After Murari, she went to on romance Chiranjeevi, Balakrishna and Nagarjuna in her next projects.

Not many know that the multitalented Lisa Ray played the leading lady role opposite Mahesh Babu in her only Telugu film ‘Takkari Donga’. In the Jayanth C Paranjee directorial, she played the crucial role of Bhuvana to perfection and looked drop-dead gorgeous in all the songs. Her on-screen chemistry with Mahesh Babu was also well appreciated by the masses. Though the western action-comedy bombed at the box-office, Mahesh’s cowboy avatar and Mani Sharma’s foot-tapping music created an impact among the audience.

After a successful modelling stint, Bengali bombshell Bipasha Basu made her acting debut in 2001 by portraying a supporting role in Abbas-Mustan’s suspense-thriller ‘Ajnabee’. Though the film failed on the commercial front, she was appreciated for her flawless performance in a negative character. The ravishing babe followed it with her only Telugu film ‘Takkari Donga’ in which she romanced Superstar Mahesh Babu. In addition to acting, Bipasha is a fitness enthusiast, celebrity endorser for popular brands, and a vocal lady on issues like feminism and animal rights.

Versatile actress Amrita Rao made her Tollywood debut in 2007 with Athidhi opposite Mahesh Babu. Besides portraying the author-backed role of Amrita to perfection, she looked ravishing in all the songs and displayed some eye-popping chemistry with Mahesh on the silver screen. Many thought that she would go great places in South cinema after Athidhi, but sadly that didn’t happen.

After enjoying a fruitful tenure in modelling, Delhi bombshell Kriti Sanon made her acting debut in Tollywood with 1: Nenokkadine. Though the psychological-thriller fell flat at the box-office, the 29-year-old actress was praised for her arresting beauty, striking figure and solid acting chops. In 2014, she made the headlines by starring opposite Tiger Shroff in the latter’s debut film ‘Heropanti’. After the blockbuster outing, she went on to star in big-ticket films like ‘Dilwale’, ‘Raabta’, ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’ and ‘Luka Chuppi’.

Bollywood actress Kiara Advani made a successful Tollywood debut opposite Mahesh Babu with the 2018 film Bharat Ane Nenu. Directed by Koratala Siva, the action-drama showcased the cute actress in the role of Vasumathi and she proved her mettle with her convincing acting chops, arresting beauty and alluring screen-presence. She looked drop-dead gorgeous in all the songs. The success of ‘Kabir Singh’ catapulted her into the top league of Bollywood.