Ram Charan

Konidela Ram Charan (born 27 March 1985) is an Indian actor, film producer, and entrepreneur who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He is one of the highest-paid actors in Indian cinema and is also known for his dancing. He has featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2013. Charan is the recipient of several awards, including four Filmfare Awards and two Nandi Awards.

Charan made his acting debut with the action film Chirutha (2007), a box office hit, winning the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut – South. He rose to prominence starring in S. S. Rajamouli's fantasy action film Magadheera (2009), the highest-grossing Telugu film of all time at the time of its release, winning the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu. He went on to star in notable films such as Orange (2010), Racha (2012), Naayak (2013), Yevadu (2014), Govindudu Andarivadele (2014), and Dhruva (2016).

Charan achieved further commercial success with the blockbusters Rangasthalam (2018), winning his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu, and RRR (2022), which currently ranks as the third-highest-grossing Indian film of all time and his highest grosser. Charan emerged as a pan-Indian star with RRR and earned international recognition, including a nomination at the Critics' Choice Super Awards for Best Actor in an Action Movie, getting honoured for his performance at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2024, and achieving his third Filmfare Award for Best Actor - Telugu.

In 2016, Charan launched his own production house Konidela Production Company, which has notably backed Khaidi No. 150 (2017) and Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy (2019). Beyond his film career, he owns the polo team Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club and was a co-owner of now defunct airline service TruJet.

Ram Charan was born in Madras (now Chennai) in a Telugu family to actor Chiranjeevi and his wife Surekha on 27 March 1985. His family hails from Mogalthur and Palakollu in the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. His maternal grandfather was the noted comic actor Allu Ramalingaiah. He has two siblings — an older sister Sushmitha and younger sister Sreeja.

Ram Charan was educated at Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, Chennai, Lawrence School, Lovedale, The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, and at the St. Mary's College, Hyderabad. He also attended Kishore Namit Kapoor's acting school in Mumbai. He was presented with an honorary doctorate from Vels University, Chennai in April 2024.

In 2007, Charan made his film debut as the leading actor in Chirutha, an action film directed by Puri Jagannadh which completed 50 days in 178 direct cinemas and 15 other shifted cinemas. He played the role of Charan, an ex-convict seeking to kill his father's murderer. Rediff.com praised his performance, stating: "Ram Charan is quite promising. Dance and action appear to be forte. He is rather graceful in the dance numbers. He also stays clear of any oblique reference to his star father by way of dialogue or adopting any particular mannerism or style." His performance in the film earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut – South and the Nandi Special Jury Award.

After the release of his second film, the fantasy film Magadheera (2009), Charan established himself as one of the leading contemporary actors in Tollywood. The film, in which he played dual roles, was directed by S. S. Rajamouli, and Charan's performance was critically acclaimed. The Times of India stated that "Ram Charan returns as a valiant soldier and breathes life into the larger-than-life role with ease. He showcases his horse-riding and dancing skills to perfection." IndiaGlitz commented: "Charan has come up with a mature performance and he has carried the film very well. Both his characters were done justice, and he reminded of his father at many places." Magadheera grossed over ₹150 crores worldwide and held the record of being the highest-grossing Telugu film until 2013 before it was surpassed by Attarintiki Daredi. The film received six Filmfare Awards including two awards – Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu and the Nandi Special Jury Award for Charan.