22nd August 2003

From an anti-hero to a hero, from a hero to a star and from a star to being called as the Megastar, Chiranjeevi has indeed traversed a long strenuous path with arduous efforts. Tackling troubles with confidence, averting adversities with impudence, he has become an epitome of success, earning it the hard way and the right way..

His desire of being an actor, his dream of finding a place in the hearts of millions of people and the way he has worked towards these serve as a textbook for many aspiring artistes and upcoming actors, who never hesitate to take a cue, or learn a lesson from him on not just emoting and acting but also on maintaining a down-to-earth persona and a humble personality by not letting success get into one's head.

In Chiranjeevi's dictionary, entertainment is synonymous with complete satisfaction.. Even in fateful fiascos like Big Boss, Rikshavodu and Mrigaraju, where our senses had almost given in to the insane execution of the movies, Chiranjeevi had emerged as a messiah to rescue us with charismatic portrayals and dreamy dances.. Be it a loud mass character or a composed class character, Chiranjeevi always essays them with élan, adding credibility and dignity to the character.

On a personal level, his portrayals - of a naïve yet not gullible character in Swayamkrushi; of a funny yet not feeble detective in Chantabbai; of an artiste who realizes that serving mankind is better than savoring the art of singing in Rudraveena; of a down to earth villager who goes to any length to help the family which he adores in Apadhbaandhavudu - have moved me and mesmerized me. Except Swayamkrushi, unfortunately none of the other movies met with decent and desired success at the box-office which is why I/we don't get to see him tugging my/our heart(s) anymore with such sensitive portrayals.. Not that he hasn't enacted his recent roles with the same panache but only that they haven't extracted the most and demanded the best out of him.

When you talk about these movies, what you get reminded of is Chiranjeevi's flawless acting and emphatic emoting which have struck the right chords with us.. But when you talk about some of his blockbusters like Gangleader, Rowdy Alludu, Gharana Mogudu, Hitler, Bavagaru Bagunnara or his recent Indra, what flashes in your mind is his dances and some of his famous one-liners. An actor, no doubt, needs successes to top the industry. But after attaining a certain stature, can he not graduate into more meaningful cinema? Now, that does not necessarily mean parallel cinema.. Rather, it can be something where the character sticks to its ethics and morals throughout the movie than preaching something through sermons of dialogues and at the same time singing songs with mindless words, going against the basic characterization.. It also could mean something new in terms of story and screenplay rather than dish out the same story with new music, arresting dances and scantly clad in-demand heroines.

What comes as silver lining now is Chiranjeevi's decision to work with new and enthusiastic directors. Some of his new projects with Krishna Vamsi, K Vijaya Bhaskar and VN Aditya, hopefully will make us go gaga over them as long as these directors do not disappoint us by falling in the trap of catering to the needs and demands of his image. Atleast that's what his recent movies have depicted with scenes tugged in just for the sake of being there. Talking about his new movies, I am particularly looking forward to his project with Krishna Vamsi, whom I regard as one of the most talented protégé's of Varma School.

Lean phases followed by laudable stages, box-office bombs alternating with blockbuster hits, upheavals usurping upbeat moods, Chiranjeevi has seen them all and lived them all with the calm of a sea, composure of a saint and the majesty of a lion. Undaunted, unperturbed and emerging unscathed by them, he has always believed in taking lessons from the past, living in the present and planning ahead for the future.

The result of one such planning of his, for the welfare and well-being of many a people is Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust (CCT), catering to the needs, medical as well as monetary, of the poor and the needy. Be it blood banks, eye banks or education funds, CCT, I am told, comes to the aid of the people immediately and incessantly. CCT, indeed is a noble deed masterminded by Chiranjeevi and managed meticulously by his fans and friends (click here to read about one such noble fan).

We at idlebrain.com wish this magnanimous personality a very happy birthday today (Aug 22, 2003) and hope that he not only entertains us but also continues his noble deeds of helping the poor and needy with many more activities through CCT for many years to come.

Also read Sreekanth's article on Chiranjeevi.

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