Naga Chaitanya Akkineni

Naga Chaitanya Akkineni’s got quite the journey in Telugu cinema. Born and raised in Chennai, bounced between schools there and eventually graduated from St. Mary’s in Hyderabad. Acting? Yeah, he caught the bug early and, in college, straight up told his dad Nagarjuna Akkineni (yep, the legend himself) he wanted in on the family business. He kicked things off with Josh in 2009, but Ye Maaya Chesave in 2010 really made people sit up and pay attention. After that, he lined up some solid hits—100% Love, Tadakha, and the family favorite, Manam. The guy doesn’t shy away from mixing it up, either. He’s done rom-coms like Oka Laila Kosam, thrillers like Dohchay, and even tried his hand at a bilingual romance, Saahasam Swaasaga Saagipo. People rave about his roles in Autonagar Surya and Premam too. In 2018, he pulled off playing his own grandfather in Mahanati, which, let’s be real, is wild and kind of awesome. That same year, he popped up in Shailaja Reddy Alludu and went all ambidextrous in Savyasachi. Majili, with Samantha Ruth Prabhu, just crushed it at the box office—it’s still his biggest earner. He’s kept busy with movies like Venky Mama (starring alongside his real-life uncle Venkatesh), Love Story, and even jumped into Bollywood with Laal Singh Chaddha. Not to forget his Tamil debut with Custody. Awards? He’s got a shelf full—Filmfare, SIIMA, Nandi, you name it. Not bad for someone who just wanted to follow his passion.