Jagapathi Babu

Jagapathi Babu, born on a random Tuesday in February 1962 (seriously, February 12th, jot it down), comes straight outta Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh. This guy’s been around the block—like, he’s not just some fleeting face in the Telugu film world, but practically a permanent fixture. You can’t flip through recent South Indian cinema without stumbling across one of his intense, brooding performances. The man’s got range; one minute he’s melting hearts as a doting dad in “Nannaku Prematho,” the next he’s a full-on menacing force in “Rangasthalam.” Not to mention his role in “Srimanthudu”—the dude’s basically made a career out of stealing the show, even when he’s not in the lead. What’s wild is how he’s managed to reinvent himself over the years. He kicked off as a classic hero back in the day, but somewhere down the road he just snapped his fingers and—bam—he’s the go-to guy for villainous roles that actually make the audience root for the bad guy sometimes. Talk about a plot twist. Add to that, he’s dabbled in producing, always keeping things fresh. There’s this rugged charm about him, like he’s seen some stuff and isn’t afraid to bring that grit to his characters. Even now, decades into his career, directors keep lining up for his signature glare and that deep, gravelly voice. Bottom line: if you’re into Telugu cinema, you definitely know Jagapathi Babu, and if you don’t… well, you’ve got homework.