| 4 | | Macho 80s Telugu megastar. Born in Narasapuram taluk, AP, as Shivashankara Varaprasad. Student at the Madras Film Institute and amateur stage actor. First public performance in the Republic Day parade ballet of AP (1976). Early films with Bapu (Manavoori Pandavulu) and K. Balachander (Idi Kathakadu, 47 Rojulu, and more recently, Rudraveena, produced by his brother-in-law and regular producer Allu Aravind). Routine career in late 70s films was transformed by the spectacular success of his negative role in Kodi Ramakrishna’s Intilo Ramayya Vidhilo Krishnayya. Developed his main reputation in violent gangster thrillers, a genre pioneered by A. Kodandarami Reddy (Khaidi, Goonda, Challenge, Vijeta, Marana Mridangam, Trinetrudu etc.), Vijaya Bapineedu (Khaidi No. 786, Gang Leader) and more recently, Raviraja Pinisetty (Jwala, Chakravarthi). Much of his character impersonates the ‘rowdysheeter’, a legal term of colonial vintage, indicating a potentially violent person who’s on a police list and gets rounded up when violence is anticipated. The term is referred to in titles like B. Gopal’s State Rowdy. Hindi début with Pratibandh, followed by Aaj Ka Goonda Raj, both directed by Pinisetty (aka Ravi Raja), have established him as one of the highest-paid stars in the country in the early 90s. Alluda Majaaka led to a major censorship controversy because of its alleged lewdness and recourse to violence. |
| | 4 | Macho 80s Telugu megastar. Born in Narasapuram taluk, AP, as Shivashankara Varaprasad. Student at the Madras Film Institute and amateur stage actor. First public performance in the Republic Day parade ballet of AP (1976). Early films with [[Bapu]] (Manavoori Pandavulu) and [[K. Balachander]] (Idi Kathakadu, 47 Rojulu, and more recently, Rudraveena, produced by his brother-in-law and regular producer Allu Aravind). Routine career in late 70s films was transformed by the spectacular success of his negative role in Kodi Ramakrishna’s Intilo Ramayya Vidhilo Krishnayya. Developed his main reputation in violent gangster thrillers, a genre pioneered by A. Kodandarami Reddy ([[Khaidi]], Goonda, [[Challenge]], Vijeta, Marana Mridangam, Trinetrudu etc.), Vijaya Bapineedu ([[Khaidi No. 786]], [[Gang Leader]]) and more recently, Raviraja Pinisetty (Jwala, Chakravarthi). Much of his character impersonates the ‘rowdysheeter’, a legal term of colonial vintage, indicating a potentially violent person who’s on a police list and gets rounded up when violence is anticipated. The term is referred to in titles like B. Gopal’s State Rowdy. Hindi début with [[Pratibandh]], followed by Aaj Ka Goonda Raj, both directed by Pinisetty (aka Ravi Raja), have established him as one of the highest-paid stars in the country in the early 90s. [[Alluda Majaaka]] led to a major censorship controversy because of its alleged lewdness and recourse to violence. |