Nagarjuna birthday special: 10 most memorable films

After Chiranjeevi, the month of August witnesses the birthday of yet another legendary actor - Nagarjuna Akkineni. The actor turns 57 today and yet he does not seem like he is a year older than 40. This man is such a big name in Tollywood, not only because of his looks but also due to his amazing acting skills and his diverse choice of films. Even though it is impossible to leave out any film, here are the top 10 hit films of the actor that made him what he is today.

Vikram

‘Vikram’ was one of the defining points of Nagarjuna’s career. It was a film that saw Nagarjuna transform from a goon to a reformed man as he falls in love with the very girl he is supposed to kidnap. Nagarjuna nailed his role as Vikram, a henchman of the main antagonist who later turns against him. ‘Vikram’ was a remake of the 1983 Bollywood film ‘Hero’ starring Jackie Shroff.

Geethanjali

This 1989 film is a Nagarjuna classic some will say. Mani Ratnam spins the perfect love story, but this time between two terminally ill protagonists! Nagarjuna is diagnosed with cancer and goes to live in Ooty, where he meets Geethanjali. He is fascinated when he finds out that she too is living on borrowed time and she teaches him to live his life to the fullest as the two fall in love. No wonder this film received a National award and seven Nandi Awards!

Siva

‘Siva’ was one of the few rare hits of Ram Gopal Varma’s career and it so happened that it starred Nagarjuna in it. This film was a really dark and brilliantly done gangster drama. Nagarjuna played Siva, a college student who turns into a ruthless gangster as he falls into politics. ‘Siva’ is a great commentary on the exploitation of youngsters by criminals and the change in the psychology of such youngsters.

Hello Brother

Guess where the original story for Salman Khan’s ‘Judwaa’ came from? That’s right, Nagarjuna did it first! ‘Hello Brother’ is the famous story of two twins separated at birth. While one grows up to be well mannered and cultured, the other grows up as a crook. What happens when the two brothers with opposite temperament meet each other makes the rest of the tale. Nagarjuna was impressive as he pulled off the double role effortlessly.

Annamayya

A devotional biopic about Annamayya, one of the most popular singers of Lord Vishnu, it was the biggest hit of Nagarjuna’s career. He played the titular character, who turns into a true devotee of Lord Vishnu. Nagarjuna received tremendous critical acclaim for portraying this character perfectly. It was also really refreshing to see him do something different from a commercial film.

Manmadhudu

‘Manmandhudu’ saw Nagarjuna trying his hands on a romantic comedy. He played the role of Abhiram, a man who hates women after he is betrayed by one whom he loved a lot. The rest of the story is about how Harika, played by Sonali Bendre convinces him to lose his hatred for women, which in turn leads to the two falling for each other. Trivikram’s excellent dialogue writing and Devi Sri Prasad’s music really helped in making this movie a benchmark in Nagarjuna’s career.

Shirdi Sai

Yet another biopic, in this one the veteran actor played, yes you guessed it right...Shirdi Sai Baba himself! It portrayed the biggest incidents in the life of the holy man who lived in western India in the 19th century. Being such a sensitive religious topic, this film received some mixed reviews. However, everyone unanimously appreciated the brilliant performance of Nagarjuna.

Don

Nagarjuna is all about mixing and matching. While he does romantic and experimental films, he has also done his fair share of action films. One of the biggest action hits was the 2007 film ‘Don’. As the title clearly, suggests, Nagarjuna plays a young man who goes on become the don of Andhra Pradesh. Then he is forced to face off with another man who aspires to be a don as well and overthrow Nagarjuna. This movie was a blockbuster hit.

Manam

Coming to his more recent films, Vikram Kumar’s ‘Manam’ really stands out from the rest. It is more about the story than the actor himself, as he is only one of the central characters in the movie. He plays dual roles of Seetharamadu and Nageswara Rao. He plays matchmaker in the movie as he tries to unite two people, who are the spitting image of his parents when he was young. This convoluted comedy drama is definitely one of the best films Telugu cinema has to offer.

Oopiri

Last but not the least comes ‘Oopiri’, where Nagarjuna transcends into something more than an actor as he evokes strong emotions in the audience. He plays a billionaire quadriplegic name Vikramaditya, who is completely paralysed from neck down. It is a funny, yet heart touching journey of this man as he learns to live his life to the fullest thanks to his new helper Sreenu, played by Karthi. ‘Oopiri’ is the best movie on bromance there is.