Hyderabad: Tollywood megastar Chiranjeevi recently made news for his remarks about his family. At a film event, he joked that his house feels like a “ladies’ hostel” because of his granddaughters. He said he hopes for a grandson to continue his legacy and told his son, Ram Charan, to have a boy this time. His comments received mixed reactions from the public.
Chiranjeevi was the first Indian actor to charge Rs. 1 crore for a single film. In the 1990s, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan was the highest-paid actor, earning about Rs. 90 lakh per movie. But Chiranjeevi broke the record by earning Rs. 1.25 crore for his 1992 film Apadbandhavudu. His high earnings set a new standard in the film industry. After him, other stars like Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, and Amitabh Bachchan also increased their fees.
In 1992, The Week magazine called Chiranjeevi “Bigger than Bachchan” because of his success in Telugu films. While Amitabh was famous in Bollywood, Chiranjeevi was ruling Telugu cinema with many hits. His blockbuster Indra made him a true ‘Megastar’ in the 2000s. After a short break for politics, he returned with hit films like Khaidi No 150 and Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy.
Even at 69, Chiranjeevi is one of the highest-paid Telugu actors, earning Rs. 40 crore per film. His next movie, Vishwambhara, will release on January 10, 2025. In 2024, he received the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award, for his contribution to cinema.
