Chiranjeevi (Telugu : చిరంజీవి), born as
Konidela Siva Sankara Vara Prasad, 22 August 1955, is an
Indian film actor, dancer, producer, singer, voice artist, politician, businessman, investor and a member of the
Indian National Congress. He was the Minister of State with independent charge for the
Ministry of Tourism,
Government of India. Prior to politics, Chiranjeevi has attended the
Madras Film Institute, and had worked primarily in
Telugu cinema, in addition to
Tamil,
Kannada and
Hindi films. He made his acting debut in 1978, with the film
Punadhirallu. However,
Pranam Khareedu was released earlier at the
box office. Chiranjeevi is known for his
break dancing skills. He was the guest of honor at the
59th Academy Awards. In the same year, he starred in
Swayam Krushi, which premiered at the
Moscow International Film Festival. In 1988, he co-produced
Rudraveena, which won the
National Film Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. In a film career spanning thirty five years, he won four state
Nandi Awards and ten
Filmfare Awards South including the
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South.