Naga Chaitanya
Introduction '''Akkineni Naga Chaitanya''' (born 23 November 1986), known professionally as '''Naga Chaitanya''', is an Indian actor who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He has received one Filmfare Award South and one Nandi Award for his work.Son of actor Nagarjuna, Chaitanya made his acting debut in 2009 with ''Josh'', which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut – South. He achieved his career breakthrough with the romantic drama ''Ye Maaya Chesave'' (2010) and went on to further establish himself with notable films such as ''100% Love'' (2011), ''Tadakha'' (2013), ''Manam'' (2014), ''Premam'' (2016), ''Rarandoi Veduka Chudham'' (2017), ''Majili'' (2019), ''Venky Mama'' (2019), ''Love Story'' (2021), and ''Bangarraju'' (2022), while receiving the Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Manam'' and three Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu nominations for ''Ye Maaya Chesave'', ''Premam'', and ''Love Story''. In 2022, Chaitanya made his Hindi film debut with the comedy drama ''Laal Singh Chaddha''.In addition to his film career, Chaitanya is the owner of the cloud kitchen chain Shoyu and is a celebrity endorser for numerous brands and products. He was married to actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu from 2017 to 2021.
Early life and family Chaitanya with Nagarjuna and AmalaChaitanya was born on 23 November 1986 in Hyderabad to actor Akkineni Nagarjuna and Lakshmi Daggubati. His paternal grandfather, actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao and his maternal grandfather, producer D. Ramanaidu are prominent figures in Telugu cinema. Chaitanya's parents got divorced when he was a child. Both his parents later remarried. While Nagarjuna married former actress Amala Mukherjee, Lakshmi married Sharath Vijayaraghavan, a corporate executive at Sundaram Motors. Chaitanya has a paternal half-brother, actor Akhil Akkineni and a maternal step brother. His maternal uncle Venkatesh and first cousins Rana Daggubati, Sumanth and Sushanth are also actors.Chaitanya grew up in Chennai, where he was raised for 18 and a half years. He was educated at Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, Chennai and at AMM School, Chennai. He then completed his graduation from St. Mary's College, Hyderabad. He expressed his desire to Nagarjuna to take up acting as his profession during his second year in college. He enrolled in a three-month acting course in Mumbai. He received further training in acting and martial arts in Los Angeles, apart from taking voice and dialogue coaching for one year before making his acting debut.
Career === Debut and breakthrough (2009–2012) ===Chaitanya debuted in 2009 with the film ''Josh'', directed by Vasu Varma, in which he played a college student. ''Rediff.com'' wrote: "As a debutant, Naga Chaitanya has performed well. He has his moments where he's proven himself. There is always scope for improvement and one hopes that he will hone his skills in the years to come." Chaitanya won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut - South.He next starred in the 2010 romantic drama ''Ye Maaya Chesave'', directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, which was simultaneously shot in Tamil as ''Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa'', with a different cast and climax. He played a Hindu Telugu assistant director who falls in love with a Christian Malayali girl. A reviewer from ''Sify.com'' wrote: "Naga Chaitanya is at home in romantic scenes. His asset is his voice and his casual acting style. Chaitanya has improved his performance from his first film. He can now confidently act in more romantic films and strengthen his position." However, the reviewer felt that he should concentrate on his looks as he felt that Chaitanya looked "very boyish". The film was a success at the box office and went on to receive a cult status. He also received a nomination for Filmfare Award South for Best Actor Male.After ''Ye Maaya Chesave'', he paired up with Tamannaah Bhatia in 2011 for love story titled ''100% Love'', in which he played a studious and egotistical college student who is the top ranker of his college. It was a box office success. ''123telugu'' stated, "Naga Chaitanya is suave to the level of being egoist. He performs well and gives a calm skin to his character." His next film was ''Dhada'' (2011). ''The Times of India'' wrote, "After good performances in his last two films, Naga Chaitanya doesn't live up to expectations. He has the same expression stuck on his face throughout the movie. "His next release that year was ''Bejawada'', directed by Vivek Krishna. The film saw Chaitanya portraying the role of a college student-turned-gangster. The film received negative reviews, with critics calling it his worst film. His performance was also panned by critics. ''The Times of India'' wrote: "This film might have even outdone "Dhada", in being called the worst film of Chaitanya's career. While the young actor still needs to work on his facial expressions, he was saddled with a poorly sketched character in this film, devoid of all heroism, and he fails to rise above it. "=== Career fluctuation and progressions (2013–2018) ===Chaitanya's next film, ''Tadakha'' in 2013, was an official remake of N. Lingusamy's Tamil action film ''Vettai''. ''The Hindu'' wrote: "Naga Chaitanya shows tremendous improvement even his last outing, the debacle called ''Bejawada''. He is in sync with his role, exudes over confidence and seems to have had funny stunt sequences and comic portions. Reprising a role played by an established actor like Arya is no mean task and Chaitanya pulls it off rather well." The film was commercially successful, giving the actor a much needed break.In 2014, Chaitanya appeared in the period-drama ''Manam'', which also featured his grandfather, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, and father, Nagarjuna. He played two roles in the film, which were of a middle class father in 1983 and a happy-go-lucky college student. ''Deccan Chronicle'' wrote: "Naga Chaitanya has done a decent job and compared to his earlier films he matured a lot as an actor." Sify.com wrote "There is lot of improvement in Naga Chaitanya's acting. He looks natural and has done justice to his role. "His next release was the political-drama ''Autonagar Surya'', directed by Deva Katta, in which he played Surya, a skilled mechanic. Upon release, the film received mixed reviews from critics, who however appreciated Chaitanya's performance in the film calling it one of his best efforts. The film ended up as a flop. ''The Hindu'' wrote: "One rarely gets to see Naga Chaitanya smiling in this film. Chaitanya brings in the right amount of grit and intensity required for his role and shows that he can carry a film on his shoulders with the help of an able director." He later starred in romantic comedy ''Oka Laila Kosam'' in 2014. ''The Times of India'' wrote, "Oka Laila Kosam is a simple love story which doesn't quite leave you with a big smile on your face, but it has enough mojo, if you are a big sucker for romance." In 2015, he played the lead in the action-crime drama ''Dohchay'', directed by Sudheer Varma.In 2016, he starred in the remake of the 2015 Malayalam cult-romantic film ''Premam'', of the same name, alongside Shruti Hassan. The film became a commercial success. ''Times of India'' noted, "Naga Chaitanya shows the variation in his portrayal that leave you in awe of him and makes you wonder why he never showed the prowess before." After the success of ''Premam'', his next release was ''Sahasam Swasaga Sagipo'', released two days after demonetization and won him critical acclaim. received positive reviews. ''The New Indian Express'' stated, "Naga Chaitanya's casting for a role like this was spot on, and the actor delivers one of his finest performances till date". In 2017, he had two releases. Firstly, the family drama ''Rarandoi Veduka Chudham'', directed by Kalyan Krishna opposite Rakul Preet Singh. ''Firstpost'' wrote, "Naga Chaitanya has, quite clearly, put his best foot forward. In this film, he doesn't let his silence do most of the talking, his body language is different and the actor does a pretty job. Secondly, the thriller film ''Yuddham Sharanam'' opposite Lavanya Tripathi.Chaitanya in 2018Chaitanya starred in a brief role in the 2018 Savitri's biopic, ''Mahanati'', directed by Nag Ashwin, which was a huge hit. He played his grandfather Nageswara Rao. In the same year, he starred in Maruthi-directed ''Shailaja Reddy Alludu'' alongside Anu Emmanuel and Ramya Krishnan. ''Hindustan Times'' wrote, "The film is a commercial entertainer and the same old formula of a sincere son-in-law who helps his lady love's family is presented well." Two months later, his next film, the thriller ''Savyasachi'' directed by Chandoo Mondeti featured Chaitanya in the role of an ambidextrous man. ''India Today'' wrote, "Chaitanya does his part well but looks caricaturish in the romantic portions and they test your patience. "=== Acclaimed success and further career (2019–present) ===Chaitanya featured in the 2019 film ''Majili'' along with Samantha Ruth Prabhu, in their fourth film together. With a gross of , ''Majili'' become the highest-grossing film in Chaitanya's career. ''The Hindu'' noted, "As Poorna, we see a new Naga Chaitanya. He looks the part and shines in his portrayal of a young, aspiring cricketer." ''India Today'' stated, "Naga Chaitanya has delivered his career-best performance as Purna. As a grief-stricken guy, he shines in the portions where he is still recovering from his tragic break-up." Later that year, he starred in ''Venky Mama'' alongside his maternal uncle Venkatesh and Raashi Khanna. The film was a profitable venture, grossing .In 2021, Chaitanya starred as a lower caste boy in the film ''Love Story'' opposite Sai Pallavi. The film grossed over ₹90 crore at the box office, and became a commercially successful venture. ''Deccan Chronicle'' noted, "Naga Chaitanya delivers his career's best; he's brilliant as a guy constantly facing caste discrimination yet moving on. Indeed, he had to unlearn much for the role, which is evident in his performance." While ''Times of India'' wrote, "Naga Chaitanya easily delivers one of his career's best performances. He is handed a character that's sensitive, polite and someone who's not afraid to go the extra mile for love – and he pulls it off well. "Chaitanya had three releases in 2022.He appeared in ''Bangarraju'' along with his father, Nagarjuna ''Sakshi'' stated, "Nagarjuna and Chaitanya are the core strength of the film". The film received mixed reviews but was a commercial success. He next appeared in ''Thank You'' with Raashi Khanna. The film received mixed to negative reviews, ''The Hans India'' wrote "Though, Chaitanya nailed it with his performance but that is not sufficient to save this rudderless drama with no proper mission." Chaitanya made his Hindi film debut with ''Laal Singh Chaddha'', his final release of the year. He played an army officer alongside Aamir Khan. It was declared a box office bomb, but became the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2022 at international box office. ''Filmfare'' noted, "Naga Chaitanya isn't playing the central character, but manages to leave an impact through his sincerity and commitment to the role. "In 2023, he played a constable in the Telugu-Tamil bilingual film, ''Custody'', alongside Krithi Shetty. It marked his Tamil debut. ''Hindustan Times'' wrote, "Naga Chaitanya plays his part quite well and this is definitely an attempt worth some praise." Chaitanya then made his digital debut with the Amazon Prime Video's web series, ''Dhootha'', where he played an investigation journalist alongside Priya Bhavani Shankar. ''Hindustan Times'' stated, "''Dhootha'' gives Naga Chaitanya the chance to do something he hasn't before – shed his 'good boy' image. His performance might not always land, but he keeps you invested in most of the episodes that require him to do the heavy-lifting. "In 2024, Chaitanya is set to star in an upcoming film titled ''Thandel'', featuring Sai Pallavi as the female lead. The movie is helmed by director Chandoo Mondeti.
Personal life Chaitanya and Samantha with Nagarjuna and Venkatesh at their wedding reception in 2017Chaitanya met actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu on the sets of ''Ye Maaya Chesave'' in 2010 and after being in a relationship since November 2015, Chaitanya got engaged to Samantha on 29 January 2017.Later that year, they married in Goa, in a Hindu religious ceremony on 6 October and a Christian ceremony on 7 October. Both were private ceremonies, where only close friends and family were present. The public fondly called them as "ChaySam". After much speculated rumours, Chaitanya and Samantha announced their separation on 2 October 2021, ending their four years of marriage.
Other work and media image Chaitanya is considered as one of the most popular and highest paid Telugu actors. Mayukh Majumdar of ''Filmfare'' termed him a "star down South". Karthik Kumar of ''Hindustan Times'' noted, "Chaitanya has proved himself as the heartthrob of Telugu cinema with his good looks and his romantic films." In ''Rediff.com'''s list of "Top 5 Telugu actors", he was placed second in 2010.Chaitanya has frequently featured on the Hyderabad Times' Most Desirable Men list. He ranked 12th in 2017, 7th in 2018, 11th in 2019 and 6th in 2020.Chaitanya has also been associated with social causes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he donated Rs 25 lakhs, to support daily wage workers in the film industry. Chaitanya is a celebrity endorser for brands and products including Ariel, Big Bazaar and Colgate among others. In 2016, he also became the brand ambassador of Tollywood Thunders in the first season of the Celebrity Badminton League. In 2022, Chaitanya started his own chain of cloud kitchen brand "Shoyu" in Hyderabad. Chaitanya also ventured into Motor Racing by acquiring the ownership of Motorsport racing team "Hyderabad Blackbirds (HBB)".
Filmography === Films ===* ''All films are in Telugu, unless otherwise noted. ''+ List of Naga Chaitanya film credits Year Title Role Notes  2009  ''Josh'' Sathya  2010 ''Ye Maaya Chesave''  Karthik   ''Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa'' Himself 2011 ''100% Love''  Balu Mahendra    ''Dhada''  Vishwa   ''Bejawada''  Shiva Krishna   2013  ''Tadakha''  Karthik   2014  ''Manam''  Nagarjuna / Radha Mohan    ''Autonagar Surya''  Surya   ''Oka Laila Kosam''  Karthik  2015  ''Dohchay''  Chandu   ''Krishnamma Kalipindi Iddarini''  Himself  Cameo2016 ''Premam'' Vikram Vatsalya    ''Aatadukundam Raa''  Himself  Cameo  ''Sahasam Swasaga Saagipo''  Rajinikanth Nagarjuna Muralidhar 2017  ''Rarandoi Veduka Chudham''  Shiva   ''Yuddham Sharanam''  Arjun  2018 ''Mahanati'' Akkineni Nageswara Rao Cameo ''Shailaja Reddy Alludu'' Chaitanya 'Chaitu'   ''Savyasachi''  Vikram Aditya  2019  ''Majili''  Poorna Chandra Rao  ''Oh! Baby''  Young Chanti  Cameo ''Venky Mama''  Capt. Karthik Shivaram Veeramachineni   2021 ''Love Story'' Revanth  2022 ''Bangarraju''  Chinna Bangarraju  ''Thank You'' Abhiram "Abhi"  ''Laal Singh Chaddha''  Balaraju "Bala" Bodi Hindi film  2023 ''Custody''  A. Shiva  Simultaneously shot in Tamil  Filming === Web series ===+ List of Naga Chaitanya web series credits Year Title Role Notes  2023  ''Dhootha'' Sagar Varma Avuduri Debut
Awards and nominations + List of Naga Chaitanya awards and nominations Year Award Category Film Result 2010 CineMAA Awards Best Male Debut''Josh''  57th Filmfare Awards South Best Male Debut – South 2011 58th Filmfare Awards South Best Actor – Telugu ''Ye Maaya Chesave''  CineMAA Awards Best Actor   South Scope Cinema Awards Rising Star of South Cinema  2012 1st South Indian International Movie AwardsBest Actor – Telugu ''100% Love'' 20154th South Indian International Movie Awards''Manam''  Best Actor Critics – Telugu  Nandi Awards Best Supporting Actor  2016 TSR – TV9 National Film Awards Special Appreciation Award''Premam'' 2017 64th Filmfare Awards South Best Actor – Telugu  15th Santosham Film Awards Best Actor  Zee Cine Awards Telugu Entertainer of the Year ''Rarandoi Veduka Chudham''  2019 TSR – TV9 National Film Awards Special Jury Award ''Shailaja Reddy Alludu'' 2022 67th Filmfare Awards South Best Actor – Telugu''Love Story''  10th South Indian International Movie Awards Best Actor – Telugu
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