Nani, The Natural Star: How An Outsider Became One Of The Highest-Paid Telugu Actors

Nani, born as Ghanta Naveen Babu, was a simple boy from Hyderabad who became addicted to films when he was an undergraduate. Especially Mani Ratnam’s movies. As an outsider he worked various jobs on many film sets. When the time came for him to be on screen, the actor chose to be called by the nickname given to him by his mother — Nani. 

It was with this name that the outsider entered into the Telugu film industry in 2008. Now, 17 years later, Nani is one of the highest-paid Telugu actors. Moreover, he has also proven his prowess as a producer with his blockbuster HIT franchise. 

Nani’s journey: Worked as a clap director and then as an RJ 

But Nani’s journey in the acting world did not start with a desire for acting. He wanted to become a director rather than an actor. So he started working around film sets as a clap director, where his job was to clap the board. Then he went on to work as a radio jockey for a year, and hosted a programme named Non-stop Nani. This would mark the first time that the actor used his nickname while connecting with the public. 

But even while doing these jobs, Nani was working on stories of his own. In fact, before taking up the RJ job, he took a long break for a year to work on his script. The actor has credited Mani Ratnam’s movies for influencing him the most. Nani had reportedly taken an interest in film-making after watching the Tamil director’s works.

Nani acted in advertisements before getting his big break 

Nani then ventured into acting in advertisements. He was also first noticed by Telugu director, Mohan Krishna Indraganti, through an advertisement. Impressed by his acting, the director offered him a role in his upcoming movie, Ashta Chamma. This 2008 film went on to become a box office success, with Nani’s acting being praised by the viewers. 

The actor then went on to star in many other films. After every release, critics called his acting “completely natural”. Many said that the actor did his roles with ease, as if he was “living the role”. This mature and flawless portrayals of his characters gave him the name ‘natural star’ by his fans. 

Nani received blockbuster success and started his own production house

Though Nani had established himself as a phenomenal actor, he earned the title of superstar after starring as the main lead in S.S Rajamouli’s mega-blockbuster hit Eega. This 2012 film went on to become a pan-Indian success, dubbed into Hindi as Makkhi. Starring opposite Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Nani left a mark with his performance, even though he was on the screen for only one song. 

After this, Nani went on to star in huge projects. Most of which became commercially successful. He also starred in a Yash Raj Film production – a remake of the movie Band Baja Barat by the same production house.  

While enjoying these roles as an actor, Nani also produced a film in 2013 called D for Dopidi. Just before the pandemic hit in 2020, Nani produced another film, a crime thriller called HIT: The First Case. Despite the unfortunate timing of the release, the film became a success. He then went on to produce HIT: The Second Case and HIT: The Third Case. HIT 3 stars him in the lead, unlike the previous two. 

Best films of Nani and greatest performance of the decade 

Nani’s filmography features many of the most popular Telugu movies that won hearts of viewers around the country. Eega is one such movie which is considered to be a cult classic and one of the most unique Indian films. Jersey is another memorable movie which won Nani the spot in Film Companion under “100 Greatest Performances of the Decade”. This movie was also remade into Hindi with Shahid Kapoor reprising the role of Nani. 

Shyam Singha Roy with Sai Pallavi is also considered one of the best films of Nani. The film, along with its songs and story, touched the hearts of many. Two of his 2023 releases Dasara and Hi Nanna were equally loved by viewers. Meanwhile, his most recent film HIT 3 is getting raving reviews. 

Nani, the natural star, has won many awards and accolades 

Nani has been acknowledged many times for his great acting. He has been praised with gushing reviews from critics and has also been awarded for his exceptional acting many times. The actor has won two Nandi awards, which is given by the Andhra Pradesh government to recognise valuable contribution to Telugu theatre and cinema. He has also received three Filmfare Awards South and four South Indian International Movie Awards. 

He has also won one IIFA Utsavam award amongst four nominations. Nani also won two awards at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival for his role in Eega. But the most priceless achievement of Nani was getting to dub the Telugu version of Mani Ratnam’s Ok Kadhal Kanmani, after expressing numerous times what a great fan he was of the director’s work. 

Nani’s philanthropies, donations and charity works 

Along with his natural acting prowess, Nani is also known for his charity works. Especially helping people during the COVID-19 pandemic with huge donations. Reportedly, the actor donated Rs. 30 lakhs to help the affected through the CoronaVirus Charity Fund. He also helped police officers in encouraging people to donate their plasma for the patients. 

Nani also did a lot of charity works during the floods of 2015 that had badly ravaged Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. As per reports, he has also donated his blood to help children with Thalassemia, a potentially fatal disease. 

From a film-obsessed Hyderbadi youth to being a star whose films are remade into multiple languages, Ghanta Naveen Babu a.k.a Nani has come a long way. Even though made primarily for the Telugu audience, his acting has broken language barriers and become popular among non-Telugu speaking viewers as well. With critically acclaimed performances in some of the most popular Indian movies, Nani is a pan-Indian star in his own right. Therefore, he stands tall not only as a great actor but also as an inspiration for many outsiders. 

What are your thoughts on Nani's journey? Let us know. 

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